any issues with elements mounted in aluminum pots?

Morning All,

Slowly converting to an electric set up and plan on upgrading my boil pot from the 30 qt aluminum turkey fryer pot to something a bit larger(like 40 or 50 qt) that I'll install a 3 piece stainless ball valve and side pick up tube first, then down the road install a 220 v element.

Perusing the electric threads, it seems all the guys are using stainless pots. Does installing a heater element in an aluminum pot pose greater corrrosion issues than putting it in a stainless pot?

I do like the winware 40 qt stainless pot, but I can get the 50 qt aluminum with money left over for other items.

Thanks again for any thoughts.

Actually, an aluminum pot has no corrosion issues with the element, unlike stainless pots. The aluminum acts as a giant anode.

I use an aluminum pot and have had no problems.

Same here no problem with my aluminum pot.

Yep no problems here, 40qt aluminum pot and element mounted in it using weldless fittings.

I use Aluminum pots also. I noticed corrosion occurring when stainless steel couplings are used on the inside of the pot to mount the ball valve. I use weldless fittings that have a brass ball valve on the outside and a stainless nipple and stainless coupling on the inside.
There is galvanic activity between the Stainless Steel and the Aluminum when the pot is filled with water or wort, and I've noticed numerous "pit" marks occurring on the Aluminum surface (mostly bottom of the pot) over time. They appear as small dark "nicks" scattered about. Since Aluminum is anodic and Stainless Steel is cathodic, and they are far apart on the galvanic scale, aluminum undergoes galvanic corrosion (being transferred to the stainless steel) in the presence of electrolyte (water/wort).
I don't worry about it much since the thickness of my aluminum pots is about 4 to 5mm and the pits are tiny. I've been using them for the last 5 years and the pits don't seem to be large enough to do any damage.

Living on the beach in Florida I can attest to the galvanic action with different metals in contact, mainly due to salt water.

Sounds like the Aluminum is good enough for me, heck I use an old 7.5 gal aluminum turkey fryer pot right now...but have no valve or element installed.

For the price difference, think I'll go with the 50 qt aluminum and use the savings towards other upgrades .

Sounds like the key is to clean after use and DRY with a cloth instead of letting it air dry.

Thanks for the replies.

Don't sweat it, you'll soon forget the element is even in there.


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