I’ve been brewing 5 gallon beers for a while now, but my thirsty neighbors have required that I increase production. I added a 25 gallon (100 liters) brewpot on my Christmas list, figuring that if I didn’t get one I would buy one. I never stopped to consider just how big a 25 gallon pot is. I just knew I wanted to make larger batches of beer.
The brewpot is big – very big and very heavy. For an idea of size, I'm 5-11 and 180 lbs (the shirt is baggy, honest!!). I cannot imagine what the brewpot will weigh when it is full, although I’m sure we could calculate it. The new brewpot does raise several issues I will need to address. Here’s a list of things to think about if you are planning to get a larger brewpot.
First, large brews will require a pump. It would be improbable, if not impossible, to move the brewpot while full. Even if I could lift the full pot, I would not want to drop a 25 gallon pot of 212F (100C) beer on anything, let alone me. Maybe the cat.
Heating the beer will be another issue. 25 gallons of wort will require a larger heat source, and more time on my tiny turkey burner. Until I get a larger burner, my brew times will be much longer.
Finally I’ll need to address what container I will ferment the beer in. I’ve got a few 20 gallon trash can fermenters I use for wine. That is about 5 gallons short, more when you consider I need space for active krausen.
Of course these are challenges I will be happy to encounter. It is a much better problem than a dry keg, and dry fermenters because I thought 5 gallons will last at least a month!
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