FAQ: Aluminum Pots for Boil Kettles?

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So the oxide layer on the aluminum pot... does that stay put unless you use an acidic cleaner? I guess what I'm asking is do you have to boil water in it each time, or just the once? It seems to be a waste of water and propane/electricity if you have to do that each time.

My dad has a huge old aluminum army stock pot that I think I might have to snag so I can do full boils.
 
joe6pack said:
So the oxide layer on the aluminum pot... does that stay put unless you use an acidic cleaner? I guess what I'm asking is do you have to boil water in it each time, or just the once? It seems to be a waste of water and propane/electricity if you have to do that each time.

My dad has a huge old aluminum army stock pot that I think I might have to snag so I can do full boils.
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Once you have it, it should stay on. If you use an acidic cleaner, or scrub it off, you'll have to redo it. But I've never needed to with mine.
 
FWIW, I used my deep fryer turkey pot the other day, no off flavors or smells and everything is fermenting fine.
 
I do full-boils in an aluminum turkey friar pot -has a SS valve on it (weldless bulkhead). This pot has served well, has no off-flavors or other issues that Im aware of. The only thing I've done to it is to put the valve in it.
Its serving in this capacity until I get around to converting a sanke keg into a keggle -and even then I'll probably still use it for 5gal boils (6gal to 5g finished product). This beastie holds 10+ gallons. Once the keggle is built, I'll probably turn the aluminum pot into the HLT.
 
Just to clarify, oxide layers form on most metals at varying rates. Aluminum forms a thin protective oxide layer very quickly. New pots already have an oxide layer, but benefit from boiling or heating in an oven in order to grow the layer a little thicker and close the oxide pores.

Aluminum oxide chemically identical to sapphire and is one of the hardest known substances. It is used extensively as abrasive on sandpaper. Anodizing an aluminum pot would grow the oxide layer thicker, but I believe it is unnecessary and costly unless you have the setup to do it yourself.

Also, I can't really see an issue with food tastes/smells/whatever getting passed to the wort since the oxide layer is pretty much impermeable.

Feel free to add/correct anything I missed.
 
This seems like an appropriate place to tack this question:

I have a 20qt aluminum pot. Built up a dark grey oxide layer by boiling water
for an hour and a half up to above the handle bolts. On my first brew day, after
transferring to a carboy I realized that the wort completely stripped the Oxide
layer from my pot.

Haven't heard any comments on that.

I intend on using it again, just wondering why the Oxide layer is now gone. I
boiled 3 gallons with 3.3lb DME and 3lb LME, 3oz glacier/vangard for 60min.

I also stirred often.
 
0202 said:
This seems like an appropriate place to tack this question:

I have a 20qt aluminum pot. Built up a dark grey oxide layer by boiling water
for an hour and a half up to above the handle bolts. On my first brew day, after
transferring to a carboy I realized that the wort completely stripped the Oxide
layer from my pot.

Haven't heard any comments on that.

I intend on using it again, just wondering why the Oxide layer is now gone. I
boiled 3 gallons with 3.3lb DME and 3lb LME, 3oz glacier/vangard for 60min.

I also stirred often.
Click to expand...

I've found pretty much the same thing. The area below the liquid level (where the wort is) is more shiny than the area just above the level. I've taken the opinion that it doesn't matter. Just use the pot like any other pot and be happy. You will not get a flavor from the aluminum and there is no health risk as other posters have mentioned aluminum is regularly used in antacids in significantly higher levels with no side effects.
 
FWIW, Stainless Steel also has a passive oxide layer...it's why it is 'stainless'.

Stainless is also damaged by high pH.
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Not really. It doesn't really damage the stainless although it can strip the oxide layer...but that should come back naturally. At my work we routinely put stainless in ph>12 hot caustic solution (intentionally...to clean it) for at LEAST 30 minutes...it just comes out shinier than it went in.:)

EDIT: BTW, the tank we use for that hot caustic is stainless and the racks we use in it are stainless. Caustic is in there 24/7/365 and we're using the same tank and racks for the last 10 years...but the racks ARE getting a bit ugly.
 
so after reading this post, i guess there may be a chance that i screwed up, but not really sure. guess that's what you get when there are literally thousands of posts all over this site and you just don't know where to begin to read it all. about a week ago i used my aluminum pot to soak my bottles in in order to loosen the labels. copying ideas from another post, i used some star-san to help loosen the labels. now i am reading all sorts of stuff that says not to use certain chemical products in your aluminum as it may cause damage.
i guess my question is: have i done permanent damage, what could i do to fix if anything, and what, if anything, would happen if i just went right out and used my aluminum pot to brew another beer without doing anything.

just when you think you've got this thing figured out, something like this happens! Any help would be great as i would prefer not to kill myself!
 
Star San shouldn't really hurt your pot. At most, it may have stripped off some of the protetive oxide layer. You can fix it by simply filling it with water and boiling for 30 mins.

What you really want to avoid are oxygen-activiated cleansers like OxiClean, or strong alkaline based cleaners.
 
sweet...thanks. cuz i definitely brewed the other night and would have hated to hear that i should dump it. saved!
 
I just purchased a 35 quart al. turkey fryer with spout. I will build up my oxide layer first. Wanted to know if I can use this for frying turkeys, seafood boils and brewing beer, or should I use this dedicated for brewing?
 
Great post and most informative.

From my knowledge of aluminum pots the biggest problem comes with the thickness of the base of the pot, not the thickness of the sides, which most people when they are buying get a good feel of! The problem is that its the base of Aluminum pots that is often of a poor quality and its here that you find that they go first!

Sadly the quality of aluminum pots in most of our in hardware stores is often of an inferior quality, being made to a price and not to a quality standard; hence their bases are prone to deteriorate rapidly, particularly with heavy use; simply because they are typically very thin.
https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/images/smilies/frown.gif
:(
From my direct experience I've found the Bayou Classic pots to be in a league of their own with quality strong bottoms; so it makes sense to have a look at their outdoor cooking equipment and see whether its good for what you need.

As a side point much is often made of the stainless steel versus Aluminum price differential, but you know its only about $20 on a 44 quart stockpot; check it out for yourself
 
Oh yeah, aluminum turkey fryer pots work great for boiling wort. ;)
 
I have some reservation @ the flavor comments--Have just cracked open a still somewhat young pale ale brewed in an Al pot. The ale has a definite metallec aftertaste. The pot was a well used canning pot so was not unseasoned. Have never has such flavors w/ the ceramic coated canning pot I have used before even tho it is badly banged up & has several chips exposing the steel on the bottom. I must allow the beer is still not fully aged in the bottle & just starting to clear up but hey, just had to check it out & it surely is just fine otherwise.
 
So where can I buy Al brewing pots that have already been modified for brewing with features like thermometers, sightglass, drain valve etc?
 
FWIW:

Aluminum begins to oxidize in the atmosphere after only a few minutes. Some newer AL pots may not change color when baked... the oxide layer IS there. Just try to avoid scrubbing with abrasives.

Stainless is stainless due to chromium and/or nickel.
 
FlyGuy said:
Star San shouldn't really hurt your pot. At most, it may have stripped off some of the protetive oxide layer. You can fix it by simply filling it with water and boiling for 30 mins.

What you really want to avoid are oxygen-activiated cleansers like OxiClean, or strong alkaline based cleaners.
Click to expand...

Flyguy,

From one fly to another...

Do you have any references for not using oxyclean? It seems counterintuitive to me. If anything, I would think oxyclean would add to the oxidation layer, isn't that how it works, via oxygen free radicals?

Of course, I didn't start thinking about this until tonight after I had performed quality assurance testingon several pints of homebrew, so it may make more sense in the morning.:mug:
 
xcap said:
I have some reservation @ the flavor comments--Have just cracked open a still somewhat young pale ale brewed in an Al pot. The ale has a definite metallec aftertaste. The pot was a well used canning pot so was not unseasoned. Have never has such flavors w/ the ceramic coated canning pot I have used before even tho it is badly banged up & has several chips exposing the steel on the bottom. I must allow the beer is still not fully aged in the bottle & just starting to clear up but hey, just had to check it out & it surely is just fine otherwise.
Click to expand...

How to Brew: Ingredients, Methods ... - Google Books

Page 300, Palmer cites an experiment reported in Brewing Techniques were no difference in detectable aluminum was found in side by side tests,either before or after fermentation, using aluminum & stainless steel kettles. In the off-flavor section of HTB, he goes on to state that aluminum pots will cause off-flavors when the water is alkaline w/ a pH greater than 9.

Stale extract or water composition is usually a more likely candidate for metallic off-flavors.
 
+1 on old extract. I have always been suspicious of the shelf time on products at a local store. We had an extract batch that tasted very metallic. The batch had only touched plastic and stainless it's entire life...
 
As far as installing a ball valve on an aluminum pot is there a minimum thickness? I'd like to pick up a 10G pot from a kitchen supply store but would like to know a good range to look for so I can install the valve aftermarket.
 
I recently bought an aluminum 8 gallon pot from a restaurant that went out of business. They hadn't cared well for their pot and it appears that there is a layer of calcium in the bottom from boiling water. What would be the best way to clean that up?
 
Fingers said:
I recently bought an aluminum 8 gallon pot from a restaurant that went out of business. They hadn't cared well for their pot and it appears that there is a layer of calcium in the bottom from boiling water. What would be the best way to clean that up?
Click to expand...

Some acid should dissolve those mineral deposits. Just boil up some vinegar and water in a 3:1 ratio for about 30 mins or until they are gone.
 
Thanks for this FAQ!

I have a 40qt AL pot I'd like to convert to my brewpot. Problem is in my youth I failed to understand aluminum's reaction to such cleaners as AJAX and Comet. So my pot is pitted somewhat, and with some mild corrosion I think (you can run your fingers on the inside of the pot and feel 'protrusions' as well as the pitting). I tried to just boil it off to no avail, although I boiled it tonight w/ water and it did darken somewhat.

So how should I proceed? Scrub the corrosion down with steel wool? Acid wash with vinegar? Both? Boil a wort to darken and then toss? Not worry about it at all and brew? Buy another brew pot? What about Oxiclean - I get mixed messages from this FAQ and from Palmer's How to Brew...

I guess the bottom line issue is - My pot is pitted. Is it ruined, is it fixable, or can I brew in it safely?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
 
WC87 said:
Thanks for this FAQ!

I guess the bottom line issue is - My pot is pitted. Is it ruined, is it fixable, or can I brew in it safely?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Take a green scrubby and a mild soap (dawn) and clean it well, rinse and boil some water in it and use it.

Don't use any steel wool. The pitting is permanent. The raised bumps I'd bet are oxides and if they don't come off with the scrubby they won't come off in the boil.
 
Thanks for the response BF! I'll try that. I'm also going to use your idea of drilling the pot with a 13/16 step bit and add a bulkhead fitting.

occasion14.gif
 
So glad I read this thread. A buddy of mine brought me 60 qt aluminum pot today as a gift. He works for the gov't and they were cleaning house. This pot has a date of 1966, looks to be very lightly used and still has the cleaning instructions. Thick walled, too! Now all I have to get is a cooking burner. Thanks for the thread, guys.
 
Bayou Classic 32 Quart Tamale Pot

I was wondering about using the aluminum "Bayou Classic" from the OutdoorCooking equipment site.

A fella could install a bulkhead fitting and ball valve below the "steamer" plate. Fit a piece of stainless screen or other mesh over the plate and use as a stovetop mash/lauter tun. If you watched your flow closely would you be able to avoid stuck mashes? Or is that just too much volume below the false bottom?
 
oddsock said:
I have heard that aluminum can retain flavors from cooking, then pass them on to your beer. So if i boil a pot of onions or cabbage I'll end up with oniony beer. Is this true? Should an aluminum brew pot be kept strictly for beer?
Click to expand...

I can offer you my experience on this one. Every year, my family has a "Lobster party" where we buy 70 lobsters and boil them in a 20 gallon aluminum pot on a banjo burner. Also, every 2 or 3 years, we make 14 bushels of tomatoes into tomato sauce. The Lobster pot was just recently used for the tomato sauce, and I noticed a smell of lobster while cleaning the pot AFTER the tomatoes were cooked in the pot. Time will tell if the TASTE was transferred from the pot to the sauce. Then again, the pot is full of dings and scratches from grates and lobster claws going in and out of the pot, so maybe that's what's holding on to the smells. And the pot is always cleaned thoroughly with brillo after every use. I'd say that if you have a brew pot, keep it as a brew pot. Especially if you're using Aluminum, it's cheap enough to keep one reserved for your wort. But that's just my opinion.
 
mikeysab said:
I can offer you my experience on this one. Every year, my family has a "Lobster party" where we buy 70 lobsters and boil them in a 20 gallon aluminum pot on a banjo burner. Also, every 2 or 3 years, we make 14 bushels of tomatoes into tomato sauce. The Lobster pot was just recently used for the tomato sauce, and I noticed a smell of lobster while cleaning the pot AFTER the tomatoes were cooked in the pot. Time will tell if the TASTE was transferred from the pot to the sauce. Then again, the pot is full of dings and scratches from grates and lobster claws going in and out of the pot, so maybe that's what's holding on to the smells. And the pot is always cleaned thoroughly with brillo after every use. I'd say that if you have a brew pot, keep it as a brew pot. Especially if you're using Aluminum, it's cheap enough to keep one reserved for your wort. But that's just my opinion.
Click to expand...


you should not use brillo on an aluminum pot . Sure it will be nice and shiny but the oxide layer is removed. Just use soap and a sponge on your pots
 
I'd like to say that the link between aluminum and alzheimers has NOT been debunked. The scientific community simply has not been able to find any definitive proof of a link (yet). This is not the same as disproving. This is still being researched, therefore, there are still scientists who believe a link may exist. In science, proof is proof, but a lack of proof is not proof. I'm not trying to stir up debate on the subject. Noone on this board is probably qualified to give an opinion on the matter. But to say its been debunked is false information..... Again.... just to be clear..... In science, proof is proof, but a lack of proof is not proof.


Edit: From Web MD's article on the subject: On the whole, scientists can say only that it is still uncertain whether exposure to aluminum plays a role in Alzheimer's disease.

I would respectfully ask the mods to change the verbage of the sticky first post to read "has not been proven" instead of "has been debunked". Because that is the correct, factual, and responsible information. Even the links posted state clearly that there has been no definitive proof either way.
 
Cheaton said:
From Web MD's article on the subject: On the whole, scientists can say only that it is still uncertain whether exposure to aluminum plays a role in Alzheimer's disease.
Click to expand...
Back to reality . . .

Quote from Alzheimer's Society:
A number of environmental factors have been put forward as possible contributory causes of Alzheimer's disease in some people. Among these is aluminium. There is circumstantial evidence linking this metal with Alzheimer's disease, but no causal relationship has yet been proved. As evidence for other causes continues to grow, a possible link with aluminium seems increasingly unlikely.
Click to expand...


Oh yeah, and a bit more of your quote from Web MD:
On the other hand, various studies have found that groups of people exposed to high levels of aluminum do not have an increased risk. Moreover, aluminum in cooking utensils does not get into food, and the aluminum that does occur naturally in some foods, such as potatoes, is not absorbed well by the body. On the whole, scientists can say only that it is still uncertain whether exposure to aluminum plays a role in Alzheimer's disease.
Click to expand...
 
AnOldUR said:
Back to reality . . .

Quote from Alzheimer's Society:


Oh yeah, and a bit more from the quote from Web MD:
Click to expand...

You're not getting the picture here man, there is no hard evidence either way. That says cooking utensils, that doesn't mean pots and pans that get hot. If the acids in your food can leech into the aluminum and cause pitting, then the aluminum can CERTAINLY leach into your food. I'm not saying you should or shouldn't use aluminum... I'm saying to say this has been debunked is NOT CORRECT. Period... find me one scholarly article that says "aluminum absolutely does not have an affect on alzheimers". You won't find it because noone has proved this yet. The quote you posted says unlikely, it doesn't say it definitely doesn't exist.

Again... IF IT HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN DOESN'T MEAN IT HAS BEEN DISPROVED!
 
Cheaton said:
I'd like to say that the link between aluminum and alzheimers has NOT been debunked. The scientific community simply has not been able to find any definitive proof of a link (yet). This is not the same as disproving. This is still being researched, therefore, there are still scientists who believe a link may exist. In science, proof is proof, but a lack of proof is not proof. I'm not trying to stir up debate on the subject. Noone on this board is probably qualified to give an opinion on the matter. But to say its been debunked is false information..... Again.... just to be clear..... In science, proof is proof, but a lack of proof is not proof.


Edit: From Web MD's article on the subject: On the whole, scientists can say only that it is still uncertain whether exposure to aluminum plays a role in Alzheimer's disease.

I would respectfully ask the mods to change the verbage of the sticky first post to read "has not been proven" instead of "has been debunked". Because that is the correct, factual, and responsible information. Even the links posted state clearly that there has been no definitive proof either way.
Click to expand...

I guess it depends how you define the word "debunked". Different people may have different ideas about that word.

On the whole, scientists can say only that it is still uncertain whether exposure to aluminum plays a role in Alzheimer's disease.
Click to expand...

Can scientists say anything more definite about any other materials? I don't know much about the history of this topic, but if at one time in the past it was commonly accepted that there was a link, but now the level of certainty is similar to most other materials, then I think "debunked" may be an appropriate term.

Can anyone say that your risk of alzheimers is higher with an aluminum pot than with stainless steel or ceramic or anything else? I doubt it.
 

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