I'm looking at what is available to upgrade my HLT/kettle (ancient and abused turkey flyer with a wonky at best valve) and trying to figure out if the $$ difference for a Blichmann is worth it over the MegaPot/MoreBeer varieties. 5gal is the most I ever brew, often I brew 3ish gals, so I'm looking at the 8-10gal range kettle. Ideally the MegaPot is my least favorite due to the lack of a sight gauge (and I don't have the relevant tools, etc for the DIY fix to add one). the MoreBeer pot just looks like it's accessories (valve, sight gauge) stand out so far from the pot that there is an increased risk of hitting/damaging them. outside of aesthetics, is there any real difference between these? has anyone seen the 7.5gal Blichmann? it's listed on the Blichmann site but I've yet to find a retailer that carries it
I have one of these. http://morebeer.com/products/heavy-duty-brew-kettle-ball-valve-notched-lid-60-quart15-gallon.html. No need for a sight gauge. Make a dipstick out of a untreated wooden dowel. This pot will last forever. Blichmans are nice but not with the price IMO. Cheers!
My advice would be brand is least important, SIZE is most important. Adding ports/valves/sightglasses is not difficult if you have something with a decently thick wall. I use ALL keggles, so I don't have much experiance with the brands on the market.
I've been using a dipstick for years and want to go away from it, hence a site gauge being a priority for me for this upgrade
personally.. and this is just my opinion, but the price difference is not worth it.. you can get a weldless sight glass, or weld or silver solder in a fitting and add a sight glass for cheaper!
You don't need much to DIY the fittings on any pot you like, http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-step-drills-96275.html I wouldn't spend the money on any of the upscale brands for a HLT, just buy a bayou classic off amazon and install whatever you need yourself in the form of weldless fittings.
OP, As far as I'm aware, retailers that sell Blichmann can get any product from them, it just takes a couple weeks if they don't have it in stock. I'd talk to Blichmann and confirm they make the 7.5g, and if you decide that's what you really want, just go to your Blichmann retailer and ask them to order it.
Heavy duty 10 gallon for $45 with free shipping http://www.amazon.com/Winware-Profe...388234920&sr=8-1&keywords=10+gallon+stock+pot Beer mail me if you need to borrow a vari bit http://www.amazon.com/Lenox-30882-V...=UTF8&qid=1388235316&sr=8-2&keywords=vari+bit
I brew 5 gallon batches and find a 6 gallon HLT is more than adequate. Strike/sparge water never exceeds the capacity and this is not boiling water, rather something in the 160'ish range. Run your numbers in a mash infusion calculator and you'll see. Example: Mashing 14 lbs of grain at 156ยบ with a 1.25 ratio calls for less than 4 gallons. Mash step infusions may call for boiling water but typically this is in the 2-3 gallon range which my 6'er handles well. This is opposite from the bigger-is-always-better advice commonly seen here. Highly recommend a good quality temp gauge (3 incher) in addition to your ball valve/sight gauge. I heavily rely on this on brewday. For well built economy kettles search Amazon for "winware kettles", lots of sizes to pick from and good reviews. I went stainless but alum should work just as well. Understand your reluctance to add your own gauges, but I bit the bullet and became a Home Boilermaker. Cost savings is significant and you can put kettle technician/repairman on your resume.
