Stainless vs Aluminum Brew Kettle

Well? Lets hear it. is the stainless really woth almost 3X more? What are the differences/ pros and cons between the two? Its time to invest in either a 30qt or 40qt brew kettle for all grain brewing and im tryn to pinch pennies hard...any advice is appreciated

When it comes down to it the major difference is that on aluminum you cant use some cleaners and it scratches easily. As a brewer using an aluminum kettle I dont mind the scratches as any liquid that goes into the pot gets boiled.

All of my brews except the one I made last night were in an aluminum turkey fryer pot. I'll probably continue using it since it's sized right for 5G batches. It was fun though, throwing the stainless keg in the yard while doing feats of strength during a drunken cleanup post-brewing process Even though I'm sure I could've thrown the aluminum pot further, I doubt I would have felt right doing it since aluminum handles are strong, but maybe not strong enough to stand up to drunken mayhem.

Start with the sticky in this forum about aluminum. It will answer all of the questions you have and haven't asked yet.

I've used both aluminum and stainless and never noticed a difference in the beer. I got the aluminum pot as a turkey fryer kit on craigslist. I upgraded that to a 80qt stainless megapot. I used dish liquid to clean the aluminum pot and it was easy. Now I use oxyclean to clean the stainless pot and it is just as easy. The only difference is the weight, that being the stainless pot weighs a **** ton. I can't say that I'd recommend one over the other, both work fine.

What I will say is don't buy a 40qt pot. Get yourself at least a 80qt and be done with it. I had a 40qt pot and I was constantly having to worry about boilover. Then I upgraded to a keggle and thought I would be able to walk away and be okay, WRONG, boilover there too. Now I have a 80qt kettle and I can put it on a HARD boil, walk away for 60 minutes, and come back when it is done. Really do yourself the favor and go big.

Meatball358 said:

....and im tryn to pinch pennies hard...any advice is appreciated

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a forty qt aluminum might be your best bet IMHO. try instawares??

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IROZRY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

http://www.wasserstrom.com/restaurant-supplies-equipment/Product_110133

I don't like the way aluminum goes dull and black once you boil in it the first time. My SS pots are still as shinny as when I first bought them.

Also don't like that you can not put Oxiclean, BKF or Star San in it. For me it provides restrictions that I prefer not to have.

Is there any difference between the two when trying to drill and install a weldless ball valve? because that is probably something I will do soon after buying a pot

thanks for the replies

Meatball358 said:

Is there any difference between the two when trying to drill and install a weldless ball valve? because that is probably something I will do soon after buying a pot

thanks for the replies

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Aluminum is easier to drill.

Stainless Steel isn't hard to drill at all; I wouldn't say aluminum is easier, just quicker. I see it like this: There are many people who don't use aluminum for various reasons... no one will ever tell you not to use Stainless. Also, you can get some pretty inexpensive SS pots now. I picked my 15.5 gal up for $108.00 plus shipping. They have a deal right now, coupon code, "100dollar" will get you a 15.5 gallon for $100 (plus Shipping). I get my fittings at www.bargainfittings.com. only $22 for SS weldless bulkhead and SS 2 piece valve. I also got my thermometer there. Oh, the website for the pot is, www.bayoubrewkettle.com. I think they also have aluminum stuff if you want it, but they don't advertise it, just ask.

Meatball358 said:

Well? Lets hear it. is the stainless really woth almost 3X more? What are the differences/ pros and cons between the two? Its time to invest in either a 30qt or 40qt brew kettle for all grain brewing and im tryn to pinch pennies hard...any advice is appreciated

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There's a sticky for that: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/vs-pro-con-analysis-109318/#post1206861

A pretty good resource for almost every possible version of This vs. That.

Look for update international pots at instawarez. Those are megapots and very affordable.

willatkinson said:

Stainless Steel isn't hard to drill at all; I wouldn't say aluminum is easier, just quicker.

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I didn't say SS is hard to drill, just that aluminum is easier, which it most certainly is. Aluminum can be drilled with any type of drill bit, at pretty much any bit speed, without any lubrication, and without using a center punch first. Would you tell someone to just use any bit of the proper size for a SS pot? There's a recent thread where a guy had trouble drilling his SS kettle because he ran the drill at full speed and work hardened the steel.

Aluminum:
Pros:

* Generally the cheapest kettle available in 5+ gallon size
* Very light weight, making for cheap shipping, and easier transportation and pouring
* Excellent heat distribution, resulting in rapid heating and cooling
* Easily drilled for installation of a ball valve. This can come in handy when/if you decide to move to All Grain brewing
* A new aluminum kettle will last for the length of your brewing lifetime with proper care


Cons:

* Passive oxide layer must be created and maintained. This is done easily enough by filling the kettle with water and boiling for ~30 minutes. You'll know it's there when the inside of your kettle has a brown discoloration
* Although an aluminum pot will likely last for as long as you need to use it, it probably won't last forever. If you inherited your great-grandparents aluminum pot, leave that for spaghetti
* CIP cleaners cannot be used without damaging your pot. With aluminum, you'll need to use old fashioned manual labor

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Factually incorrect. CIP cleaners like PBW, oxyclean, etc. will NOT harm aluminum at the recommended concentration and temperature.

And for the guys who "would never recommend against SS", please take a moment to read about the different grades of SS. I've seen numerous "inexpensive" SS pots rust-out because they were manufactured with a poor grade of SS.

These debates are really about misinformation and the fact that everyone is an expert on the internet...