Aluminium pots

[Fransjoe]

Hey guys, I found a 32qt aluminium stock pot at a Mexican produce store, would this work to boil my wort?

 

[deadwolfbones]

Hey guys, I found a 32qt aluminium stock pot at a Mexican produce store, would this work to boil my wort?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/faq-aluminum-pots-for-boil-kettles.49449/

 

[Fransjoe]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/faq-aluminum-pots-for-boil-kettles.49449/

Thanks for the info, I guess I found my brew pot

 

[Dland]

Well, above thread covers a lot, but in short, since beer wort is often, or should be acidic, eventually some aluminum may dissolve into your wort. If that is all you have, I'd brew with it until I could score or modify a stainless vessel.

 

[lump42]

Well, above thread covers a lot, but in short, since beer wort is often, or should be acidic, eventually some aluminum may dissolve into your wort. If that is all you have, I'd brew with it until I could score or modify a stainless vessel.

You missed this line in the FAQ:

Myths
- Aluminum pots will react with very acidic materials, and wort is acidic. NOT REALLY. Wort isn't acidic enough to cause a problem with an aluminum pot. In fact, both SS and aluminum are quite resistant to acidic materials, and you need to be concerned more about highly alkaline (i.e. basic or high pH) materials with your pots.

Aluminum pots pose no danger. The short contact time and small surface area: volume minimize, and a good oxide layer minimizes the already low risk of aluminum dissolving into the wort. 8yrs in on mine and no signs of pitting or signs of degradation. The manufacturing mill marks are still present on the inside.

 

[Dland]

You missed this line in the FAQ:......

Glad the Al is working out for you, I base my bias on wasted years in the food service industry in a past life, having noted the oxidation lines often found while cleaning said pots.

Probably they do not degrade much in this application, that does not mean they don't degrade.

Al may not even be that bad for you in small amounts, but that is a debate I'm not qualified for.

I prefer knowing my brewing and kitchen gear is all as stable as it can be; Stainless, glass or iron.

 

[BrunDog]

Not personally a fan of Al... I think its worth a few extra bucks for the SS, if not for the durability during cleaning and manipulation alone. ports/valves etc. hanging out of Al pots make it fairly flimsy and prone to damage during mishandling. YMMV.

Oh, per @Dland above... not sure iron would be considered stable - it tends to change in the presence of water!

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

A bought an AL pot and hated it. It just looked like a cheap pot. Plus you have to "season" it or whatever its called. For probably under $100 you could get a real nice stainless one

 

[lump42]

Glad the Al is working out for you, I base my bias on wasted years in the food service industry in a past life, having noted the oxidation lines often found while cleaning said pots.

Probably they do not degrade much in this application, that does not mean they don't degrade.

Al may not even be that bad for you in small amounts, but that is a debate I'm not qualified for.

I prefer knowing my brewing and kitchen gear is all as stable as it can be; Stainless, glass or iron.

Aluminum has been used for household stock pots for the last 70 years. I still have Al soup kettle my grandparents bought after the war. Other than the dents on the bottom from 3 generations using them as drums, works great. Al doesn't have the lifespan for constant use in commercial kitchens or breweries, but we aren't commercial here. The dark gray oxidation lines are desired, that is the passive protective layer. All the health scares around aluminum have been debunked multiple times over by qualified people.

Not personally a fan of Al... I think its worth a few extra bucks for the SS, if not for the durability during cleaning and manipulation alone. ports/valves etc. hanging out of Al pots make it fairly flimsy and prone to damage during mishandling.

Easy fix, don't mishandle your equipment. When I purchased mine, stainless pots were triple the cost. The Al pots are thicker to make up for the softer metal. I never ported mine so can't comment on any ports or valves. I just poured the entire contents into a brew bucket with a filter bag to separate trub and hops.

A bought an AL pot and hated it. It just looked like a cheap pot. Plus you have to "season" it or whatever its called. For probably under $100 you could get a real nice stainless one

Some people value shiney looks over cost and function. You have to passivate it just like a new stainless pot. Clean it with Bar Keepers Friend and then boil some water in the pot your good for a lifetime.

 

[NeverDie]

Some cleansers and sanitizers can be very alkaline or very acidic, and I have noticed some of them reacting with aluminum pots. For example, star san. And since Star San is a no rinse sanitizer, I'd wager that any aluminum that gets dissolved into it will end up in your beverage. From there, who knows? I'm not a toxicologist, but I see no reason to take risks with it when it can be avoided: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11904353

 

[Dland]

Oh, per @Dland above... not sure iron would be considered stable - it tends to change in the presence of water!

Haha, yes, an iron kettle might not be practical for BK, probably a little heavy too, nor would glass for that matter, was referring food cooking and storage vessels in general, being used for intended purposes.

 

[Dland]

Al doesn't have the lifespan for constant use in commercial kitchens or breweries, but we aren't commercial here. The dark gray oxidation lines are desired, that is the passive protective layer.

Some people value shiney looks over cost and function. You have to passivate it just like a new stainless pot. Clean it with Bar Keepers Friend and then boil some water in the pot your good for a lifetime.

Once you have used pro stuff, going back to homowner is a bummer.

I've seen oxidation ridges you can feel, that is more than a little Al in your soup.

And no one would ever accuse my old keg rig of being shiny, but it is clean and passivated on the inside {;

 

[NitrogenWidget]

Some cleansers and sanitizers can be very alkaline or very acidic, and I have noticed some of them reacting with aluminum pots. For example, star san. And since Star San is a no rinse sanitizer, I'd wager that any aluminum that gets dissolved into it will end up in your beverage. From there, who knows? I'm not a toxicologist, but I see no reason to take risks with it when it can be avoided: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11904353

I just put some water in mine with dish soap and scrub it with a green scrubby. rinse then flip over to dry.
No need to sanitize it.
the 60 min. boil does that.

 

[bleme]

Some cleansers and sanitizers can be very alkaline or very acidic, and I have noticed some of them reacting with aluminum pots. For example, star san. And since Star San is a no rinse sanitizer, I'd wager that any aluminum that gets dissolved into it will end up in your beverage. From there, who knows? I'm not a toxicologist, but I see no reason to take risks with it when it can be avoided: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11904353

We aren't fermenting in them. Who would StarSan their boil kettle?
My pot gets rinsed as soon as it is empty, and again before I brew. There is no need for cleansers or sanitizers.

 

[Wolfbayte]

I just poured the entire contents into a brew bucket with a filter bag to separate trub and hops.

Represent!

 

[Dland]

We aren't fermenting in them. Who would StarSan their boil kettle?
My pot gets rinsed as soon as it is empty, and again before I brew. There is no need for cleansers or sanitizers.

I'll run some PBW, then Starsan though my BK every few brews, with solutions already mixed, before I chuck them. The PBW cuts the built up beer stone quite well, and I like to keep the valve, site glass base and thermowell clean too. It may not be necessary for sanitation, but I prefer to keep them from getting too crusty.

 

[lump42]

Some cleansers and sanitizers can be very alkaline or very acidic, and I have noticed some of them reacting with aluminum pots. For example, star san. And since Star San is a no rinse sanitizer, I'd wager that any aluminum that gets dissolved into it will end up in your beverage. From there, who knows? I'm not a toxicologist, but I see no reason to take risks with it when it can be avoided: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11904353

True you can't use pbw or starsan bit there's no need to regardless of what your brew kettle is made. I rinse mine out with water and a scrubby. Beer stone is easily handled with a bit of bar keepers friend.

You may not be an expert and neither am I, but metallurgist and toxicologist have weighed in on the subject that Al poses no health risks. They written books and articles and given interviews addressing the topic, specifically with brewing.

And that study has been debunked many times over. The Alzheimer's Foundation has a statement that there's no link. See #4 on their list: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers/myths

 

[lump42]

Once you have used pro stuff, going back to homowner is a bummer.

I've seen oxidation ridges you can feel, that is more than a little Al in your soup.

And no one would ever accuse my old keg rig of being shiny, but it is clean and passivated on the inside {;

Fair enough, your allowed to have a preference, but it doesn't mean that an Al pot is extremely suitable for a brew kettle for a lifetime.

I'd be curious how many thousands of gallons of soup to make an oxidative line you can feel. Not being facetious, I'm honestly curious.

 

[Dland]

lump42, A tomato based one sitting in the walk in can make a noticeable line in a week or so, if I recall.

I was the one who had to dump the unused product and wash out the pot. One of my jobs was with a caterer who sometimes did the fair circuit, so there was a fair amount of waste. At least she did not try to serve the stuff.

Later on, when I was running a place, we only used stainless. I am well out of the food industry, but as far as I know, commercial stuff is all pretty much stainless now, at least in the 1st world.

 

[don_bran321]

I use an al pot for my HLT. It works but beware that al is super soft.
If you plan on putting a ball valve on it there is a risk of warping the hole if it's knocked or tightened too much. I tightened my ball valve too much bc it was leaking and now it leaks every time I brew.
Stainless from then on

 

[Fransjoe]

I dont think al would be too much of an issue, since I've been using them on and off for steaming tamales, so far no issues, the one I have is only a 3 gallon so I think I need to upgrade to a 32 quart for beer batches. Don't plan on using it more than maybe twice ot thrice a year for beer. Come Christmas time, tamales would be steamed in it so just plain water would be boiling in it to maintain the protective oxide layer

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I dont think al would be too much of an issue, since I've been using them on and off for steaming tamales, so far no issues, the one I have is only a 3 gallon so I think I need to upgrade to a 32 quart for beer batches. Don't plan on using it more than maybe twice ot thrice a year for beer. Come Christmas time, tamales would be steamed in it so just plain water would be boiling in it to maintain the protective oxide layer

It is probably better just to search and read then make up your own mind than start a new thread. This seems to be a hot topic that generates pages and pages of opinions and no answer. Good luck and welcome!

 

[bleme]

I dont think al would be too much of an issue, since I've been using them on and off for steaming tamales, so far no issues, the one I have is only a 3 gallon so I think I need to upgrade to a 32 quart for beer batches. Don't plan on using it more than maybe twice ot thrice a year for beer. Come Christmas time, tamales would be steamed in it so just plain water would be boiling in it to maintain the protective oxide layer

Mine was sold as a tamale pot. It's 10 gallons and I got it for $22. If you can find a good deal on a 10 gallon pot, it really opens up your options.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I use an al pot for my HLT. It works but beware that al is super soft.
If you plan on putting a ball valve on it there is a risk of warping the hole if it's knocked or tightened too much. I tightened my ball valve too much bc it was leaking and now it leaks every time I brew.
Stainless from then on

Yeah my BIAB pot is thin. I left it outside during a freeze and when the bottom bowed out and I pushed it flat a piece of ice on the deck dented the bottom.

however the pot i'm going to use for my E-biab system is part of a sausage making machine from 25+ yrs ago and the spun aluminum is thicker than anything i've seen in even SS pots today.

 

[Fransjoe]

Ok guys, I managed to get the 32qt aluminium pot I saw in the store, I tried out the burner on my grill and I brought 3 gallons of water up to 160° F in about 35 minutes, an a full boil in a little over an hour. The pot oxidized a bit turning a brownish gray where the water level was. I figured it's the seasoning that the pot needed to work properly. Any suggestions?

 

[kh54s10]

Ok guys, I managed to get the 32qt aluminium pot I saw in the store, I tried out the burner on my grill and I brought 3 gallons of water up to 160° F in about 35 minutes, an a full boil in a little over an hour. The pot oxidized a bit turning a brownish gray where the water level was. I figured it's the seasoning that the pot needed to work properly. Any suggestions?

Brew some beer!!!

 

[bleme]

The pot oxidized a bit turning a brownish gray where the water level was. I figured it's the seasoning that the pot needed to work properly.

That is exactly what you want to see. Gently wash the pot as soon as you are done brewing so you never have to scrub that layer off.

 

[Fransjoe]

Brew day is Wednesday Afternoon

 

[Fransjoe]

Awesome, I'll use a soft sponge and some oxiclean to get ready to brew

 

[bleme]

Awesome, I'll use a soft sponge and some oxiclean to get ready to brew

I wouldn't even use OxyClean - hot water is all you will ever need.

 

[lump42]

Awesome, I'll use a soft sponge and some oxiclean to get ready to brew

Oxyclean isn't recommended for aluminum. If I'm remembering correctly when it breaks down, the sodium carbonate left over is a moderately strong base and will start to react with the oxide layer. I use water and plastic soft scrubby immediately after I transfer wort to the fermenter. At most use a mild dish soap and sponge/washcloth. If you get scale brownish beer stone, a little bar keepers friend and a thorough rinse.

 

[Fransjoe]

Oxyclean isn't recommended for aluminum. If I'm remembering correctly when it breaks down, the sodium carbonate left over is a moderately strong base and will start to react with the oxide layer. I use water and plastic soft scrubby immediately after I transfer wort to the fermenter. At most use a mild dish soap and sponge/washcloth. If you get scale brownish beer stone, a little bar keepers friend and a thorough rinse.

Thanks for the advice, I do use diluted dish washing liquid and the sponge side of brillo pads or an old baby bottle brush. I'll have to pick up some bartender's friend, since someone (wife)threw out my old can

 

[kh54s10]

Hot water and a nylon Scrubby is all you need. Just "fairly gently" scrub the scum line around the top off and any other gunk. I go by feel, if it is not gritty it is clean. You don't have to go crazy since it is going to have boiling wort in it next go round. That will kill anything nasty.

Certainly no Brillo pads... Nothing abrasive. I wouldn't even use BarKeepers Friend on a usual basis. Only for a deep scrub then re-passivate.

I don't even use dish soap. I don't want to fret that I didn't rinse enough.

 

[Fransjoe]

Brew some beer!!!

Brew Day Tomorrow!!!