Aluminum Boiling Pot

[mabrungard]

A 60 qt AL Stock pot like shown above, is what I've used for a decade. Works great.

 

[leirbag]

What about the time it takes to boil? Any difference there between AL and SS?

 

[mabrungard]

If you are heating your kettle externally, Al will transfer heat more quickly and effectively into the wort. If you are heating internally (ie: electrical water heater element), then Al actually works against you. SST is better when heating internally. Of course, you could always insulate the exterior of a kettle to reduce heat loss when heating internally.

 

[OpenSights]

I’m glad I saw this thread. After buying a few setups to get started I ended up with three kettles, two ss and a short wide aluminum for frying fish. The aluminum one had never been. Not a good size for brewing, but I have made some super simple LEM kits where you only boil 2 or 3 gallons of water, add the boiling water and LEM to your fermenter then top off to 6 gallons.

All I’ve done is boil either distilled water or filtered water and it has started developing a white film at the level of the water along with what I would describe as scorch marks.

I just put the last batch I made in the keg and force carbed it out of the last gallon I bottle three 12oz bottles (I probably could have bottled a fourth... but don’t want to be greedy.) and added a carbonation tab to each bottle.

The beer in the keg is slightly off, can’t quite put my finger on it, but still drinkable. I opened one of the three bottles after two weeks because while capping it I discovered it was a twist top. Over carbed for a stout, but didn’t notice any obvious off flavor. The other two, about a month and a half later way over carbed and undrinkable. Everything was washed in PBW, rinsed very well and sanitized.

I was thinking maybe it’s the aluminum kettle. If anyone wants, when I get back in town tomorrow I’ll post a picture of it.

 

[NGD]

Looks like I get to be “that guy”.

My second brew I did on a stovetop with a thick aluminum pot. Got awful metallic flavors in that batch of beer. Ended up having to toss the batch. That was the last time I decided to sort my collection of loose change during the boil. No problems since!

 

[mabrungard]

If the Al kettles had a nice shiny surface, its possible that some of the metal could make it into the wort. I've never used a shiny aluminum part in brewing. I always oxidize the aluminum by boiling in hard water. The metal turns a dark gray color.

The other approach I use, is to almost never scrub my Al kettle to a shine. I flush out the kettle after the boil and wipe down all surfaces to make sure there is no trub left, but the surface isn't scrubbed. My kettle has a nice, tea-colored patina on its interior. My wort never contacts the aluminum.

PS: don't scorch your kettle if you're using my minimal cleaning approach. The patina would probably carbonize and could contribute burnt flavor and aroma to the beers. Now that I use an internal heating element, I don't have to worry about scorching the kettle surface. But the same thing applies to the element...be sure that you get all the trub and deposits off your element(s) after each boil or you will build up a layer that will burn.

 

[LittleRiver]

I use an aluminum kettle. Before using it the first time I cleaned it thoroughly and then oxidized it by boiling water in it. My cleaning process sounds similar to Martin's, I clean thoroughly but don't scrub so hard as to disturb the oxide layer. I've never had a problem with off flavors.

 

[rodwha]

I’ve been brewing in aluminum as well but never knew Oxiclean couldn’t be used. I use a nonabrasive plain sponge in hot water and then run it in the dishwasher with Oxiclean on the pots & pans setting and allow the normal wash to be an additional rinse. After several years I have thought my oxide layer seemed lighter.

 

[Wreck99]

When I switched to AG, I bought a Spike Brewing 13 gal aluminum pot. I also cleaned it with OxiClean and had no trouble with it for years... I have SS now, but FWIW there's that.

 

[smyrnaquince]

As long as it's oxidized, you're fine. To make sure, just boil water in it, to your expected wort volume, for 30 minutes. Bam, totally off flavor free boil kettle.

This, except boil for 60 minutes, then measure the amount of water left in the pot. You will then have a very good estimate of how much wort you will boil off in an hour. (Yes, you can double the 30 minute number, but the 60-minute number should've slightly more accurate.)