New Smaller Brew Kettle

[Banjo-guy]

I bought a 9 gallon brew kettle thinking it would be smart to get a larger kettle so that I could grow into it in the future. I seem to be settling into 2.00-2.5 gallon output brews. I would like to brew on my electric stove and use full volume boils. Does the borg think a 4 gallon kettle would be big enough. I could go 5 gallon because that seems to be a standard size.
I was figuring on 5 lbs of grain for a 2.5 batch. What do you think? Can I get away with a 4 gallon ( 16 quart ) kettle or do I need to go up to 5 gallons?

[philm00x]

I use a 5 gallon kettle now, and it's the perfect size for full volume, especially for all-grain brewing. I still use my old 3 gallon pot for heating sparge water, but I used to do full volume boils in it, and always had to worry about boil over because it would fill almost to the brim. All of my boiling is done on an electric stove inside. I like to brew big beers every now and then (Belgian ales), and I think 4 gallons would still be cutting it a little close for the amounts of grain and volumes of water needed. If you don't really brew anything bigger than 1.060, then you should be alright with 4 gallons.

[John Sand]

I'd get the five. I currently do all of my batches (2-5g) in a five. Mash and boil in the same pot. For 5g batches I top off twice.

[Inkleg]

I'm siding with the 5 gallon pot also.
When I started BIAB I had a 5 gallon pot. Some of my bigger beers were pretty close to the top. One mash I had to cover the pot with aluminum foil because the lid wouldn't fit.

[mashani]

The folks above are right on.

I do mine in a 16Q, and I can do full volume BIABs up to 2.5 gallon in it. BUT I am limited to just how big of a beer I can brew in them without pushing the limits beyond sanity. So any bigger beer I do in the 16Q is more of a BIAB Partial Mash and I do a late extract addition to bring it up to OG I want. I do 5 gallon split batches in the 16Q pot too, but all of those are obviously PM BIABs with late extract and topping up in the fermenters.

If you have the room for and ability to use a 5 gallon pot it would be better if you intend to brew any bigger beers and you really want to do them as full AG. I just can't fit one on my stove.

[Banjo-guy]

Thanks. I guess If I can fit it on my stove I should go for the 5 gallon.
I can fit the 9 gallon pot on my stove but It doesn't work well on the glass top.

Do you have a valve on your 4 or 5 gallon pots?

[John Sand]

No valve, I horse it around. I've been shopping carefully for a bigger pot that will fit on the glass top burner. Check the dimensions on the manufacturer's site before ordering. Also make sure that it doesn't have an inward raised center, as many do.