Aluminum begins to oxidize in the atmosphere after only a few minutes. Some newer AL pots may not change color when baked... the oxide layer IS there. Just try to avoid scrubbing with abrasives.
Stainless is stainless due to chromium and/or nickel.
Star San shouldn't really hurt your pot. At most, it may have stripped off some of the protetive oxide layer. You can fix it by simply filling it with water and boiling for 30 mins.
What you really want to avoid are oxygen-activiated cleansers like OxiClean, or strong alkaline based cleaners.
Flyguy,
From one fly to another...
Do you have any references for not using oxyclean? It seems counterintuitive to me. If anything, I would think oxyclean would add to the oxidation layer, isn't that how it works, via oxygen free radicals?
Of course, I didn't start thinking about this until tonight after I had performed quality assurance testingon several pints of homebrew, so it may make more sense in the morning.
I have some reservation @ the flavor comments--Have just cracked open a still somewhat young pale ale brewed in an Al pot. The ale has a definite metallec aftertaste. The pot was a well used canning pot so was not unseasoned. Have never has such flavors w/ the ceramic coated canning pot I have used before even tho it is badly banged up & has several chips exposing the steel on the bottom. I must allow the beer is still not fully aged in the bottle & just starting to clear up but hey, just had to check it out & it surely is just fine otherwise.
Page 300, Palmer cites an experiment reported in Brewing Techniques were no difference in detectable aluminum was found in side by side tests,either before or after fermentation, using aluminum & stainless steel kettles. In the off-flavor section of HTB, he goes on to state that aluminum pots will cause off-flavors when the water is alkaline w/ a pH greater than 9.
Stale extract or water composition is usually a more likely candidate for metallic off-flavors.
+1 on old extract. I have always been suspicious of the shelf time on products at a local store. We had an extract batch that tasted very metallic. The batch had only touched plastic and stainless it's entire life...
As far as installing a ball valve on an aluminum pot is there a minimum thickness? I'd like to pick up a 10G pot from a kitchen supply store but would like to know a good range to look for so I can install the valve aftermarket.
I recently bought an aluminum 8 gallon pot from a restaurant that went out of business. They hadn't cared well for their pot and it appears that there is a layer of calcium in the bottom from boiling water. What would be the best way to clean that up?
__________________ If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem.
I recently bought an aluminum 8 gallon pot from a restaurant that went out of business. They hadn't cared well for their pot and it appears that there is a layer of calcium in the bottom from boiling water. What would be the best way to clean that up?
Some acid should dissolve those mineral deposits. Just boil up some vinegar and water in a 3:1 ratio for about 30 mins or until they are gone.
I have a 40qt AL pot I'd like to convert to my brewpot. Problem is in my youth I failed to understand aluminum's reaction to such cleaners as AJAX and Comet. So my pot is pitted somewhat, and with some mild corrosion I think (you can run your fingers on the inside of the pot and feel 'protrusions' as well as the pitting). I tried to just boil it off to no avail, although I boiled it tonight w/ water and it did darken somewhat.
So how should I proceed? Scrub the corrosion down with steel wool? Acid wash with vinegar? Both? Boil a wort to darken and then toss? Not worry about it at all and brew? Buy another brew pot? What about Oxiclean - I get mixed messages from this FAQ and from Palmer's How to Brew...
I guess the bottom line issue is - My pot is pitted. Is it ruined, is it fixable, or can I brew in it safely?
I guess the bottom line issue is - My pot is pitted. Is it ruined, is it fixable, or can I brew in it safely?
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Take a green scrubby and a mild soap (dawn) and clean it well, rinse and boil some water in it and use it.
Don't use any steel wool. The pitting is permanent. The raised bumps I'd bet are oxides and if they don't come off with the scrubby they won't come off in the boil.
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