S.S. or Aluminum Stock Pot?

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bvdubn

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Well I just got a kit and I brewed the first batch in a 20qt S.S. stock pot that my mom gave me. The pot was pretty cheap and I determined it was a POS. Would you recomend S.S. are Aluminum and any suggestions of brands or places to pick one up at a reasonable price would be appreciated.

Thanks!
 
I've tried several different pots over the years (enamel lined, aluminum, stainless steel) and enjoy the aluminum pot that came with my turkey fryer. What caused you to come to the conclusion the pot was a POS? Amazon usually has some decent cookware deals or your local restaurant supply store. I think one of the vendors in the Vendor Showcase subforum has some good deals on stock pots. I'd check out some local stores for turkey fryer deals. I know the one I picked up last Christmas came from Target and had a ridiculous clearance price of like $17 dollars.
 
Welcome to the forum!

SS is expensive, has poor heat distribution (hot spots), but lasts forever, and looks cool.

Aluminum is cheaper, has better heat transfer, but doesn't last as long, is softer, and doesn't like harsh chemicals.

I have a 15 Gal SS keg with the top cut out that I boil in and I love it... I couldn't tear it up if I wanted too. Cost me $20 on Craig's List, (I had to cut the top out, but that wasn't a big deal). It may take you a few days, or a week or two, but I see kegs on CL all the time.

Other than that, you're going to have to drop a few bucks to get anything new that is going to be worth having.

Do some searches here on SS vs Aluminum, and cheap boil kettles...

Alright then...
 
There is also this info, this from the post up in the sticky section of the Beginners Forum. This is one of those things were you are going to get a lot of varying opinion. My opinion, as long as you treat your equipment right, it is going to work fine you.

Personally I have an aluminum pot. I love the thing and it does exactly what I need it to. In the future when I move the brewery out to the garage and finally finish my AG build I will be getting a 40qt SS pot, why? Well simply because I can, when the wife says go ahead and get Blichmann, I am not going to argue with that. That and they are shinny!
 
Birchgrove77 said:
What caused you to come to the conclusion the pot was a POS? QUOTE]

Well this wouldn't necessarily affect the boiling process but the lid did not fit well at all. It had about 1/4" of play and on some sides you could look straight into the pot even with the lid on. I was not have with the craftsmanship of the pot. Since I returned the pot I need to replace it before I can brew another batch. I still have a few weeks since my beer is still in primary fermentation.
Click to expand...
 
bvdubn said:
Birchgrove77 said:
What caused you to come to the conclusion the pot was a POS? QUOTE]

Well this wouldn't necessarily affect the boiling process but the lid did not fit well at all. It had about 1/4" of play and on some sides you could look straight into the pot even with the lid on. I was not have with the craftsmanship of the pot. Since I returned the pot I need to replace it before I can brew another batch. I still have a few weeks since my beer is still in primary fermentation.
Click to expand...

It shouldn't matter whether or not the pot lid seals. You really shouldn't boil your wort with the lid on anyway.
Click to expand...
 
I used a Turkey fryer kit from Lowes for a year. Cheap to get to "Full Boil" volumes of 6.5 Gal. I've made better and better beer as I learn, even though the pot is aluminum (leave it oxidized, do a preboil of water to oxidize then only clean lightly to remove gunk from boil off)
As you will find, aluminum is soft, it dents easy and the cheap pot I got is very thin, to the point that i fear one of these day's it will crack and spill the goodness.
So for my 2nd year of brewing I purchased a 9.2 gal SS kettle and will be brewing with it very soon. Looks great, and I think it will be a better pot and make my brew day easier as it has a SS Ball valve to drain the wort and a cone at the bottom to catch the trub. Very slick! and shall I say Shiny! Take a look under the Equipment section for further discussions... There is lots of posts there to review and see what others are brewing with. But remember that Cheap is a nice place to start... more beer cash to brew with!
 
Revvy said:
bvdubn said:
It shouldn't matter whether or not the pot lid seals. You really shouldn't boil your wort with the lid on anyway.
Click to expand...


I understand which is why I said it wouldn't affect the brewing process. I just feel that if I am going to buy a $50 or $60 pot that it shouldn't be a cheap piece of crap. The more I read and research the more money I want to spend. I have only brewed one batch of beer but I already have a bunch of ideas of how to improve (I made quite a few mistakes the first time). I want to start slow and not get ahead of myself but I feel like I could very easily outgrow a 5 gallon brew pot very quickly.
Click to expand...
 
I'm a new homebrewer as well and my first batch was made with a experienced friend's SS pot and burner. Has anyone ever experienced or know of a reason why aluminum pots may cause any off-flavorings? They are really cheap compared to SS and I haven't bought a pot yet because a good size 36 qt SS pot is at least $75.

Trying to get the right stuff the first time!
 
i would suggest getting the biggest pot you can. its worth it in the end so that you dont end up with all kinds of equipment that you dont use. you can get 60 quart aluminum pot for cheap, around 40$. i have an aluminum pot and it works great. just add a weldless ball valve and your set. you dont need to use harsh chemical in you brewpot because its boiling which will sanitize everything. just wash it with water and a scrubby.
 
Seems like a way better deal and it looks like no off flavors as long as you don't use anything oxidizing (chlorine bleach, oxiclean)...

Obviously dish soap is out because of the added perfume's & smells added but what is the general recommended cleaner for aluminum that won't cause any oxidation?

Great topic today...really didn't want to drop a huge chunk of change on something unnecessary, just wanna start my second batch!
 
Well I used a relatively cheap S.S. pot for my first brew. It was a 20qt and it cost $53. I am still looking for a replacement because I took that one back to the store that I bought it from. I can't imagine needing a 120qt pot and I am not even sure where the hell I could use one since I am brewing in my kitchen. I think that a nice 40qt S.S. pot would be nice so I could brew double batches.
 

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