nkonkie said:
Feel free to jump on me about this too. If you are a Smart Alex don't expect a reply. I've learned my lesson about replying to jerks.
I believe Aluminum is a man made metal & it is made from a substance call boxite.
It is not a natural occuring substance such as gold, silver, zinc, iron, manganese, magnesium, copper ect. So most if not all of the aluminum in the environment is from human activity.
Also aluminum is relatively new material and so too would be our experience with it's effects on the human body.
Cooking broccoli for 5 minutes in an aluminum pot with water that has a PH of near 7 (neutral) is one thing. Boiling wort or anything with an acidic or caustic PH for 1-2 hours is something entirely different.
As to the advise for Evan not to scurb his pots, why is Aluminum Oxide safer than Aluminum that has not been oxidized? (retorical question)
Once again I'm not trying to convince any of you aluminum pot heads, just trying to post info for the open minded.
Wow, not sure if this was directed at me or not. However, this response is exactly the reason that I made the first post. When people look for an answer to a serious question and they are provided with misinformation they may make thier decisions based on the misinformation. As I've said, my profession provides some insight into this particular question that most people do not have.
The following is a copy/paste from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) entry for aluminum. I encourage you to read the entire document.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts22.html
"What is aluminum?
Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust. It is always found combined with other elements such as oxygen, silicon, and fluorine. Aluminum as the metal is obtained from aluminum-containing minerals. Small amounts of aluminum can be found dissolved in water.
Aluminum metal is light in weight and silvery-white in appearance. Aluminum is used for beverage cans, pots and pans, airplanes, siding and roofing, and foil. Aluminum is often mixed with small amounts of other metals to form aluminum alloys, which are stronger and harder.
Aluminum compounds have many different uses, for example, as alums in water-treatment and alumina in abrasives and furnace linings. They are also found in consumer products such as antacids, astringents, buffered aspirin, food additives, and antiperspirants."
"How might I be exposed to aluminum?
* Virtually all food, water, air, and soil contain some aluminum.
* Eating small amounts of aluminum in food.
* Breathing higher levels of aluminum dust in workplace air.
* Living in areas where the air is dusty, where aluminum is mined or processed into aluminum metal, near certain hazardous waste sites, or where aluminum is naturally high.
* Eating substances containing high levels of aluminum (such as antacids) especially when eating or drinking citrus products at the same time.
* Children and adults may be exposed to small amounts of aluminum from vaccinations.
* Very little enters your body from aluminum cooking utensils."
Please tell me where I am being a 'Smart Alex'? I am, as you mentioned, just trying to provide info for the open-minded. Mine, however, is based in science.
This is a very important consideration for a new brewer. Do I need to spend the extra bucks on that stainless steel kettle or can I use my turkey fryer? If you feel I am being a jerk by providing acurate information rather than conjecture, I apologize, but that was not my intent.