can i use this for a boil pot?

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je52rm

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So i found this OLD turkey frying pot (30 quarts to the very tip top) with propane burner and stand in my garage storage space (didn't even realize i owned one hahahaha). Its really nasty inside with what seems to be rust and other caked on crud. I tried using non-abrasive sponges and soft cloths to remove it but was not even anywhere close to getting these stains off.

heres my main questions:

1) first and foremost is this 30 Quart pot big enough (realistically) to do AG boils with approx. 10-12lbs grain? If not its not worth putting work into it.

2) can i scrub this thing with steel wool and then do a 60 minute water boil in it to build up a new layer of protection? Or will it destroy the pot by using steel wool on it?

3) there's a wire connector coming out of the bottom of the pot. Is this for connecting a thermometer and if so would i be better off taking it off (since i dont have the special thermometer to connect to it) and putting a drain valve on for ease of use?

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It's aluminum, so I have no idea why the rust is that colour. Are you sure it's not stains and crud from something left in it? Something made of stel, perhaps?
I would *think* that a good scrub with steel wool or some other abrasive materail should get it off and then boiling water in it would build up the passive layer you want on aluminum.
I would say it's definitely big enough to use as a kettle, but not a MT.

And yeah, the hole at the bottom would be perfect for a ball valve.
 
ok cool. Yeah now that u said that i forgot that when i found it there was a turkey "hanger" (and the grabber hook to pull it out of hot oil when done) sitting inside it that was made of steel. Thats where the rust came from for sure. thanks for pointing that out.

so i plan on buying a 10-gallon igloo beverage cooler and false bottom to make a MLT for infusion mash and only plan on using the kettle for boiling. If im using a 12 lb. grain bill should i scale back on the amount of sparge water to make sure im not gonna have more than i can boil in the kettle?
 

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