I think that not using the pot for brewing because you’ve fried a turkey in it is a bit extreme, and sad. I know I have chatted with other brewers that do both in one pot. Another factor that hasn’t been mentioned, most of the turkey friers that people purchase have aluminum pots, this keeps the cost down significantly! Now aluminum is slightly mopre porous than stainless steel so it would require more cleaning (see below). I am not going to debate Aluminum vs. Stainless Steel here.

Does the pot carry oily flavors into beer after cleaning?
As I tell other brewers… there’s only one way to find out and that’s to experiment and try it. I fear that alot of new brewers (hell even veteran brewers) read something or hear something and then take it as gospel.

Well if you want gospel then listen to what I preach… don’t assume anything until you’ve tried it yourself!!!

Cleaning a pot that had been used as turkey frier pot:
Get in there with regular soap, hot water and a mild sponge scrubbie or brush. Clean it out good. Then rinse really well. Fill the pot with as much water as it can handle assuming a strong rolling boil. Mix in an appropriate amount of PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash) and boil it for a good 20 minutes or so. Then I’d drain it hot. Rinse and refill with plain water. Boil again for a little while (5 minutes), let it cool with the water in it. If there is any grease in there, you should be able to see it as a shiny film on the surface.
Repeat if desired.

For the record, I am not going to be frying any turkeys in my equipment anytime soon though. Too much hassle to clean out I think, but I am sure it can be done.

Brew on!

That said, I would make sure you washed, rinsed, and sanitized your deep fryer pot real well before using it. I will post something about sanitizing soon.

One thing I did leave out of my post was the reason I feel an 8 to 10 quart pot is adequate for the novice brewer. If you do not have a propane burner, you will be doing your brewing on your kitchen stove top. 8 to 10 quarts of liquid comes to a vigorous boil pretty easily on the stove. When you start trying to boil 5-6 gallon batches, your kitchen stove can’t handle it.

Starting simply and inexpensively is the best way to start.

Let’s see what Mike has to say on the subject as well.

Thanks