what size pot would be best for all grain boils???

Just wanted to know what size pots that people would recommend for starting all grain brewing ???
Not sure what would be best for the steep but was looking at a 8 gallon pot for the boil.
only able to make 6 gallon batches at the moment. Any help is much appreciated.

My advice would be to go at least one size larger than you think you need (and preferably more). Then you can also use your boil kettle for strike and sparge water for the mash, as well as boiling the wort.

If you really think you'll be only doing 6 gallon batches for a long time, then I'd be getting a 12 gallon plus pot.

PS. I bought a 60 litre (about 16 US gallons??) pot, and I'm still kicking myself for not spending the extra few bucks to get the 80 litre.

I agree, look *far* into the future on this purchase.  Do you think you'll ever go up to a larger batch size?  I'm currently at a 15 gallon kettle for 10 gallon batches and very happy.  I kick a 5 gallon batch too quickly! 

If you're going to stick with 6 gallons, a 10 gallon kettle will be more... comfortable... than an 8 gallon.  It's pretty nice to be able to walk away from the boil without fretting about boilovers.

maybe consider how you will be heating this pot, I also have an 8 gal and just barely fits on the stovetop, a 10 gal may have you looking at a propane burner only,
I have a 6" thermometer on the kettle also and in hindsight  it creates a bit of a problem for the copper coil chiller when inserted
godd luck to your homebrew

Too big is OK. Too small is not.  Being that the brew pot is one of the most expensive pieces of your brewery, it's not something you want to buy twice. So get the biggest  one you can afford. You won't regret it.

OK a larger pot it is then. I would rather only buy once and save on the money to have to only up size again later.
I will be using a burner outside. Just in the process of looking at what to make to be able to brew out in the garage any advise on what type of burner to buy would also be much appreciated .
I have only just started brewing but it has really got me keen. I am still extract brewing but just moving up to do full boils with that before moving onto partial and all grain but I thought I may as well get set up for it now and save on spending money all the time I want to move to the next stage.

Appreciate all the help that people give on here. There is a wealth of knowledge .

I make 5 gallon batches with an 8 gallon kettle and I wish I had a 10 gallon! I start with 6.5 gallons in the kettle in order to end up with 5 gallons in the keg and that is perilously close to the top.

You will not be able to make a 6 gallon batch with an 8 gallon Kettle.

I'd also advise getting a ball valve spigot on it. Invaluable. They're pretty easy to DIY if you have the tools.

My related question concerns burners: Does anyone anyone have information on BTUs vs. pot size? i.e. What's a recommended minimum BTU to bring, say, a 15 gallon kettle to a roiling boil in a reasonable amount of time?

______________________________
Edit:

Sorry, I was being lazy. But I'll do this in metrics because, sorry fellow Americans, metrics are just easier to work with.

It takes 1 calorie to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree. My brew kit requires a 33 liter boil for a 5 gallon batch. So 33,000 calories to raise 33 liters of water 1 degree.

If I assume 23C ambient temperature, I need to raise the water another 77C or 2,541,000 calories to get to boil at 100C.

1 calorie = 0.003969 BTU

So, I need 10,085 BTUs.

But that's just to get there. It makes no account for time nor for heat loss, which is substantial for low-BTU burners.

The point being, if you're boiling on your kitchen stove you might want to know how many BTUs your biggest burner is before deciding how big a brew kettle you can buy.

as for brewing in the garage... i tried it once with my propane burner and felt like i was going to pass out every time i walked in there.  outside recommended by this guy unless you're going electric.

Thanks again everyone one for all the advise and tips very helpful 

I've got a 9 gallon (34 liter) pot that's shaped like a D battery. I hate it. Because of the small surface area, I'm not able to get as much flame on it as I could if it had a flatter bottom. It has a spigot that I've never used (I aerate by slowly pouring from the pot to a bucket, then bucket to another bucket, and finally through a funnel into the carboy, so I don't use the spigot), but the thermometer comes in very handy. Some have a means to measure the volume, but it's cheaper to make a dip-stick.

Another consideration is moving the darn thing. Water is heavy (8lbs a gallon (1 kilo per liter) adds up ), and if you don't have help it can be quite awkward to carry. Especially if the contents are boiling. I almost lost my balance once while moving five gallons (20 liters) of boiling, sticky wort from the burner into the walk-out basement where I connected the chiller to the sink. That was scary. Since then I cool it right on the burner by connecting the hose to the chiller.

OK so if possible I should get a pot with the biggest circumference I can to have a larger surface area.
This my sound stupid but I am guessing the dip stick is to see how much you loose in the boil ???? and the thermometer I have seen them built into the pot but is there any advantage to that over just having one that you can place into the pot and remove ???
These my be pretty simple questions but this is all very new to me and I have a lot of reading to do learn ( brewing also )
At the moment I have The Complete Joy Of Home Brewing . This has been very helpful But I must say the advise I am getting here has been more informative.

Again thanks for all the help.

It sounds as though Maine Homebrewer is giving very sensible advice from the very best source, i.e. experience.

Before you even think about starting all grain or BIAB brewing, IMHO you must spend probably $20 and buy one or two little brown pumps for dealing with hot and boiling wort. You guys get things a lot cheaper over there in the US, but here's a link in Oz to what I mean. I keep finding all sorts of new uses for them in the batcave. The other thing I'd suggest, is never ever brew when you're in a hurry -- that's when I start doing stupid things (even more stupid than normal).

Also have to agree with a lower pot to give a larger base area. Very sound advice.

Just checked out the link. Looks good and sounds like it makes things much easier . I just have a couple of  Question though do you have any trouble with them getting blocked from any of the left over hops from the boil?? and I am guessing you still use a strainer when transferring to the fermenter.
Also dose this aerate the wort enough before pitching the yeast?

Thanks.

...I am guessing the dip stick is to see how much you loose in the boil ????

Click to expand...

Exactly.

I have seen them built into the pot but is there any advantage to that over just having one that you can place into the pot and remove ???

Click to expand...

I think so. You don't have to stand over the hot contents to read the temperature, and it reads all the time. So if you're heating strike or sparge water, you can just just glance at the pot and see how much time you have left until it gets to where you want it, without lifting the lid. Also, it warns you when the brew is about to boil, so you can be prepared to deal with the foaming and potential boil-over. It's much easier than dipping and then guessing how much time until you need to dip again. 

Thanks Maine Homebrewer for all the tips and advise.
Much appreciated .