Aluminum Brew kettles

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mcfarlandp

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I would like to purchase a 10g brew pot, but I do not have the $300+ to get a good S/S kettle. I can get a 10g aluminum kettle for under $50. I would like to add a weldless valve to this kettle. I will use this for 5gal full batch extract and BIAB batches, I want to make sure I have enough room for all water needed for BIAB pluss head space to prevent boil overs.

First, Can the weldless valves be added to aluminum pots?

Any other alternatives, I am all about saving money?

Any comments, advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
There used to be the belief that aluminum would lead to Alzheimer's, but that is no longer held as fact. So go for it! I used one for years and , wait a minute, what was I going to say...

I don't see any reason a weldless fitting would not work on an aluminum pot.
 
I use aluminum pots. Sure you can add valves, sight glasses and thermometers to them. Read up on oxidized layer and what types of cleaners and sponges to use. You can't use Oxyclean or that caustic that brewers use on Aluminum. A little Dawn soap and a wash rag works great.

If you have a restaurant supply store near you, look there. I know I can get an 80 qt for 90 bucks from a local one here.
 
I use aluminum pots. Sure you can add valves, sight glasses and thermometers to them. Read up on oxidized layer and what types of cleaners and sponges to use. You can't use Oxyclean or that caustic that brewers use on Aluminum. A little Dawn soap and a wash rag works great.

This.

I use the aluminum pot that came with my turkey fryer and was afraid my beer would taste metallic.

Boil water in the pot for a while and the inside turns an oxidized black color. Be careful not to scrub that off and you are good.(dawn and a rag are all thats needed)
 
I use aluminum pots. Sure you can add valves, sight glasses and thermometers to them. Read up on oxidized layer and what types of cleaners and sponges to use. You can't use Oxyclean or that caustic that brewers use on Aluminum. A little Dawn soap and a wash rag works great.

If you have a restaurant supply store near you, look there. I know I can get an 80 qt for 90 bucks from a local one here.

If you use oxyclean, could you just boil to re-establish the layer?

I guess I am confused on the what oxyclean will do chemically to AL vs Stainless. Any chemist here?
 
I am not a chemist, though I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

I have an aluminum kettle, and it works for me. I'm not sure why you'd need oxyclean or anything like that for your kettle. I just clean mine with water and a rag. I mean, you're boiling it, it doesn't have to be sanitary.
 
OXyclean removes the aluminum oxide layer that protects your brew from the aluminium. If you do use some then you just need to re-boil some water to re-season the pot. Just use soap and water to clean it with a soft sponge/cloth instead, much easier and doesn't remove the oxide layer.
 
no need to "sanitize" your kettle, 1-2 hours of boiling wort will kill any yuckies!

Check out bargainfittings.com. I bought my valve and sight glass conversion kits from them and bought a step drill from Harbor Freight tools. The step drill is nice but not necessary.

Good luck!
 
I would like to purchase a 10g brew pot, but I do not have the $300+ to get a good S/S kettle. I can get a 10g aluminum kettle for under $50. I would like to add a weldless valve to this kettle. I will use this for 5gal full batch extract and BIAB batches, I want to make sure I have enough room for all water needed for BIAB pluss head space to prevent boil overs.

First, Can the weldless valves be added to aluminum pots?

Any other alternatives, I am all about saving money?

Any comments, advice would be greatly appreciated.

You can find stainless steel less than that. I just bought a new 9 gallon SS for $75 on Amazon. We'll see how well made it is.
 
LMAO!! Brilliant. Thank you Brewpastor. I was starting to nod off here at work and that really was the pick me up I needed. Cheers.

Mark


There used to be the belief that aluminum would lead to Alzheimer's, but that is no longer held as fact. So go for it! I used one for years and , wait a minute, what was I going to say...

I don't see any reason a weldless fitting would not work on an aluminum pot.
 
I would like to purchase a 10g brew pot, but I do not have the $300+ to get a good S/S kettle. I can get a 10g aluminum kettle for under $50. I would like to add a weldless valve to this kettle. I will use this for 5gal full batch extract and BIAB batches, I want to make sure I have enough room for all water needed for BIAB pluss head space to prevent boil overs.

First, Can the weldless valves be added to aluminum pots?

Any other alternatives, I am all about saving money?

Any comments, advice would be greatly appreciated.

It is funny you should mention this because I just got a screaming deal on a tamale pot that is over 10 gallons deep (60 quarts). My weldless fitting went in like a champ and MUCH easier to do versus steel. I now am going to install a new weldless temp gauge from Blichmann because they really have one of the best designs out there. I think 10 gallons would be okay for a 5 gal batch, but you do need to keep on top of it because it WILL boil over.

Installing the weldless kits.

Here is what I did: I got the kettle and marked the location I wanted to drill with a marker pen. I used a roofing nail for the initial hole and drilled with a 7/8" hole saw that you can get at the hardware store for under $10.00. File off the rough edges with a round file.

The weldless spigot went in like a champ. Being a bit cautious I also used a small amount of RTV for car engines to help seal it. I don't even think I needed to do that but I get anal about some things. I will install the weldless temp gauge this week.

I can tell you that the AL will heat up VERY rapidly and you need to stand by it. Of course I may be telling you something you already know. This is the main reason I stuck with the AL pot. It is a true energy-time saver.

I am also recommending NOT using Oxyclean. You actually want a thin layer of oxidation on the pot to eliminate any leaching of flavors.

There have been heated discussions about the use of AL versus steel. Both have advantages and disadvantages. I just found the AL much easier to move and cook with. It is also 10 times lighter than my Keggle (duh).

So, rest assures that you can put weldless on the pot and be just fine.
 
I use 40 qt aluminium pot (seafood combo with basket inside) for my BIABs and I wish I had a slightly bigger pot. It just big enough to do 5 gal batches with 13-14 lbs of grain max! Don't forget that with 90 min boil and 12 lbs of grain you need 34 qarts of water to start with. Thats a little close to the rim for comfort. My next pot will be 60 qt and definatelly alluminium since they can be had for $50-60. Money well spent, no need for bling SS
 

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