hi, I have used an aluminum pot a few times and i find when i boil water, after it is finished boiling the water looks cloudy and milky, is this happening with other people aluminum pots? i have conditioned it and know there is an oxide layer which im not worried about but all the water i have boiled in stainless steel has been clear after i finish the boil. any experiences with this anyone?
Aluminum pot question
- Thread starter Chombo
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This is why I don't use aluminum. Maybe i am just paranoid...
http://www.rense.com/general37/alum.htm
This is the main thing in the article that applys.
"Your choice of cookware is important. Glass and porcelain are relatively nonreactive with foods. Metal cookware does react with the acids in foods and the metal ions thereby released gain access to your body. In the case of copper, iron, and stainless steel cookware the metals are actually essential trace elements, and therefore make a valuable nutritional contribution if they are not absorbed in excess. Aluminum, on the other hand, not only has no recognized function in the body, but is toxic."
This is another reason they took cast aluminum skillets off the market.
Your choice, Id rather use the stainless steel personalty.
http://www.rense.com/general37/alum.htm
This is the main thing in the article that applys.
"Your choice of cookware is important. Glass and porcelain are relatively nonreactive with foods. Metal cookware does react with the acids in foods and the metal ions thereby released gain access to your body. In the case of copper, iron, and stainless steel cookware the metals are actually essential trace elements, and therefore make a valuable nutritional contribution if they are not absorbed in excess. Aluminum, on the other hand, not only has no recognized function in the body, but is toxic."
This is another reason they took cast aluminum skillets off the market.
Your choice, Id rather use the stainless steel personalty.
mojotele
Well-Known Member
I've never seen that with my aluminum pot. It's always just as clear as my stainless steel one.
Thanks for the info Travis, ill take that into consideration when upgrading equipment.
Mojotele, yea it happens with another aluminum pot i have aswell. I live in a big city, population 6 million, and we have a pretty good water treatment plant, i use plain old tap water. Could aluminum be reactive with other minerals?
Mojotele, yea it happens with another aluminum pot i have aswell. I live in a big city, population 6 million, and we have a pretty good water treatment plant, i use plain old tap water. Could aluminum be reactive with other minerals?
fatmoose
Well-Known Member
Complete B.S., hocum, crap and misinformation. Any theoretical link between cooking in aluminum and Alzheimer's disease has been dismissed and the whole idea of "metal ions" being released into your body is only made more ludicrous by the statement that it's okay with some metals because they're nutritional. Stainless doesn't react, period, so that's just inaccurate. That's the value of using stainless in all manner of food preparation and storage. I'd rather brew in SS quite frankly and will likely go that route when I decide to upgrade to a bigger kettle but I feel perfectly safe brewing in my aluminum.
If you want to make an argument against aluminum try coming up with a better argument or at least get a better source to cite.
fatmoose
Well-Known Member
I've seen this in mine, mostly when I was doing the initial boil to get that oxidation layer on there. I attributed it to our water, which is very hard. Your water treatment facility will make sure that your water is safe for drinking but it typically won't do anything about mineral content.
If this is going to become one of those superstition fueld Aluminum vs stainless threads, rather than playing along, just read the info in the STICKY which has dealt with this issue for a long time, and laid to rest a lot of the myths.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/faq-aluminum-pots-boil-kettles-49449/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/faq-aluminum-pots-boil-kettles-49449/
bmckee56
Well-Known Member
I have used a heavy gauge 10 gallon aluminum pot for a few years now and have had no issues with cloudy water or beer.
Salute!
Salute!
It sounds like you haven't set your oxide layer too well yet. Maybe however you are cleaning it is removing it each time, or it could be a reaction to the minerals in your water. But it's not anything to worry about, if your finished product tastes fine.
Captain_Bigelow
Well-Known Member
Put the pot in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes or boil some water in it for an hour. That should help build up an oxide layer and you should be good to go.
HometownHoosier
Well-Known Member
Since it appears to be happening with his other cookware, I would think that boiling the water is just precipitating some element that is in the water. What do you clean the pot with? There could be some cleaner that is left on the interior of the pot because of hard water.
In order to isolate the problem, boil some bottled water in the aluminum pot, boil tap water in a stainless pot, or tap water in a mug in the microwave. I doubt it's the aluminum.
In order to isolate the problem, boil some bottled water in the aluminum pot, boil tap water in a stainless pot, or tap water in a mug in the microwave. I doubt it's the aluminum.
hmm all interesting info thanks. well i found out that my water is moderately hard, 125 PPM.
i have never used a cleaner other than dish detergent on my pots and my other aluminum pot i use for cooking is rather old (15 years or something) and dark grey which still gets cloudy when boiling water. i also dont scrub it with a scouring pad, rather a soft cloth.
the water comes out nice and clear when i boil in stainless steel.
And i have boiled water in my 6 gallon aluminum kettle for over an hour (water was still cloudy afterwards), it is dark grey, but i havnt made a brew in it yet.
i have never used a cleaner other than dish detergent on my pots and my other aluminum pot i use for cooking is rather old (15 years or something) and dark grey which still gets cloudy when boiling water. i also dont scrub it with a scouring pad, rather a soft cloth.
the water comes out nice and clear when i boil in stainless steel.
And i have boiled water in my 6 gallon aluminum kettle for over an hour (water was still cloudy afterwards), it is dark grey, but i havnt made a brew in it yet.
