joe6pack

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So the oxide layer on the aluminum pot... does that stay put unless you use an acidic cleaner? I guess what I'm asking is do you have to boil water in it each time, or just the once? It seems to be a waste of water and propane/electricity if you have to do that each time.

My dad has a huge old aluminum army stock pot that I think I might have to snag so I can do full boils.

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Yooper

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Once you have it, it should stay on. If you use an acidic cleaner, or scrub it off, you'll have to redo it. But I've never needed to with mine.

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joe6pack

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Excellent. Thanks Yooper Brew.

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BSBD

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Would there be any benefit to anodizing an aluminum pot?

hcarter

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FWIW, I used my deep fryer turkey pot the other day, no off flavors or smells and everything is fermenting fine.

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Nightbiker

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I do full-boils in an aluminum turkey friar pot -has a SS valve on it (weldless bulkhead). This pot has served well, has no off-flavors or other issues that Im aware of. The only thing I've done to it is to put the valve in it.
Its serving in this capacity until I get around to converting a sanke keg into a keggle -and even then I'll probably still use it for 5gal boils (6gal to 5g finished product). This beastie holds 10+ gallons. Once the keggle is built, I'll probably turn the aluminum pot into the HLT.

madewithchicken

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If you did not find enough info on this page there is another great one on the subject.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f45/aluminum-safe-92231/index5.html

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parkke

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Just to clarify, oxide layers form on most metals at varying rates. Aluminum forms a thin protective oxide layer very quickly. New pots already have an oxide layer, but benefit from boiling or heating in an oven in order to grow the layer a little thicker and close the oxide pores.

Aluminum oxide chemically identical to sapphire and is one of the hardest known substances. It is used extensively as abrasive on sandpaper. Anodizing an aluminum pot would grow the oxide layer thicker, but I believe it is unnecessary and costly unless you have the setup to do it yourself.

Also, I can't really see an issue with food tastes/smells/whatever getting passed to the wort since the oxide layer is pretty much impermeable.

Feel free to add/correct anything I missed.

0202

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This seems like an appropriate place to tack this question:

I have a 20qt aluminum pot. Built up a dark grey oxide layer by boiling water
for an hour and a half up to above the handle bolts. On my first brew day, after
transferring to a carboy I realized that the wort completely stripped the Oxide
layer from my pot.

Haven't heard any comments on that.

I intend on using it again, just wondering why the Oxide layer is now gone. I
boiled 3 gallons with 3.3lb DME and 3lb LME, 3oz glacier/vangard for 60min.

I also stirred often.

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7Enigma

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I've found pretty much the same thing. The area below the liquid level (where the wort is) is more shiny than the area just above the level. I've taken the opinion that it doesn't matter. Just use the pot like any other pot and be happy. You will not get a flavor from the aluminum and there is no health risk as other posters have mentioned aluminum is regularly used in antacids in significantly higher levels with no side effects.