Pot Prices

[shark]

Hi Guys,

Looking for a pot so I can get started on AG brewing. Well probably more like BIAB brewing to start with.

Where is the cheapest place to find them? The local HB sells 45 litres for $120. But I was hoping to source a cheaper one? Or this on the money?

Thanks
Ben

 

[lastdrinks]

its a home brew forum not a home grown forum.

if you are in melb try http://www.hotelagencies.com.au
they do ali and stainless stock pots. also if you aren't after a top of the range pot ebay has good bargins regularly and very cheap also asian supermarkets as well. There is another catering supply shop in melb that does cheaper prices than the link above but i couldnt find it with the quick google i did. maybe another helpful forum user will know

 

[Scruffy]

60l for BIAB (in my humble opinion) if you can afford it, you're mashing and boiling in the one pot - you want a good one, and one that'll stretch to the odd double batch...

Having said that my 60l cost $99 Aussie...

You coud do a higher gravity in a smaller pot and dilute in the fermenter...

 

[troopa]

60L ali pots are great for single batches.. but if you ever want to step up to coubles do realise that what scruffy said is right.. its a stretch to fit em but can always do higher gravities and dilute it down

Tom

 

[DJR]

To give an idea of prices

http://www.allquip.com.au/home/index.cfm?f...amp;startrow=11

Alu pots are about half the price of SS - obviously SS is better in terms of cleaning and overall long term use, Alu needs a bit more care as wort is acidic - namely you have to boil a full batch of water in it if you clean it too vigorously to remake the protective layer of Aluminium Oxide.

SS you can clean with caustic (as a last resort i'd say) and then rinse with dilute phosphoric - if you put anything caustic near Alu you'll dissolve the pot...

I use a 40L Alu pot, have used for about 50 batches and never have got a "metallic" flavour or anything, I haven't really taken care of mine though, it's easier just to give it a rinse rather than a wash/scrub as then you don't have to reboil water in it to protect it again...

 

[Effect]

woah...so totally misinterpreted the thread name...

 

[eric8]

woah...so totally misinterpreted the thread name...

lol, where you hoping for a good "deal"?

 

[Pennywise]

I have noticed prices rising

 

[crundle]

Just a little side note, but how are you going to heat the water in your pot?

You can go gas or electric, depending on where you intend to do your brewing, but if you are thinking of going electric, you have the option of getting a 40 litre urn that has the tap and an element already installed, and fairly good temperature control that you can set with a timer to have your water ready for you when you wake up to cut down your brew day, or using an immersion element on a pot, but you will have to get a tap installed.

Whichever way you go, get the largest pot you can possibly afford. As said here by others, a 60 litre pot will do double batches of low-medium gravity beers, and this may become a factor for you when you can brew double the amount of beer in the same amount of time.

I have a 40 litre urn myself, which can be used as a HLT if I ever go to a 3 vessel system, but would consider getting a 70 or 80 litre pot for my system now if I were to start over again, as then I could easily do double batches.

Crundle

 

[Bizier]

Robinox from Allquip... workhorse.

 

[Bribie G]

Going on those Robinox prices, if you are going SS you will still need some heating device. Stovetop just doesn't cut it for those volumes. So if you chuck in the price of the gas bottle, burner etc then you getting up into electric urn prices, from $250. I love my urn and even considering getting a second one in due course to do side by side double batches. The only extra work involved is hoisting two bags but everything else is not hard work really.

Oops I'll have to buy a second doonah as well <_<

 

[bowie in space]

Bribie,

You have a Birko from memory, right? Does it take long get to a consistent rolling boil, and does it keep rolling? This is my only real concern with getting an urn compared to a pot. You are right about the price set up for a burner, gas, pot, etc.

Bowie

 

[HoppingMad]

No location listed on your opening post Ben.

Hard for us to give you a list of places close by you that do it cheap.

The best price I have seen on an Ally pot was at Cellarplus (Nth Melb & Epping in Vic). From memory they were 90L and going for around $116. Yet to see a better deal.

If you are not in Vic then Beerbelly.com.au has good stainless steel ones (based in SA, but do mail order), and this auction place in NSW is worth a peek - lots of s/steel gear and big stuff too.
Fallsdell Equipment

I checked them out a while back for some larger stuff (100-200L) and they were too expensive - but a 50/60L like the one I linked to might go at a decent price.

Cheap Ally pots also available at Asian grocers - just be aware that the welds on the handles of many of these Chinese made ones are often dodgy - brewers have reported handles dropping off when being carried full. Hot wort + spills = ouch!

Hopper.

 

[crundle]

Bribie,

You have a Birko from memory, right? Does it take long get to a consistent rolling boil, and does it keep rolling? This is my only real concern with getting an urn compared to a pot. You are right about the price set up for a burner, gas, pot, etc.

Bowie

There is a modification out now that can be done to a Crown urn that gives it a great rolling boil compared to its normal boil, and you get the benefit of having a concealed element, but from what I understand, the boil on the Birko is quite good, perhaps BribieG can confirm?

Never really thought about just getting another urn to be able to do double batches before, good idea BribieG!

Crundle

 

[Bribie G]

With the Birko it takes about 25 minutes to get the wort from mash(out) temperature up to a rolling boil. The temperature dial goes up to 110 but I just leave it set on 95 permanently, gets a good roll going.

 

[pdilley]

My stovetop handles the SS Robinox just fine. It is the 36L Robinox though and I would say not everyones kitchen stovetop has a kick arse gas burner setup as mine. If I end the mash at 78C then its 27 minutes to the boil.

But that said, prices have gone up a lot recently as in 2 to 3 months after I bought my Robinox --. Allquip is the place to go for best prices.

Next time around I am ignoring everyones Stainless Steel bent everyone goes on about and going with a jolly big giant 100% Aluminium Robinox pot probably around 100 Litres. If all aluminium is good enough for Palmer to recommend in his book then its good enough for me You get a lot bigger pot in Aluminium for less money and it heats up faster than Stainless Steel version and a lot easier to drill and tap if you go that route.

That said. A proper racking cane and getting wort out of the pot and into a no chill cube is easy as, a 1 second job to insert the racking cane (filled with water from tap into the stockpot and 2 seconds to let the water drain into a separate container and then move the hose into the no chill cube to fill with wort. No drill and no tap means easier resale if someone wants it but does not brew beer.

Also easier to drill out to put an electric element with Aluminium verison. (I've dreamt of electric elements and gas burners at same time -- scary dreams, don't ask) h34r:

That said. I can stand the heat but when SWMBO helps out I make her put on her oven mits as she is a wee thing with sensitive hands.

There is also the Boil-A-Beer electric urn. That is useful for uh.. Boiling Beers Wonder what the jolly big hole in the top is for?

Cheers,
Brewer Pete

EDIT: Everyone likes pictures

BIAB Stovetop Robinox SS 36L


BIAB Stovetop Robinox SS 36L

 

[kegpig]

i saw some good SS pots at an asian cookware place in victoria st richmond and prices were very reasonable

 

[mauriceatron]

Best thing to do is go to a wholesaler if you can convince people you are a chef or something. I did that once or twice for work just for some cheeky wholesale price purchases for everyone's kitchen!!

From memory, when I thought I might buy a second kettle, I think hospitality wholesale had really good prices on big stockpots and boilers. The cheap stuff was aluminium but now, after hearing the Brew Strong podcast with John Palmer saying aluminium is no problem in brew pots, I think I'd be cheap and just buy an aluminium kettle.


Cheers
Simon

 

[Fents]

love my aluminmum 120L pot.....dont like my robiniox 100L SS pot as much, its too heavy.

 

[Greg Lawrence]

If you are not in Vic then Beerbelly.com.au has good stainless steel ones (based in SA, but do mail order), and this auction place in NSW is worth a peek - lots of s/steel gear and big stuff too.
Fallsdell Equipment

I checked out Fallsdell. Made a price enquiry on an 80L SS pot. It seemed to be the closest thing they have to a stock pot.
$1115! I think I will keep looking.