Aluminum kettles

[rohanski]

I guess the question now is why did you choose SS over aluminum? I'm not talking about the guys with keggles.

 

[bigben]

I got Stainless for the durablility and because it's easier to clean.

Oh and so I can sleep better at night instead of wondering why I didn't just get stainless

 

[max4677]

I guess the question now is why did you choose SS over aluminum? I'm not talking about the guys with keggles.

It's what my LHBS had.

 

[z987k]

I always have to chip in on these Al vs SS threads so here goes.

Aluminum is a better thermal conductor than SS, by like 10x, hence it should take less heat and less time to heat your water/wort.
SS will last much longer, but I've never worn out an Al pot.

Another reason they coat Al cans is to prevent Oxidation, Al oxidizes when exposed to air over time or air under heat.

$50 for a 40qt Al is high. You can get a turkey fryer plus a ~40qt pot for ~$40 shipped on ebay.

 

[maconlysource]

I have been using this for a while now and it works great:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp;jsessionid=GHvjuHAYiSwHVm7qqalxjsrYhB4r5uxXXMf1PlWVIz2UHzMQevR6!927673946!172915573!7205!7305?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443279361&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672077&bmUID=1187475237394

 

[rohanski]

OK, SWMBO has spoken and she make sense for once. She says aluminum is not as durable and scratches easy. She also says that you can't cook high acid foods in it. She did say that they also use some aluminum and it does transfer heat better which we all knew.

My SS pots have an aluminum sandwich bottom so I have the best of both worlds until one of you shoots me down on that. SS just costs a few more bucks.

SWMBO has spoken!

 

[ScubaSteve]

I've got both...when I first started brewing I was getting off flavors, and attributed it to my AL pot. I now know it was probably more due to fermentation temps. If I had to do it again, I'd just buy 3 huge aluminum pots for the price of 1 SS pot. A few points:

1. You shouldn't have to scrub aluminum if you're careful not to scorch. Less work is a good thing.
2. Durability should not be an issue. What are you going to do, drop the pot off the roof? A thick gauge aluminum pot that is properly cared for will outlive all of us.
3. Heat transfer is much better, which = less propane.
4. For the money you save on 3 Aluminum pots vs. SS ones, you could buy a chillzilla or therminator.

I vote Aluminum!

 

[srm775]

OK, SWMBO has spoken and she make sense for once. She says aluminum is not as durable and scratches easy. She also says that you can't cook high acid foods in it. She did say that they also use some aluminum and it does transfer heat better which we all knew.

My SS pots have an aluminum sandwich bottom so I have the best of both worlds until one of you shoots me down on that. SS just costs a few more bucks.

SWMBO has spoken!

SS reacts with low PH too, maybe not as much as AL. Besides, you're making beer in it, not storing hydrochloric acid.

Scratches don't really matter, because you're using it for boils which kills everything. My AL pot, as with most AL pots, is atleast 1/4" thick, much thicker than you'll see any SS pot so durability isn't really a problem. Scratching only matters on enamel coated pots.

 

[Rivercat96]

Since I started this wildfire of a thread it's fitting that I try to put it out. After brewing my second batch of beer with my trusty aluminum kettle I noticed that not only does it transfer heat well it also loses heat very quickly. A friend who was over yesterday was shocked how fast I cooled down the wort in an ice bath in my sink. He uses a heavy gauge SS pot and said takes at least twice as long to cool his wort down. Chalk another one up for aluminum.

 

[bluechip101]

Well reading this thread helped me make up my mind. I scored a used 60qt Aluminum resturant grade pot in Ebay for $35! Sweet.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Nice! That'd probably cost you 4-5x's more in SS!

 

[erodstrom]

Any other law students on here will be happy to see both AL and SS pots can be purchased with Lexisnexis Points! I knew all that studying would come in handy! All the way up to 162 Quart SS pots, although you need like 45,000 points...