Aluminum Pot with SS Fittings...Galvanic Corrosion??

So I have an aluminum pot. I was thinking about augmenting it with a sight tube and/or ball valve and/or other goodies....

Anyone ever worry about galvanic corrosion? (The less noble metal will corrode due to different electric potentials). I'm thinking SS is rather noble, Aluminum oxide is rather noble, and so I shouldn't have a problem....but are there any caution stories?

(I know, I know, get a keggle, stop worrying....I will do that one day, but I figure when I do, I can just transfer my SS goodies over to that)

shortyjacobs said:

Anyone ever worry about galvanic corrosion? (The less noble metal will corrode due to different electric potentials). I'm thinking SS is rather noble, Aluminum oxide is rather noble, and so I shouldn't have a problem....but are there any caution stories?

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Not a problem. Hookup your aluminum, brass, and SS pieces.

So long as the less noble piece (e.g. aluminum) is larger than the more noble piece (e.g. SS), the galvanic corrosion will be so slow you wouldn't notice it over the life of the equipment.

And, that assumes the pieces are submerged for long periods of time. That is not the case with typical home brewing equipment.

And not to bring back a VERY old thread but doesn't the ss and alu need to be in direct contact to get this to happen as well. At least from what I was lead to believe.

lol, boy is this ancient....and they would be in contact, (the nipple going through the pot would obviously have to touch the pot somewhere...).

In any case, this is long history, my two keggles are doing very nicely now.

shortyjacobs said:

lol, boy is this ancient....

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Well, at least we know the forum search is working.

haha welll.... google searched for "galavanic corrosion aluminum stainless"

I figured that the teflon would be barrier enough? I'm thinking of going with alu pot myself.

FWIW, I had no problem over the year that I had my aluminum pot in action, (it now sits in my garage, full of holes from the fittings, cuz I'm too stingy to throw it out...). I think it was my chemistry brain overworking itself...don't worry about it stamandster....for one, now that I think of it more, corrosion is SLOW. For the hour or two each week you have the wort in there, you'll never have issues over the life of the pot.