So, I scored an aluminum turkey fryer. It is the 30 quart Bayou Classic unit. Not to stray too far off topic, but my wife saw it listed on craigslist and forwarded it to me. (This is an awesome sign. Additionally, I was talking about bottling a batch this weekend, and she asked how much a keg setup would cost. Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen)
So, it was cheap, I ran out and picked the thing up. It was very dirty. The guy said he bought it to try boiling down maple syrup, and apparently that didn't work out, and he tried putting the aluminum pot in a campfire. That must not have been satisfactory either, but now I've got the burner/stand that have been used once (not even very dirty) and this pot that is just downright nasty. Inside wasn't too bad, it looks like soapy water and a little more elbow grease will take care of it.
But the outside is all black and sooty. I tried to scrub it off with water and the green side of an old kitchen sponge, and although it turned my hands, the sponge, the water, and the bottom of my tub black, the pot still looks nasty. So I'm wondering, primarily, what I can safely soak this thing in. I've heard oxi-clean and one-step are bad, I checked the label on a bottle of CLR and that said not to use on aluminum. I'm hoping to find something that I can soak this in that won't be real expensive (or if it is, won't need a real high concentration) as I'm going have to put the pot into a big plastic storage bin to soak, so there's going to be a lot of water, probably 10 or 12 gallons, around this thing.
Also, any other tips for the use, care, and maintenance of the pot? And, for that matter, the propane burner (when it gets too hot to brew in my kitchen, I'll be using that). I read the instructions, but they're pretty vague and must apply to several models. (If you have an adjustable regulator, adjust it. If not, just open the valve. Light from the bottom. Caution: Fire hot.)
So, it was cheap, I ran out and picked the thing up. It was very dirty. The guy said he bought it to try boiling down maple syrup, and apparently that didn't work out, and he tried putting the aluminum pot in a campfire. That must not have been satisfactory either, but now I've got the burner/stand that have been used once (not even very dirty) and this pot that is just downright nasty. Inside wasn't too bad, it looks like soapy water and a little more elbow grease will take care of it.
But the outside is all black and sooty. I tried to scrub it off with water and the green side of an old kitchen sponge, and although it turned my hands, the sponge, the water, and the bottom of my tub black, the pot still looks nasty. So I'm wondering, primarily, what I can safely soak this thing in. I've heard oxi-clean and one-step are bad, I checked the label on a bottle of CLR and that said not to use on aluminum. I'm hoping to find something that I can soak this in that won't be real expensive (or if it is, won't need a real high concentration) as I'm going have to put the pot into a big plastic storage bin to soak, so there's going to be a lot of water, probably 10 or 12 gallons, around this thing.
Also, any other tips for the use, care, and maintenance of the pot? And, for that matter, the propane burner (when it gets too hot to brew in my kitchen, I'll be using that). I read the instructions, but they're pretty vague and must apply to several models. (If you have an adjustable regulator, adjust it. If not, just open the valve. Light from the bottom. Caution: Fire hot.)