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.
I beg to differ. If everyone knows the properties of stainless then why bother with the post?
From my experience the reference to stainless steel scorching your wort is completely over blown.
I'm not trying to cast aspersions on FlyGuy as I'm sure his motives are purely altruistic, just trying point out what seemed obvious to me.
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Last edited by abracadabra; 12-31-2007 at 05:52 PM.
I think the biggest point is the "is it dangerous?" aspect.
My LHBS still swears against using aluminum because 'it will cause off flavors and Alzheimer's". This is coming from a "professional", but I think FlyGuy did a great job w/ pointing out the facts.
Because the post is about the properties of aluminum with regards to brewing, not stainless.
I'm an aluminum user and damn proud. However, the thread here is entitled "Aluminum vs. Stainless Steel Pots for Boiling Kettles?" which implies it's about kettles - aluminum and SS respectively.
Quote:
Originally Posted by abracadabra
There's nothing wrong with using aluminum pots but let's keep the debate even handed.
While comparing thickness to thickness, SS is stronger but I don't think that's horribly relevant to the discussion since you can find pots in either SS or Al that, treated with respect, will last a lifetime.
The fact that a group of linebackers can jump on the walls of the thing are as irrelevant to it's suitability for brewing. I think you're being fair, but honestly nobody can be "unbiased" since everyone has different criteria. Stainless steel is easier to keep shiny too, but appearances aren't a factor that plays into my purchasing decisions frequently - that said for ME aluminum has the advantage. One doesn't need to be biased to give a price/point opinion.
/me isn't debating. /me wants to make sure all relevant info gets in the top post.
I've updated the wiki article. I didn't add the pros/cons for stainless since it has nothing to do with the question answered on the wiki page (perhaps another companion page 'is stainless safe for brewing?' should be created? They can then cross-link.
Because the post is about the properties of aluminum with regards to brewing, not stainless.
I'm sorry Brad I just don't follow your logic here.
The title of the thread is "Alumimun vs Stainless Steel Pots for Boil Kettles" . While the question posed is somewhat different. The title is what is going to lead people to the thread.
Another Con not mentioned about aluminum is that in order to safely brew, the inside of aluminum pots should not have the dull gray aluminum oxide cleaned or scurbed off once it builds up inorder to reduce the amount of aluminum oxide ingested. Although he does mention it in a round about way.
Or the fact that the aluminum oxide can and does come off when the sides of the pot are hit by say an IC being swirled around in it. Whether or not you want to ingest that alumumin oxide is up to the individual.
If we are going to have a discussion I think we should strive to eliminate conjecture such as Stainless steel might scorch your wort or aluminum is much faster, when that is simply not the case.
Guy said he was willing to amend the post I'm simply pointing out things to make it look more like a true discussion of the facts and less like a commercial for Aluminum.
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Last edited by abracadabra; 12-31-2007 at 07:51 PM.
I wonder if the thread title should change to remove the 'vs' aspect and just answer the question 'is aluminum safe for brewing'.
I've never heard anyone ask "Is this kettle {thick,shiny} enough to brew with" so I actually think that question makes a ton of sense in terms of answering a VERY common question. At the same time, there's a lot of information about kettles in general on this thread.
That said, I don't really care. :P I've reference this thread where I state that I think these kind of threads are borderline useless.
The main problem stems from the fact that the thread title doesn't reflect the question that is actually answered in the OP ('Is an aluminum pot OK for a boiling kettle in homebrewing?'). Hence my suggestion that the thread title itself be changed. There is no need for a 'vs' thread as it's accepted that stainless is perfectly fine. The question is whether or not aluminum is.