FAQ: Aluminum Pots for Boil Kettles?

**FlyGuy** · 12-30-2007, 01:29 AM

The 'aluminum vs. stainless steel' (SS) pot debate pops up frequently, and given that we tend to see lots of new homebrewers enter the hobby shortly after Christmas, perhaps it is timely to post an FAQ on the subject.

Q: Is an aluminum pot OK for a boiling kettle in homebrewing? My LHBS only recommens using stainless steel.

A: Both aluminum and SS pots are excellent in homebrewing, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it is purely a personal preference. Here are some considerations:

Aluminum Pots:
Pros:
- considerably less expensive than SS
- much better at conducting heat than SS, which means faster boils, faster cooling, and less chance of scorching
- not as heavy to lift as SS

Cons:
- oxidizes easily, meaning that oxygen-based cleaners (e.g., Oxyclean, One-step) cannot be used (Note: caustic or other similar clean-in-place solutions can definitely not be used, which is why the brewing industry generally does not use aluminum.)
- passive oxide layer must be built up before brewing (**see note below) with a new aluminum kettle, although it is very easy to maintain

Stainless Steel Pots:
Pros:
- can be cleaned by oxygenated/CIP cleaners without damaging the pot
- passive oxide layer that protects the pot is not as easy to remove as aluminum
- they are really shiny and look cool!

Cons:
- expensive
- not nearly as good at conducting heat as aluminum

Myths About Aluminum Pots:
- Aluminum pots will cause Alzheimer's disease. FALSE. This myth was debunked years ago by the medical research community, and the US National Institutes of Health and Health Canada have long since ruled out a connection between Alzheimer’s disease and aluminum cookware. If you don’t believe me, see the following:
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/sc...?documentID=99
http://alz.org/alzheimers_disease_my...alzheimers.asp
http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/alzheimers.htm

- Boiling your wort in an aluminum pot will cause off-flavours in your beer. FALSE. Simply boiling a batch of wort will not remove enough metal from your aluminum pot to get into your beer and cause metallic off flavours, particularly if you build up a passive oxide layer inside the pot first. For new pots, this is easily achieved by either boiling the pot full of water for 30 mins to one hour, or by putting it in your oven for 10 mins at 350 F.

- Aluminum pots have very thin walls, and are not suitable for a boil kettle, particularly if you want to install a ball valve. FALSE. Thin- and thick-walled pots are made from both aluminum and stainless steel. The material they are made from is much less relevant that the thickness of the pot.

- 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 are simply not as durable as SS pots, so why bother, plus they will scratch easily and harbor bacteria. PERHAPS, BUT... Both aluminum and SS are durable enough for homebrewing if you are willing to invest just a small amount of care for your equipment. You simply aren’t going to wear out an aluminum pot in your brewing lifetime, so this is a moot argument. Furthermore, scratches aren’t really a concern with a kettle since the heat of the boil is going to sanitize it anyways.

The Bottom Line:
You can’t go wrong with a quality stainless steel pot, and they are a tried-and-true solution for lots of homebrewers. Yet, aluminum is a viable alternative that is much less expensive than SS. In fact, you can generally purchase a larger and heavier aluminum pot compared to the equivalently priced SS pot. In homebrewing, I guarantee you will really appreciate having a larger pot that is heavy and conducts heat well, speeding our boiling and cooling times and reducing scorching. In my mind, this far outweighs the cosmetic appeal and somewhat higher durability of a SS pot.

I have probably missed a few important points, but would be happy to ammend this post to keep it thorough and accurate.

**bradsul** · 12-30-2007, 01:51 AM

Great job FlyGuy! I've been meaning to dive through all the aluminum vs stainless threads to create a wiki article, now I just have one thread I need to look at.

abracadabra · 12-31-2007, 04:02 PM

It seems to me that FlyGuy comes to the debate from a somewhat biased prespective judging by the argument made in favor of aluminum.

Another Con not mentioned against aluminum is that it dents and bends easily.

And the argument in favor of aluminum that it will reduce scorching vs Stainless Steel is simply not true with regard to boiling wort. An aluminum pan may be slightly less likely to scorch a steak or a pot of beans than a stainless steel pan. But boiling wort is another matter entirely as the wort (mostly water) moves inside the pot with the hotter portion moving up and the cooler portions moving down. I don't believe anyone can truthfully say that they have scorched their wort because they used a stainless steel boil pot.

Furthermore the argument for aluminum that it will speed your heating and cooling time while technically true the difference is miniscule.

There's nothing wrong with using aluminum pots but let's keep the debate even handed.

**bradsul** · 12-31-2007, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abracadabra

I think that FlyGuy comes to the debate from a somewhat biased prespective judging by the argument made in favor of aluminum...

I think it appears biased because the question is 'Is an aluminum pot OK for a boiling kettle in homebrewing?' The question itself is about aluminum - stainless is used as the basis of comparison since everyone knows the properties that stainless possesses.

**Orfy** · 12-31-2007, 04:29 PM

Nice FAQ.

Bradsul are you doing the Honours regarding the WIKI article?

**bradsul** · 12-31-2007, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orfy

Nice FAQ.

Bradsul are you doing the Honours regarding the WIKI article?

Unless FlyGuy wanted to do it I'd be happy to.

**bradsul** · 12-31-2007, 04:39 PM

I've added the wiki page with the appropriate tags. I've just got a link to this thread for now. I'll fill it in a little later if nobody else wants to.

5 Is Not Enough · 12-31-2007, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abracadabra

Another Con not mentioned against aluminum is that it dents and bends easily.

The same thickness pot would bend/dent much easier w/ aluminum vs ss, but in the time I spent shopping, I realized that they just don't make pots out of aluminum that are that thin. I couldn't bend my aluminum w/ all my weight, but my SS I could crumple if I wanted to.

**RICLARK** · 12-31-2007, 05:08 PM

Just seems like that if an Aluminum pot can Boil 5 gallons of peanut oil and a big ass turkey than it can handle some wort, I just went out and bout a 34 qt Turkey Fryer last night.Thanks for these debates everyone they really help us newbies.

abracadabra · 12-31-2007, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5 Is Not Enough

The same thickness pot would bend/dent much easier w/ aluminum vs ss, but in the time I spent shopping, I realized that they just don't make pots out of aluminum that are that thin. I couldn't bend my aluminum w/ all my weight, but my SS I could crumple if I wanted to.

They don't make aluminum pots as thin as some stainless steel pots because they can't, it's too weak.

You and large group of your friends couldn't crumple my stainless steel pot.

12-30-2007, 01:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
FlyGuy Señor Member Recipes Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 2,871 FlyGuy's Gallery BLOG ENTRIES: 9	FAQ: Aluminum Pots for Boil Kettles? The 'aluminum vs. stainless steel' (SS) pot debate pops up frequently, and given that we tend to see lots of new homebrewers enter the hobby shortly after Christmas, perhaps it is timely to post an FAQ on the subject. Q: Is an aluminum pot OK for a boiling kettle in homebrewing? My LHBS only recommens using stainless steel. A: Both aluminum and SS pots are excellent in homebrewing, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it is purely a personal preference. Here are some considerations: Aluminum Pots: Pros: - considerably less expensive than SS - much better at conducting heat than SS, which means faster boils, faster cooling, and less chance of scorching - not as heavy to lift as SS Cons: - oxidizes easily, meaning that oxygen-based cleaners (e.g., Oxyclean, One-step) cannot be used (Note: caustic or other similar clean-in-place solutions can definitely not be used, which is why the brewing industry generally does not use aluminum.) - passive oxide layer must be built up before brewing (see note below) with a new aluminum kettle, although it is very easy to maintain Stainless Steel Pots: Pros: - can be cleaned by oxygenated/CIP cleaners without damaging the pot - passive oxide layer that protects the pot is not as easy to remove as aluminum - they are really shiny and look cool! Cons: - expensive - not nearly as good at conducting heat as aluminum Myths About Aluminum Pots:** - Aluminum pots will cause Alzheimer's disease. FALSE. This myth was debunked years ago by the medical research community, and the US National Institutes of Health and Health Canada have long since ruled out a connection between Alzheimer’s disease and aluminum cookware. If you don’t believe me, see the following: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/sc...?documentID=99 http://alz.org/alzheimers_disease_my...alzheimers.asp http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/alzheimers.htm - Boiling your wort in an aluminum pot will cause off-flavours in your beer. FALSE. Simply boiling a batch of wort will not remove enough metal from your aluminum pot to get into your beer and cause metallic off flavours, particularly if you build up a passive oxide layer inside the pot first. For new pots, this is easily achieved by either boiling the pot full of water for 30 mins to one hour, or by putting it in your oven for 10 mins at 350 F. - Aluminum pots have very thin walls, and are not suitable for a boil kettle, particularly if you want to install a ball valve. FALSE. Thin- and thick-walled pots are made from both aluminum and stainless steel. The material they are made from is much less relevant that the thickness of the pot. - 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 are simply not as durable as SS pots, so why bother, plus they will scratch easily and harbor bacteria. PERHAPS, BUT... Both aluminum and SS are durable enough for homebrewing if you are willing to invest just a small amount of care for your equipment. You simply aren’t going to wear out an aluminum pot in your brewing lifetime, so this is a moot argument. Furthermore, scratches aren’t really a concern with a kettle since the heat of the boil is going to sanitize it anyways. The Bottom Line: You can’t go wrong with a quality stainless steel pot, and they are a tried-and-true solution for lots of homebrewers. Yet, aluminum is a viable alternative that is much less expensive than SS. In fact, you can generally purchase a larger and heavier aluminum pot compared to the equivalently priced SS pot. In homebrewing, I guarantee you will really appreciate having a larger pot that is heavy and conducts heat well, speeding our boiling and cooling times and reducing scorching. In my mind, this far outweighs the cosmetic appeal and somewhat higher durability of a SS pot. I have probably missed a few important points, but would be happy to ammend this post to keep it thorough and accurate. __________________ Cheap 10 gal cooler MLT • $3 Autosiphon • Aluminum Pot FAQ • Easy Steam Injection Mash System • Make a Frozen Yeast Bank Last edited by FlyGuy : 12-31-2007 at 10:50 PM.

12-30-2007, 01:51 AM	#2 (permalink)
bradsul Flyfisherman/brewer Recipes Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,059 bradsul's Gallery	Great job FlyGuy! I've been meaning to dive through all the aluminum vs stainless threads to create a wiki article, now I just have one thread I need to look at. __________________ Brad Canadian Brewers Unite! On Deck: Brad's Edel Hell, YAPSQ (Yet Another Perfect Stout Quest) Primary: Secondary: Triple Decoction Munich Dunkel Bottled/Kegged: Cascade of Bitterness, Sweet Mild of Mine, Brad's Vienna Lager, It's Not Dark It's Mild (Throwback Mild), Brad's Dry Stout, Hobgoblin, Best Laid Plans Projects: Sylvania Kegerator Conversion, Tower Cooling, Grain Milling Station

12-31-2007, 04:02 PM	#3 (permalink)
abracadabra Senior Member Recipes Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Podump, Georgia Posts: 1,700	It seems to me that FlyGuy comes to the debate from a somewhat biased prespective judging by the argument made in favor of aluminum. Another Con not mentioned against aluminum is that it dents and bends easily. And the argument in favor of aluminum that it will reduce scorching vs Stainless Steel is simply not true with regard to boiling wort. An aluminum pan may be slightly less likely to scorch a steak or a pot of beans than a stainless steel pan. But boiling wort is another matter entirely as the wort (mostly water) moves inside the pot with the hotter portion moving up and the cooler portions moving down. I don't believe anyone can truthfully say that they have scorched their wort because they used a stainless steel boil pot. Furthermore the argument for aluminum that it will speed your heating and cooling time while technically true the difference is miniscule. There's nothing wrong with using aluminum pots but let's keep the debate even handed. __________________ Do what you like! Brew what you like! Last edited by abracadabra : 12-31-2007 at 06:25 PM.

12-31-2007, 04:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
Orfy For the love of beer! Recipes Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Cheshire, England Posts: 10,555 Orfy's Gallery	Nice FAQ. Bradsul are you doing the Honours regarding the WIKI article? __________________ Judge a man not by his signature alone "You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on."

12-31-2007, 04:39 PM	#7 (permalink)
bradsul Flyfisherman/brewer Recipes Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,059 bradsul's Gallery	I've added the wiki page with the appropriate tags. I've just got a link to this thread for now. I'll fill it in a little later if nobody else wants to. __________________ Brad Canadian Brewers Unite! On Deck: Brad's Edel Hell, YAPSQ (Yet Another Perfect Stout Quest) Primary: Secondary: Triple Decoction Munich Dunkel Bottled/Kegged: Cascade of Bitterness, Sweet Mild of Mine, Brad's Vienna Lager, It's Not Dark It's Mild (Throwback Mild), Brad's Dry Stout, Hobgoblin, Best Laid Plans Projects: Sylvania Kegerator Conversion, Tower Cooling, Grain Milling Station

12-31-2007, 05:08 PM	#9 (permalink)
RICLARK Can I help you? Recipes Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Grand Ledge, Mich Posts: 2,123 RICLARK's Gallery	Just seems like that if an Aluminum pot can Boil 5 gallons of peanut oil and a big ass turkey than it can handle some wort, I just went out and bout a 34 qt Turkey Fryer last night.Thanks for these debates everyone they really help us newbies. __________________ Lead Penny Brewing Kegged/Bottled: Amber Ale, Apfelwein, Schwarzbier Local Home Brew Store www.theredsalamander.com

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode