Dented SS Pot Still OK?

Hi All,
I received a stainless steel pot (5 gal?) in a craigslist lot. The gentleman I bought it from had used it for brewing about 10 years ago, and it's in good shape EXCEPT for a rather large (2") indentation on the bottom corner of the pot. Should I be concerned with using this pot for wort boils?

My current pot (a cheap Walmart Graniteware? canning pot) has some nasty scratches on the bottom, and I'm more worried about using that compared to the dented SS pot.

So... is the SS pot still OK with the dent? I'll obviously thoroughly clean/sanitize it, and boil water to recreate the magical layer on it first.

Thanks!

I can't see why it would be a problem. As long as it dosen't leak when boiling. I'm guessing it's rather thin stainless for such a large dent unless he took a sledge to it. If the price is right I say go for it.

Use it. The wort doesn't know there are dents. Seriously, I can't think of a reason not to use the dented pot.

The "don't use a dented pot" mentality comes from the days of enameled cookware. A dented enamel pot likely had cracks in the finish, and the underlying metal would corrode. Stainless and aluminum aren't affected the same way at all.

Thanks everyone.
I figured it was safe, but wanted someone else (or a few someone elses) to confirm this!

A SS pot does not need the "magical layer" as you mentioned. That is an alum. pot that requires an oxide layer.

As for the dent, hit it w/ a hammer from the inside of the pot and start brewing.

Even an aluminum pot would develop the oxide layer no matter how many dents are in it. Aluminum oxidizes with the air so the layer is there pretty much instantly. Boiling water in the pot will further create this layer.

wilserbrewer said:

A SS pot does not need the "magical layer" as you mentioned. That is an alum. pot that requires an oxide layer.

As for the dent, hit it w/ a hammer from the inside of the pot and start brewing.

Click to expand...

Actually a SS container does need a magical layer. This is created via passivation and allows the steel to stay rust proof. If you scratch or abrade SS you can just leave it open to the atmosphere for about a month for the layer to form or you can soak it in concentrated nitric acid. Boiling water in it does nothing.

PS - yes use the pot, dents and all.