Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches  (Read 27897 times)

Offline trendmere

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« on: September 30, 2012, 10:00:25 pm »
Moving to 10 Gallon batches just wondering what size boil kettle I'll need (ALL GRAIN) ?

Offline weazletoe

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2437
  • Howland, Ohio
Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2012, 11:07:37 pm »
The bigger the better. I thought my 16.25 would be plenty. Well,  guess what has two thumbs and still has boil overs? This guy!! So, go big or go home. I would not attempt it with less than 15 gallon, and a good spray bottle.
A man works hard all week, so he doesn't have to wear pants all weekend.

Offline Pinski

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1943
  • Portland, Oregon
Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2012, 11:18:05 pm »
I use a 20 gallon for my 10 gallon batches and occasionally pull off a 13.
Steve Carper
Green Dragon Brewers
Clubs: Oregon Brew Crew & Strange Brew
BJCP Certified

Offline Mark G

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 898
  • Huntley, IL
Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2012, 04:09:09 am »
I'm using a 15 gallon, and really wish I had something closer to 20. Go as big as you can reasonably afford.
Mark Gres

Offline guido

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 343
Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2012, 04:29:38 am »
I just bought a 20 gallon kettle.  It'll have its maiden voyage in a few days.  I figured if I want to make 10 gallons, I'll need to brew 12 to compensate for the sludge in the bottom of the kettle.  If I want 12 gallons, I'll have to sparge off close to 14 gallons.  A 15 gallon kettle just won't cut it.  The 20 gallon kettle was only $30 more at NB.  I figured it was a no-brainer.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2012, 04:32:04 am by guido »
Well...I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer

     -"Roadhouse Blues,"  Jim Morrison

Offline trendmere

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2012, 04:36:32 am »
So I was wondering something in the 25 gallon range wouldnt be overdoing it?

Offline Mark G

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 898
  • Huntley, IL
Re: Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2012, 04:53:13 am »
So I was wondering something in the 25 gallon range wouldnt be overdoing it?
Nope, not at all.
Mark Gres

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2012, 06:40:48 am »
Blichmann also recommends twice the capacity. With boiloff, your starting volume might be 12 gallons and 3 gallons is usually only 6 inches of headspace. Not much.
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11320
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2012, 08:07:50 am »
I use a 14 gallon kettle and it is pretty close to the top when I finish sparging/lautering. I recommend larger ifd you can, but the 14 gallon works, you just have to feather the flame. That said I always targeted 12 gallons so that I got 5 by the time I was kegging.

Offline davidgzach

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1698
Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #9 on: October 02, 2012, 06:01:46 am »
I'd go 20G.  Wish I had one myself!  15G will result in boil-overs as I can fully attest to. 
Dave Zach

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11320
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #10 on: October 02, 2012, 06:57:40 am »
If you are careful you can bring the wort to a boil literally an inch from the surface and not have a boil over. You don't have to have the flame turned up full blast all the way through the boil - a gentle boil is all you need.

Offline kramerog

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2262
    • My LinkedIn page
Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2012, 08:10:55 am »
I never thought it was that difficult to do 10 gal batches in a 15-gal kettle with 60-minute boils.  Add some hops before the boil to avoid a boilover.  That is a good tip from Greg Noonan's Brewing Lager Beer.  15 gal might be small if you are doing 90-minute boils and you want to avoid topping up.

Offline davidgzach

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1698
Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2012, 08:35:08 am »
I never thought it was that difficult to do 10 gal batches in a 15-gal kettle with 60-minute boils.  Add some hops before the boil to avoid a boilover.  That is a good tip from Greg Noonan's Brewing Lager Beer.  15 gal might be small if you are doing 90-minute boils and you want to avoid topping up.

This is where I had my problems.  90 minute boils with BoPils malt where I needed a good rolling boil to get rid of the DMS.  60 minute pale ale/2 row boils are not a major problem, but you still have to be careful.

Dave
Dave Zach

Offline tcanova

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 194
  • Fayetteville Arkansas
Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #13 on: October 02, 2012, 09:55:50 am »
I use a 20 gallon kettle and what is nice is heating all my liquor at once.  I heat the strike water to mash temp, drain off to my mash tun and leave the rest to heat to sparge temps and then drain to a 10 gallon cooler to keep it at sparge temps.  Saves a little time heating all the liquor at once.
What's the worst that could happen?  Beer?


Wooo Pig Sooiee

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27070
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Best size boil kettle for 10 gallon batches
« Reply #14 on: October 02, 2012, 09:58:05 am »
Add some hops before the boil to avoid a boilover.  That is a good tip from Greg Noonan's Brewing Lager Beer. 

Has that worked for you?  I've FWH dozens, maybe hundreds, of batches and I've never seen it prevent a boilover. 
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell