Please click on an FAQ link below to view information regarding that question.   Question: What kind of kettle should I use to brew with?   Answer: First off, there are a couple of definite no-no's when considering a brew kettle. First off, do NOT use a cast iron kettle. The acidity of the wort will disolve iron into your wort causing off flavors and haze. An aluminum pot? Most brewers would advise against it, as aluminum may dissolve in the acidic wort, causing off flavors. How about those enameled kettles? These are fine, but make sure that there is not a chip anywhere in the enamel. If the enamel becomes chipped, this will cause off flavors and haze. Your best bet is to go with a stainless steel kettle. While these are more expensive than the other options, a stainless steel kettle will last any brewer a lifetime. We suggest purchasing one of at least a 7 gallon capacity, that way if you decide to move up to all-grain brewing, it will be large enough to boil an entire 5 gallon batch.   Question: I’ve heard about this “full boil”. What does that mean, is it better than a partial boil? Why?   Answer: A full boil means that you are boiling the full amount of wort—in most cases, 5.5 gallons, to allow for boil-off. Many homebrewers do nothing but a partial boil and have great success. You can, however, have a bit more control over many areas by boiling the full 5 gallons. Firstly, the biggest advantage is that you eliminate nearly all risk of bacterial contamination. There will always be some bacteria present in your beer, but a full boil will greatly reduce any chance that your beer will have any off-flavors. Many water systems have bacteria present, and since you are not topping off your fermenter with unboiled water, you eliminate the chance that this will contaminate your beer. Another big advantage is better hop utilization. Since your water to malt extract ratio is much higher, more of the alpha acids are able to be absorbed into the liquid, yielding better utilization. It is wise to get a full, rolling boil going to get good bitterness from your hops. Also, you'll want to leave the lid off the boil or leave a gap of 1 to 2 inches, so that compounds that cause undesireable flavors and aromas can be boiled off. The biggest advantage is vastly improved color and flavor. Since your concentration of sugars is much lower, the wort doesn’t carmelize as it does in a partial boil. Carmelization darkens the wort, and has a big effect on the flavor of your beer. Most brewers would agree that a full boil has a biggest impact on the flavor of your beer.