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**pompeiisneaks** · 03-27-2009, 06:02 PM

USS means U.S. Steel. I don't think they make much aluminium.... I'm pretty sure its stainless... Yes use it for a brewpot, or whatever else tickles your brewing fancy

COLObrewer · 03-27-2009, 06:55 PM

Definately hold on to this! Assuming you progress in your homebrewing like most of the rest of us, you will find a use of this in the future. You will kick yourself if you get rid of it.

ajwillys · 03-27-2009, 07:30 PM

Definitely hold onto it. And if you clean it, make sure you don't use regular steel brushes on it. They must be stainless or some other material or it will cause it to rust.

tipicreeper · 03-27-2009, 11:07 PM

Good find but, be leary of that piping.

anemic · 03-30-2009, 12:26 AM

On second thought, scrap it. You don't know what it was originally used for. The chemicals industry puts all manner of liquid death into barrels. The fact that it may appear to be extra heavy duty only points to the idea that it may not have been used for a food grade application. It seems like a neat idea for a kettle but there is a risk. This why the pharmaceuticals business has to use brand new process equipment on every installation. They don't tolerate that type of risk. I don't think you should either. It may have had anything in it, even waste. Worse than poo.

**BrewBeemer** · 03-30-2009, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anemic

On second thought, scrap it. You don't know what it was originally used for. The chemicals industry puts all manner of liquid death into barrels. The fact that it may appear to be extra heavy duty only points to the idea that it may not have been used for a food grade application. It seems like a neat idea for a kettle but there is a risk. This why the pharmaceuticals business has to use brand new process equipment on every installation. They don't tolerate that type of risk. I don't think you should either. It may have had anything in it, even waste. Worse than poo.

I hope this above QUOTE was a joke as it is. Not to start a pissing war just facts.
One of my friends owns a tank wash business for 18 wheelers, they can come in after hauling one part epoxy, lard, lacquar thinner, hot chemicals plus and many poison base product, that fall under Haz-Mat. After the tank has been cleaned out this between $325 to $650 the tank is certified cleaned, the next load could be hauling food grade products next. Another friend only hauls vinegar in his 6,200 gallon tank be it 100 to 300 grain so no reason for washouts between daily loads. Nothing can live in that high acid concentration.

In your drum that is a super great find it's worth money keep it and clean it. I wouldn't think twice after having the proper cleaner run thru it then brew with it provided the valve was rebuilt, cleaned or replaced. One down two to go, congrats on your find you lucky one.

ClutchDude · 03-30-2009, 01:12 PM

I doubt that, unless it has stains and other crap that some cleaner like BKF can't clean out, the stainless has leached anything. Hopefully someone who deals with this stuff every day can speak up.

I'd go King Soloman on it. Take it to a welder, cut it in thirds, have them weld a NEW bottom onto two of them, and viola, a 3x ~18 Gal. pots with SS. Also get that valve removed and get new SS valves/parts installed and have handles cut in or riveted on.

GREAT FIND and good luck!

anemic · 03-30-2009, 01:27 PM

No I wasn't joking. The chem processing plants I work with would absolutely not have tanks cleaned in any manner, such as you propose. There are obviously different standards in play for different purposes. I had the impression, by the way, that food grade containers were dedicated. I may be wrong, but with things that into my own piehole, I go with the Better Safe Than Sorry rule of thumb. The tone of your post is a bit aggressive, yet the information is interesting. It may be instructive to have the two opinions out there. It's possible we are both correct.

Pi Kapp Beer Guy · 03-30-2009, 05:07 PM

I say clean the hell out of it. If your worried about chemicals clean it and when you almost think tou would drink the water sitting in it. Give some to the neighbors dog if after three days he is not dead then i would say go with it.

**BrewBeemer** · 03-30-2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anemic

No I wasn't joking. The chem processing plants I work with would absolutely not have tanks cleaned in any manner, such as you propose. There are obviously different standards in play for different purposes. I had the impression, by the way, that food grade containers were dedicated. I may be wrong, but with things that into my own piehole, I go with the Better Safe Than Sorry rule of thumb. The tone of your post is a bit aggressive, yet the information is interesting. It may be instructive to have the two opinions out there. It's possible we are both correct.

Sorry this was not to be a "agressive" reply by me just the facts. The cleaners they use at the tank wash are not a sold to the public item, hell if mixed too strong it will etch into 304 and 308 stainless tanks if not at the proper concentration ratios. This plus mechanical cleaning and steam cleaning. Well water or your city tap water has more chemicals that are worse to your health than a properly cleaned and certified clean tanker. I have been around this friends tank wash business for over 35 years.

Do what makes you happy, I stated what is done daily to tankers you see on the highway daily as I replied before to inform not to start a pissing war.

Do what makes you happy.

One bad item I see about cutting this drum into three shorter kettles is the diameter as this is a vast surface area especially on the boil off amount vs a 12" or even a 10" cut open top.
Example; a 12" cut top keg or your brewing keggle a common item, has 113 sq/inch of surface area, 10" has 78.54 sq/inch of surface area, a white plastic food grade 55 gallon keg of 23" diameter has 415.47 sq/inch of open surface area. As you can see there is a vast exposed surface area difference.

Your boil off evaporation rate will vary by the intensity of the boil, time of boil, wind, the realitive humidity and the exposed surface area. Your net wort will vary.

I did not know members on this forum were smarter than the inspectors that visit this $138 million dollar a year business frequently to see if they meet these approved cleaning standards.

I'm out of here with my reply to the OP question, best of luck to you.