aluminum keg kettles

AleHole · 02-12-2007, 12:38 AM

Does anyone here use an aluminum keg as a keggle? I just got two 13.2 gallon aluminum (I can tell because a magnet won't stick to them)Heineken kegs given to me and was thinking of using them as a boil kettle and a hot liquor tank. Any reason I can't use these?
Thanks,

**Lil' Sparky** · 02-12-2007, 12:52 AM

Go for it. Don't listen to anyone who tells you aluminum is bad. Stainless is easier to clean, etc., but I say use what you've got.

**ajf** · 02-12-2007, 01:06 AM

A magnet won't stick to most stainless steels either. You may have SS.

-a.

AleHole · 02-12-2007, 02:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajf

A magnet won't stick to most stainless steels either. You may have SS.

-a.

That doesnt make sense to me. How is it possible for a magnet not to stick to SS?

**sause** · 02-12-2007, 03:00 AM

Magnets don't stick to many lower grades of SS. Aluminum wouldn't hold up very well to the abuse that kegs go through. Working at a liquor store I've seen many a keg and never have seen an aluminum keg.

**ajf** · 02-12-2007, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AleHole

That doesnt make sense to me. How is it possible for a magnet not to stick to SS?

It doesn't make sense to me either, but it's true. Go buy a SS refrigerator, and try to stick your refrigerator magnets on it. They won't stick.

-a.

**ron,ar** · 02-12-2007, 03:27 AM

Ther are different grades of stainless steel. What most of us always stought of as stainless is not the same as todays stainless steel. The difference is the nickel content in the alloy. Most of what I would call "true stainless" a magnet won't stick to. Most of the new imported stainles cookpots are still technically stainless but just barely. Still, no pun intended, they do qualify as stainless steel and make good cookpots and brewpots. Most are not thick as I prefer to. You get what you pay for.
Now, about those kegs, they are probably stainless steel, and a good grade of too. I have one and what you are going to find is they are going to hard as heck to cut. You can't cut them with a torch very easily and most hardware store type blades and grinding wheels won't cut them either. It takes a really high quality carbide or diamond tipped cutting tool to cut one in a manner to be able to use it. And if you try it you better have eye and skin proctection as it will tear the teeth off lesser quality blades. BTDT
I use a very large aluniumn pressure cooker pot for my brewpot. Yes, its harder to clean but is plenty thick, transfers heat evenly and it was my Mothers so I kept it in the family sorta:^)
Before you spend a small fortune on trying to cut a stainless keg, why not order you one that will last a lifetime and be done with it. If you insist on having a keg brewpot, hire a welding shop to cut it for you, much safer that way. Don't be surprised if they ask you for proof of ownership, some have warning labels stenciled into them.

**Bobby_M** · 02-12-2007, 04:38 AM

ron, cutting the top off a keg is very easy. It took me about 10 minutes with a 4" angle grinder with a cutoff wheel installed.

AleHole · 02-12-2007, 05:06 AM

Well I cut the top off with my pneaumatic die grinder and a cutoff wheel. Needless to say it took about an hour. I suspect if it were actually aluminum it would have cut much easier. My grinder kept bogging down and my wheel was getting stuck. I have cut aluminum before and it was much easier than this. So I think its safe to say they are stainless. SWEET! Thanks for the help.

**Bobby_M** · 02-12-2007, 02:28 PM

The trick with this operation, I think, is patience. I first tried cutting all the way through and then going around cutting on the edge of the metal. It turned out that light pressure on top, just grinding through worked best. A flat disc doesn't like making turns but the very edge will.

It's funny, I also have a pneumatic grinder but didn't even think to give it a try.