Aluminum Sparge Tank?

[broomzy]

I’m trying to put together an equipment list for my step into All Grain. I have the kettle and a cooler for my Mash tun. I want to fly sparge, but I need a vessel. I have found cheap 60 qt Aluminum pots, but I didn’t know if this would be a bad thing.

 

[o0weno]

Don't worry about the whole Alzheimer's thing. The guy who did that study was later debunked, or something along those lines. The amount of aluminum you would ingest from using it as a sparge pot would be so minimal it would be impossible to detect.

 

[Rhoobarb]

Everything you'd want to know is right here.

 

[broomzy]

Thanks for the advice. I was wondering about off flavors. I'm semi-new to this and was always of the mindset that kettles need to be stainless to avoid off flavors, so I thought the same would be true for a sparge tank.

 

[schmagy]

Lots of homebrew shops repeat repeat and repeat that myth. I have yet to meet anyone who spouts that stuff who has actually experienced off flavors, they are just repeating what they have heard. always lots of studering when you ask if they have personal experience.

On the other hand, metallic off flavors can happen when pots have not been seasoned or when an over zelous clean freak over cleans them.... after boiling for one hour, aluminum is a great for making beer.

 

[broomzy]

Thanks for the help. There is a 60 quart Aluminum pot at Sunday dinner for $58. It'll do just fine i think.

 

[DrawTap88]

To elaborate on the cleaning aspect of the aluminum pot I will give you my procedure.

After boiling I rinse everything out of the aluminum pot with my garden hose. Then I rub the pot down with my hand and a little dish soap and rinse it out again. To dry it, and this is the important part, I dry it off completely with a shammy.

I've read that aluminum pots have a tendancy to rust if even a puddle of water is left in the pot, and/or will make the pot brittle in the area that the water sat.

 

[broomzy]

Are there any special procedures for drilling the hole for the thermo and ball valve?

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

Are there any special procedures for drilling the hole for the thermo and ball valve?

Yeah, be careful. You'll go through it really quickly and easily (i.e. it's easy to drill too big of a hole when using a step bit)...