Aluminum brewing pot???

[Run3minman]

His is what I use is this ok. I've been reading that it's not the best pot to use. What do you guys think???

 

[Dan]

It's ok.

There is a long post about this somewhere here. Hopefully Revy will chime in, he's like the HBT historian. Gives out a lot of good info and has a pretty good sense of humor.

 

[nebben]

Aluminum brew pots are fine. Nothing to see here....

 

[RM-MN]

His is what I use is this ok. I've been reading that it's not the best pot to use. What do you guys think???

Of course it isn't the best pot to use. A really big stainless steel pot with heavy sidewalls is probably the best. The cheaper aluminum will dent quite easily and has to have water boiled in it to create a thicker oxide layer to protect the beer from absorbing metal and you can't scrub it too hard or you will have to recreate the oxide layer. It may wear out within your lifetime since it is softer metal.

What I think is that not every one can afford the best and this type of pot makes a cheaper and acceptable entry into brewing. You will learn to use care with it or you will replace it. It can last you for many years if you take care of it and later you can replace it with a better one when you can afford it.

 

[70Cuda383]

Hmmm....so that dark layer around my canning pot is a GOOD thing?! I've used it now for some all-grain batches, it's the only pot I have big enough to collect the wort while my sparge water is heating up in the big brew pot on the propane burner.

I play musical pots on brew day! heat mash water on the burner, dump into cooler. heat sparge water in brew pot on burner, collect wort into canning pot, dump sparge water into cooler, dump first run-off of wort into brew pot, collect sparge water into brew pot, then go back to the burner and start the boil!

 

[Revvy]

We have a sticky for this question.....FAQ: Aluminum Pots for Boil Kettles?

 

[nrock74]

I have a 15gal aluminum brew pot I've been using for the last dozen brews or so and have had absolutely no problems with it. I read somewhere if you put em in the oven for round an hour at 300 deg it will bake in the oxide layer. Thats what I did.

Just make sure you don't clean it with any oxide based cleaner like B-brite, C-brite or oxyclean. I use iodophor solutions to sanitize and have had no problems either.

 

[wheels4]

I use a $28 8 gallon (walmart special) that only gets rinsed not washed after brew day is done. Beers have all turned out great. The next pot I buy will be at least a 3bbl set up. Start as cheap as you can and see if you like it.

 

[Jaimez]

10 Gallon Aluminum brew pot the last 2 years. like this one from this website...
http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/update-international/apt-40/p4857.aspx

 

[Transamguy77]

I scored a 5gal with a 2gal aluminum set at my local grocery store for $20, been using it for almost a year now I am very pleased with them.

 

[z987k]

I don't understand why people use Stainless. Very inferior metal for transferring heat... it's practically an insulator for all intents and purposes. Makes sense for electric though. Since copper and silver are both crazy expensive, Aluminum is the next best.

I went down to the local used restaurant supply and picked up a couple of 10gal+ Al pots for $75. With walls about 3/8"... they will last longer than I will.. in fact they are already older than me. Drills easy to accept ball valves to.

 

[worstbrewing]

10 Gallon Aluminum brew pot the last 2 years. like this one from this website...
http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/update-international/apt-40/p4857.aspx

Same one I've been using for over a year as an electric kettle (mounted a heating element in it) and have been happy. I'm only switching the SS on my new rig because I got a good deal on them but was set to go with aluminum 20 gallon kettles from the same site prior.

 

[Diver165]

Aluminum is just fine to use for a brew kettle. Anyone who tells you otherwise is full of bull.... Are there advantages to each? Yep. Are there downsides to each? Yep.

Pick a type of pot and be happy. But one isn't gonna make better beer over the other.

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