Doug A wrote:
I too am looking at gearing up for all-grain brewing. I see that I can get a Turkey Fryer package (30 quart aluminum pot + propane burner) for about $70.
My questions are: firstly, are 30 quart (28.4 liter) pots large enough for 23 liter batches (i.e. extra amount to boil-off plus room to boil); and secondly are aluminum pots ok for boiling the wort?
Thanks
Hi Doug -- if you take the plunge into all-grain brewing, you are likely to never look back!
Regarding your two questions:
1. A 30 quart pot is the bare minimum size for all-grain brewing. The boil for a standard 5 gallon all grain batch starts at about 6.5 - 7 gallons of wort, which just barely fits in that size of pot without leaving a lot of room for the boiling wort. You need to either (i) watch your boils like a hawk to avoid boil-overs (keep a spray bottle of cold water handy just in case!), or (ii) invest in Fermcap-s foam control drops to prevent boil-overs. I have used the latter method and it works just fine. Note that if you shop around a bit, it is possible to find 40 quart turkey fryer kits which make the process a bit easier (I think I have seen them at Wal-Mart for about $100).
2. Yes, aluminum pots work great for boil kettles. In fact, I personally feel they are superior to stainless steel pots, but that is just my opinion. I wrote an article on the subject in the February 2008 club newsletter. Click here to access it.
I hope that helps!