Hey guys, I found a 32qt aluminium stock pot at a Mexican produce store, would this work to boil my wort?
Thanks for the info, I guess I found my brew pot
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.
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.
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.
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.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.
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.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
Oh, per @Dland above... not sure iron would be considered stable - it tends to change in the presence of water!
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.
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?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 poured the entire contents into a brew bucket with a filter bag to separate trub and hops.
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.
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
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.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 {;
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.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
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
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?
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.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.
I wouldn't even use OxyClean - hot water is all you will ever need.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.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.
Brew some beer!!!
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