Copper and Aluminum

How bad would it be to stitch together some aluminum screen using copper wire? I've read that the two can have bad interactions in water. Obviously I'm trying to devise a hopstopper of sorts.

Come on bro, order some SS screen and lockwire from Mcmaster. You'll still be at a 3rd of the price of a real hopstopper.

Try a 12" x 24" piece of 60x40 mesh 9241T432 and some 26 gauge lockwire 8860K11.

Those two will create a battery in a conductive solution. This means that one of them will oxidize and the other will reduce, so one will melt and one will grow. Your best bet may be to unlay some of the aluminum screen and use those wires to stich it together. You could also fold the edges up several times and crease the folds using a hemmer, or vise.

Just use SS screen. Please.

Cheese, you guys got an Ikea near you? I just bought 2 12" SS splatter screens for $2.99 each. Actually I bought 3 in case I f'ed up something. I pulled the screens out, folded them together around the edges about 1/8" twice and crimped it down with a pliers like someone mentioned here and left a 1" section open. I haven't finished it, but I plan on sticking the opening of the screen into the dip tube and hose clamp it down. I'll take some pics tonight, but I can't see where this is not going to be just like a hopstopper; except for that it cost me $6.

I got to head back to Phoenix in two weeks and probably am going to buy 6 more to have around.


http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15570&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&langId=-1&parentCats=15570*15679&productId=11633&chosenPartNumber=10010758

desertBrew said:

Cheese, you guys got an Ikea near you? I just bought 2 12" SS splatter screens for $2.99 each. Actually I bought 3 in case I f'ed up something. I pulled the screens out, folded them together around the edges about 1/8" twice and crimped it down with a pliers like someone mentioned here and left a 1" section open. I haven't finished it, but I plan on sticking the opening of the screen into the dip tube and hose clamp it down. I'll take some pics tonight, but I can't see where this is not going to be just like a hopstopper; except for that it cost me $6.

I got to head back to Phoenix in two weeks and probably am going to buy 6 more to have around.

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15570&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&langId=-1&parentCats=15570*15679&productId=11633&chosenPartNumber=10010758

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High-five! :rockin:

The biggest problem I have had is attaching this to any sort of tube. How do you plan to solve this?

The splatter screens would work. I've also been thinking why not cut the screens out of a couple of cheap strainers and tie those together.

Go for the Stainless! Aluminum is for mumbling old guys who shuffle around in alley and piss themselves.

The only concern I'd have for the splatter screens is that it's really low grade stainless (18-8). It will hold up for a while and then rust, but at that price who cares right?

Reidman said:

The splatter screens would work. I've also been thinking why not cut the screens out of a couple of cheap strainers and tie those together.

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The mesh size is WAY larger on strainers and they won't stop pellet hops. I'd guestimate the mesh size at about 20x20 whereas the hopstopper is at least 40x40. I used 60x40 and it stopped every particle of hops.

Chairman Cheyco said:

High-five! :rockin:

The biggest problem I have had is attaching this to any sort of tube. How do you plan to solve this?

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Not sure; quite frankly I didn't think I'd have a problem though. I figured, just pull it over the dip tube and use a hose clamp? I did think that a different orientation on how my dip comes into the center of the kettle might be in order, now it is horizontal across from ball valve and then U downwards, I was actually thinking U downwards at the edge of the keg and then go out towards center (if that makes sense verbally) would allow the full screen to set in the middle of the keg instead of pulling it up like a bag around the tube.

Can't beat $2.99 but ikea's are few and far between...

Bobby_M said:

The only concern I'd have for the splatter screens is that it's really low grade stainless (18-8). It will hold up for a while and then rust, but at that price who cares right?

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I thought the same on quality... We'll see how long it lasts. Considering I was doing copper scrubbies before .

Aluminum & copper. Dissimilar metals. Not a good idea.

When Iposted the question, I had already bought some Aluminum screen from Menards. I just put together the easiest, most ghetto-ass DIY Hopstopper ever. No skills required:

1. Cut out a strip of screen about 14" wide by 24" long.
2. Fold in half the short way.
3. Fold edges over 1/2". Repeat twice.
4. Boil to oxidize the aluminum.

Now, I know the old "Aluminum vs. Stainless argument, but I'm thinking that the entire surface area of the screen is pretty darn small so it will have the tiniest effect on flavor, if any. If it's hard to taste the diff between an Aluminum and Stainless pot, it'll be impossible (for my tongue) to distinguish a difference.

A huge roll of screen is under $4.00. Given that it took 5 minutes to make (well, I still need to figure out how to secure it), it'll be pretty easy to consider it disposable after a few uses.

You know what the real shame is? The Hopstopper being sold is a beautiful and wonderfully useful gadget, but it's so ridiculously over-priced (especially considering the ease of making your own) that it forces people to DIY. If it were <$20, I'd probably have bought one. For the life of me, I can't figure out why the cost is $60.

So it was a setup thread eh?

I'm of the same opinion on the price; so many times I was close to buying and kept thinking this is nuts...

Well, it's going to be hard to convince me that this will suck.

Ok, it's not sexy and I don't think it's going to work on pellet hops, but give her a whirl. The hopstopper is a bit overpriced. I sold about 4 of my DIY versions, sewn screen only for about $30 shipped before I got tired of sewing them up. I know for a fact the materials using a copper dip tube are right around $20. Factor in about an hour labor each $20 and the guy is making a $20 profit per unit. I don't think that's unreasonable. Sewing them up pretty is not as easy as you'd initially think. You can't really put 26 gauge lock wire into a sewing needle. It takes a special technique ;-) It's just really boring.

SS wire then?

Here's my DIY from 2 11" splatter guards







BTW - I'm one who will make some things, others I'd rather buy so no banging on the hopstopper here. This just seemed to be one of those DIY for me... Sight glass, IHS will be getting my order for .

desertBrew said:

Here's my DIY from 2 11" splatter guards

BTW - I'm one who will make some things, others I'd rather buy so no banging on the hopstopper here. This just seemed to be one of those DIY for me... Sight glass, IHS will be getting my order for .

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My setup is almost identical to this, and it works great. The splatter guards are fine enough to keep pellet hops from coming through, but they can plug up if you only use pellets in my experience. I've switched to bittering entirely with whole hops (~ 1 oz), and using pellets for everything else. The small amount of whole hops act as a filter for the hot and cold break (I use an immersion chiller in the kettle) and allow me to run off wort that is almost perfectly clear. As far as I'm concerned, splatter guards are the bee's knees :rockin:

Bernie Brewer said:

Aluminum & copper. Dissimilar metals. Not a good idea.

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I have an aluminum brewpot, should I not use copper tubing for my screen?

well, i think it is aluminum... take a look

Looks like stainless to me.

Why can't you use braided stainless steel hose. The kind that are on faucets & toilets? Cut off the ends, yank out the rubber or PVC hose. Wha-la wire breaded filter, every hardware store has one.

See the 2nd photo in this DYI MLT.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=19413

well, it IS aluminum.. but should i be ok with this?
http://www.greatbargain.net/order/shop1.html

aekdbbop said:

well, it IS aluminum.. but should i be ok with this?
http://www.greatbargain.net/order/shop1.html

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I don't know how it'll react with alumin, but I have three of those from him. You can e-mail him and ask for AL washers instead of SS.

i was more afraid of the copper and alum. mixing.. should i be worried for the ss and alum. also?

(sorry for the Bump)

but should i be worried about using an aluminum brew pot with any other type of metal? What are the disadvantages to using aluminum anyway?

I ended up running over to the dollar store today for the two splatter screens. My door-screen stopper performed OK, but I'm not sure I'm impressed completely. Part of the problem was with my design, I just made an L abotu 6" long and 4" tall to get from my valve to the middle of my keggle, but when I tested it with water it worked very well. I think I need to make it more of a 90º Z pattern. But still, after seeing how much cold-break was created by the CFC, I think it might be worth a double-strain due to the amount of cold-break the CFC produces.

aekdbbop said:

well, it IS aluminum.. but should i be ok with this?
http://www.greatbargain.net/order/shop1.html

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Aluminum is not recomended for brewing. My Beer for Dummies book discourages the use of aluminum pots.

This excerpt is from John Palmers Website.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html


Try it, if you start getting metalic flavors you know why.

Schlenkerla said:

Aluminum is not recomended for brewing. My Beer for Dummies book discourages the use of aluminum pots.

This excerpt is from John Palmers Website.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

Metallic
Metallic flavors are usually caused by unprotected metals dissolving into the wort but can also be caused by the hydrolysis of lipids in poorly stored malts. Iron and aluminum can cause metallic flavors leaching into the wort during the boil. The small amount could be considered to be nutritional if it weren't for the bad taste. Nicks and cracks ceramic coated steel pots are a common cause as are high iron levels in well water. Stainless steel pots will not contribute any metallic flavors. Aluminum pots usually won't cause metallic flavors unless the brewing water is alkaline with a pH level greater than 9. Shiny new aluminum pots will sometimes turn black when boiling water due to chlorine and carbonates in the water.

The protective (grayish) oxides of aluminum can be enhanced by heating the clean pot in a dry oven at 250°F for about 6 hours.​

Try it, if you start getting metalic flavors you know why.

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Dude -- I don't want to revive yet another aluminum good or bad debate, but did you read that passage you jsut quoted? The pH usually has to be above 9 for aluminum to cause metallic flavours. Not gonna happen with wort.

Also, in Palmer's latest edition (3) of his book, he very much advocates the use of aluminum.

I think you are badly misquoting him here in your post.

Feel free to quote the Beer for Dummies book, but I don't think it is regarded as highly as Palmer's book.

FlyGuy said:

Dude -- I don't want to revive yet another aluminum good or bad debate, but did you read that passage you jsut quoted? The pH usually has to be above 9 for aluminum to cause metallic flavours. Not gonna happen with wort.

Also, in Palmer's latest edition (3) of his book, he very much advocates the use of aluminum.

I think you are badly misquoting him here in your post.

Feel free to quote the Beer for Dummies book, but I don't think it is regarded as highly as Palmer's book.

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Flyguy - Actually, I didn't quote him all. I indicated Beer for Dummies doesn't recomend aluminum. Then pasted in Palmer's off taste paragraph under metallic. Then said try it, implying it might not be a problem.

Palmer states it can and then says it usually won't unless the pH is over 9. Not a ringing endorsement for aluminum in my opinion.

I don't have his 3rd book, why don't you post his opinion in contrast?

Since aekdbbop asked I told him what I know and warned him that it might be an issue. Nothing more.

He's got the kettle he should try it and see if it works. If I just bought one and knew I could return it for stainless model, I would do that.

Who knows maybe new kettles are heat-treated differently. I kind of doubt it myself. My Northern Brewer Catalog doesn't offer aluminum, same with Williams Brewing.

Truthfully, I don't think I gave any bad advice.

Schlenkerla said:

Flyguy - Actually, I didn't quote him all. I indicated Beer for Dummies doesn't recomend aluminum. Then pasted in Palmer's off taste paragraph under metallic. Then said try it, implying it might not be a problem.

Palmer states it can and then says it usually won't unless the pH is over 9. Not a ringing endorsement for aluminum in my opinion.

I don't have his 3rd book, why don't you post his opinion in contrast?

Since aekdbbop asked I told him what I know and warned him that it might be an issue. Nothing more.

He's got the kettle he should try it and see if it works. If I just bought one and knew I could return it for stainless model, I would do that.

Who knows maybe new kettles are heat-treated differently. I kind of doubt it myself. My Northern Brewer Catalog doesn't offer aluminum, same with Williams Brewing.

Truthfully, I don't think I gave any bad advice.

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Schlenkerla -- I re-read your post, and you are right. You didn't actually say that Palmer discouraged the use of aluminum. I just read that into it. My mistake -- sorry.

No Problem! I do this everyonce in awhile myself. The problem with typing is you can't get the tone or inflection as one does in speech. Misunderstandings are therefore all too common. Its funny how you can reread something and get a new meaning.

Cheers!!