Whether you have brewed one batch of beer or a hundred, having the right brew kettle or brew pot on brew day can make all the difference in the world.
A brew kettle is where the beer making process begins. A brew kettle can come in all shapes and sizes, and accommodate a small 1-gallon beer batch or a monster 45-gallon batch.
In addition to the construction material and the volume size, they may also come with added features to make your brewing day go much smoother. Although these extra features can make the brewing process more efficient and more of a convenience, they certainly are not required.
Of course your budget will be a factor in your decision, but it is important to find a good quality brew kettle that you can still use, if and when you step up to all-grain brewing and larger batch sizes.
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Quick Recommendations
Check out this quick list of our favorite brew kettle if you’re in a hurry, or just continue scrolling to see our complete list with in-depth reviews.
- Best Overall Brew Kettle: Northern Brewer Megapot 1.2 Brew Kettle
- Best Budget Brew Kettle: CONCORD Home Brew Kettle Stock Pot
- Best Value Brew Kettle: 6-Piece Bayou Classic
- Best Premium Kettle: Anvil Homebrew Kettle
- Basic No-Frills Brew Kettle: Basic 5-gallon/20-quart
What's Most Important To You In a Brew Kettle?
Price: You don’t have to break the bank to get a decent brew kettle for your needs, but many homebrewers are limited on brewing space and on a budget, which makes selecting the right product all the more important.
The smaller size kettles (5g/20q) are perfectly fine for extract brewing, but for all-grain or BIAB, a bigger kettle will be needed. Of course, the smaller capacity kettles will cost less than the larger pots, but a 5-gallon pot today won’t do you any good tomorrow if you decide to start brewing all-grain.
Capacity: The brewing kettle you choose should be large enough to handle the pre-boil volume of water without the worry of a messy and dangerous boil-over.
Durability: Although there are some brew kettles made from aluminum, stainless-steel is the preferred material for most home brewers because of it’s strength and durability
Bells and Whistles:
What Is A Conical Fermenter?
A conical fermenter is a single container used in the beer fermentation process that is most often made of plastic or stainless steel.
If you’ve seen pictures or visited a large commercial brewery, or even a local micro-brewery, you have seen a conical fermenter.
These are the massive shiny large tanks that have a cone or conical shape at the bottom of the vessel. The cone-shaped bottom allows for solids to collect and has a dump valve for a simple and sanitary removal of yeast and sediments, anytime during fermentation.
Whether its the type of beer you are brewing or just a personal brewing preference, many homebrewers choose to do a two-stage or secondary fermentation. This would normally mean a higher risk of contamination and oxidation when transferring the beer from a primary to a secondary vessel, and then a 3rd time again to a bottling bucket or kegging system.
When you ferment in a conical fermenter, you can eliminate the extra steps and additional equipment, and do everything in one just one tank.
3-Gallon FastFerment Conical Fermenter
Another product where you can do a two-stage fermentation all in one vessel. This 3-gallon model is also made by FastFerment, and is similar to it’s 7.9 gallon big brother, but for smaller batches. All the high quality you’d expect from FastFerment, only in a more compact size.
It is an efficient time saver as racking is not needed, and can brew a 1 or 2-1/2 gallon batch of beer with ease. It also comes with a butterfly dump valve, and 4 ounce mason jar trub trap attachment for harvesting your own yeast, which can also save you more money in the long run.
Pros
- Great fermenter for small batches of beer
- Removable screw top lid for adding ingredients and cleaning
- Compact size
Cons
- Supplied collection jar should be larger
- Sometimes yeast won’t drop into the mason jar
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6-Piece Bayou Classic 10 Gallon
This 6 piece, Bayou Classic 10-gallon brew kettle will work for any homebrewer that is using malt extract or going with the all-grain method, and can be used as either a boiler or mash tun.
It’s made from premium stainless-steel and has a try ply bottom (stainless-aluminum-stainless) to prevent scorching or burning on the bottom of the pot.
It also comes with a domed lid, thermometer, false bottom, filter screen, stainless-steel spigot and ball-valve, and etched volume markings on the inside walls.
Of course there are a few minor things to be aware of.
Some assembly will be required to install the thermometer and spigot. The spigot is mounted a little to high which can leave about a 1/2 gallon of liquid inside the pot. Also, if you are boiling a smaller batch (up to 3-gallons) the temperature probe will not make contact with the liquid.
Pros
- Comes in multiple sizes (8 gallons, 10 gallons, 16 gallons)
- Great for extract, all-grain, or BIAB
- Stainless steel thermometer and spigot included
Cons
- Fittings can leak if not installed properly
- Thermometer temperature not always accurate
Ready To Improve Your All-Grain Brewing Process, and Take It To The Next Level?
This course includes 29 indivdual videos that cover techniques and processes for water chemistry, yeast health, mashing, fermentation, dry-hopping, zero-oxygen packaging, and more!
