I've been wanting a new boil kettle for some time, and I'm finally getting ready to. Currently my set up is direct fire using natural gas. I'm in a rent home, and my next place might not have NG. I don't want to go back to propane, so I may have to go electric in the future. These are just considerations to keep in mind. I want a 15 gallon kettle, stainless, with welded fittings (easier to clean and disassemble). I'm looking at the more beer's kettle, and the generic kettles at AIH / AHS. I'm leaning to the More Beer kettle because the walls are slightly thicker, and has a tri-clad bottom if you're into that. Also the geometry is different, the diameter is wider. This puts more surface area in contact with the flame. This also slightly increases the boil off rate. I'm thinking I'd be happy with either one, but I'm curious if anyone has had experience using them and could offer some insight?
I have a SS Brewtech 15g kettle and love it. Specs seem similar to the Morebeer kettle but the geometry is different. Looks like a great deal to me.
I have the MoreBeer 15 gallon ketttle. I have nick-named it "The Beast" because even empty it is a beast to lug around. MoreBeer claims it is nearly dent-proof. I'd have to say that is accurate. At $170, I'd say it is a steal, I got mine for something like that at my LHBS a while back. This kettle will last many homebrewers a lifetime. Because of the large diameter, I usually use the lid to partially cover the top during the boil so as to save propane while maintaining a reasonable boil. Not that it can't happen, but I've never had a boilover (I do 5 gallon batches). I've notched the lid (Dremel with diamond wheel) for my immersion cooler so that I can keep it covered while I cool. I use to top port for a thermometer (Blichman) to monitor temps, mainly while cooling. Cheers!
Then I don't think you want a 15 gal kettle of any kind. Half that size would be plenty (and more efficient) for an electric stove. The tri-clad part is a good idea though.
yeah it was the bargain factor that attracted me to both of the kettles. Thanks for the info. Is the boil off rate really increased that much as opposed to the other mainstream kettles? Would you say it's too heavy and difficult to manage when cleaning? Is there anything about the kettle that might not be good for converting to electric that you can think of? I know you said you use propane, I'm just looking ahead.
I probably wouldn't use an electric stove. If I had to convert to electric, I would opt for RIMS or HERMS. The reason for the 15 gal kettle is to be able to brew up to 10 gal batches now that I have a fermentation chamber that supports 2 carboys.
One thing to think about is your typical batch size and how high the heating element would be in the kettle. In my SS (smaller diameter) kettle, I need at least 4 gal at the end of boil to cover the coils - sounds like it would need to be more for the Morebeer one. Not an issue for me as I usually shoot for 6 gals into the fermenter.
I use the Blichmann Boil Coil which has a pretty high profile. I'll bet that the stick-shaped elements are lower profile in the kettle.
What do you plan on using to heat your boil kettle? (RIMS and HERMS are usually used for mash temp control)
That's what I was thinking too. I'm not sure about how much power one requires vs the other (stick vs coil). Blichmann is pretty notorious for making high quality stuff, so I'm sure the boil coil works great. I hand't thought of height considerations though. For now I am doing direct fire with natural gas from the rent house I'm in. When I move, natural gas may not be an option though, and I'm thinking ahead about the possibility of switching to electric. If I do move to electric, I really like the idea of having a triclamp fitting welded on the pot and using a TC stick element that is 220 V and as much Watts as I can safely have on a circuit. Something like this.
Have you looked into Gasone 16 gallon kettle on amazon. Price is pretty unbeatable. Can’t speak for their quality...
It's not that the boil rate is increased with this pot, but one can use less gas for a given boil vigor by partially covering the pot. BTW, I use a Blichmann burner with propane. Is there some reasoni you don't think you want to use propane? No, not too difficult to manage when cleaning. I usually rest it on a chair in front of the kitchen sink and work with it there when cleaning. No reason it can't be converted to electric (at least that I can think of). Cheers!
Propane was just another thing to worry about. I ran out of propane during a boil twice. One time I had a spare tank, another time I did not. Both natural gas, and electricity are cheaper than propane. I really like the precision level with temps that can be obtained with electricity when mashing. But that's a big investment for fittings, elements, etc. I prefer sticking with Natural gas. Electricity is just if it's not available in the future. I'm just trying to think ahead to cover my bases so I can be flexible with either road I take.
Why not just rent an apartment or buy a house with NG? ...would be my first prerequisite other than a safe place for my kids
Two things, I think. First, I like the adjustable arms for different pot sizes. Also, it is easily mountable to a rolling stand that I built. Third, it's nice and shiny! OK, I guess that's three. I don't have the new "HellFire" model, just the older "TopTier" burner. The KAB6 looks like a nice burner. Cheers!
