Aluminium or stainless steel kettle?

I have just read the info on picking kettles here on the forum and found this paragraph:

"You have two option when it come to large brew pots: Aluminum and Stainless Steel. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Aluminum is cheaper and will heat your water/wort much faster. It is also lighter but in the long run probably will not last as long.
Stainless steel is easier to clean and should last longer than you."

This mean that they are equally good....I guess I'll go for the aluminium kettles. They are rather cheap and I like the fact that they warm up faster.

However, I am wondering why would it be difficult to clean an aluminium kettle and how long will they last?

Thanks for any info on this one.

Never had a problem cleaning my 10 gal AL pot...I clean it right after I pitch the yeast. And I think my pot will last longer than I will.

This is the one i have.

Aluminum is more reactive than stainless steel. Whereas you can give your stainless steel kettle a good long soak in PBW, it is not recommended for Aluminum. The first time you use an aluminum pot, it will build up a protective layer of oxidation that can be removed by certain cleaners and/or over scrubbinb. I've used both aluminum and SS and can say that I would use either again, they both get the job done. The only reason I have SS now is that I got a keggle. I would look for a nice thick aluminum pot and it will last you forever.

Kaz said:

Aluminum is more reactive than stainless steel. Whereas you can give your stainless steel kettle a good long soak in PBW, it is not recommended for Aluminum. I've used both aluminum ans SS and can say that I would use either again, they both get the job done. The only reason I have SS now is that I got a keggle. I would look for a nice thick aluminum pot and it will last you forever.

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Thanks for the info. Can you tell me what the connection is between the SS and the keggle?

By the way.....why do kettles need a "good long soak"? Is it enough to wash them with normal washing up liquid? In the end...the water boiling in them will sanitize them...right?

Elysium said:

Thanks for the info. Can you tell me what the connection is between the SS and the keggle?

By the way.....why do kettles need a "good long soak"? Is it enough to wash them with normal washing up liquid? In the end...the water boiling in them will sanitize them...right?

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Keggles are converted beer kegs, which are made from SS.

Elysium said:

However, I am wondering why would it be difficult to clean an aluminium kettle and how long will they last?

Thanks for any info on this one.

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hot water, maybe a green scrubby and some dish soap. mostly hot water.
"grey is good"
It will probably out last you. its easier to drill.


I like SS because I can flush it or soak it in all sorts of caustic/acidic goodness

Elysium said:

By the way.....why do kettles need a "good long soak"? Is it enough to wash them with normal washing up liquid? In the end...the water boiling in them will sanitize them...right?

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Don't know about others, but for me its about laziness. By the end of my brew day, I have been working for about 5 hours (and have had much beer). It is much easier to simply throw my brew kettle into my spare bath tub, fill it with PBW and hot water, and actually deal with cleaning it the next day. By then, pretty much everything has come off the kettle, and it is practically just a matter of rinsing the PBW off.

Yeah,that's what I like about my SS kettles. easy to rinse the heavy stuff off,& soak for a while with a lil PBW. Or use a lil PBW & a dobie to scrub it clean & shiny again & just rinse,dry,& store.

Who needs to wash the kettle... that extra grime just adds character.

Corey_SS said:

Who needs to wash the kettle... that extra grime just adds character.

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yup, just like a coffe cup or a grill. This is called "seasoning".










I really hope no one takes me seriously!

Elysium said:

By the way.....why do kettles need a "good long soak"? Is it enough to wash them with normal washing up liquid? In the end...the water boiling in them will sanitize them...right?

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Anything I soak is usually getting a PBW or Oxiclean soak. However, my brew kettle is aluminum. Since PBW is not recommended for aluminum, I just do what you're suggesting and wash it with a little dishwashing soap and a scrubby sponge. It takes all of about three minutes.

You might check out John Palmer's book, as he is also a metallurgist. WikiPedia may help.
In the meantime: Aluminum(Al) is a very reactive metal. It reacts with strong basic(lye) as well as strong acidic(muriatic acid) chemicals. If hot enough, it will burn in oxygen. For our uses, it should be allowed to get a dull finish on it. This is a layer of aluminum oxide, and is supposed to be a good protectant against further corrosion. So, never scour it.
I wouldn't worry about food chemicals, as they are usually not strong enough to react with Al. But, extended time and/or temperature lead to greater likelihood of reaction.

I use a turkey fryer that has an aluminum pot. I have no issues getting it clean if I wash it right after transferring my wort to the fermenter. All I have to use is hot water and a sponge w/o the green scrubber. I don't worry about getting it all shiny and bright, just removing all the residue.

That's the other difference with SS kettles. Mine were polished & PBW & a dobie get them clean & shiny again. It just let's me know the kettle is clean when I shine it up while cleaning.