Does stainless steel or aluminum pots matter?

[Sheadogs]

I have been slowly getting together all the equipment so I can start brewing beer. ( I have one daughter in college and a 3 month old, so I don't have alot of extra cash )
I do have an aluminum pot from a turkey fryer, so I can either buy the ingredients and start brewing this weekend.....or continue to save for a new SS pot and then save up for the ingredients.
What would be best?
This is my first post so take it easy on me, and thanks for all of your help.

 

[BrewerinBR]

Aluminum will work fine for a brew kettle, assuming that is what your talking about. Aluminum works great, heats fast and cools fast, I use an aluminum brew kettle. I say go for it!

Oh and welcome to home brew talk and the passion of home brewing.

 

[tchuklobrau]

Aluminum turkey fryer setup works great that is what I use. Good luck on you your 1st brew.

 

[Fennis]

I use a 5 gallon aluminum brew pot. It seems to boil quickly, keep a consistent temperature on my partial mashes, and cools rather quickly in an ice bath in my sink. The only thing I picked up from a lot of different posts about aluminum pots is to do a hard boil with water for like 10 minutes before using it to brew--just the first time you use it. I don't exactly remember why, but I remember seeing that as a recommendation in a number of posts.

 

[Sheadogs]

Thanks everyone! I was hoping it would be okay. I can't wait for this weekend to get started.

 

[unionrdr]

It's supposed to condition the aluminum so it doesn't give off flavors from the metal,seems to me.

 

[Golddiggie]

You boil water in the aluminum pot to condition it (buil a layer of aluminum oxide on it) to act as a barrier between the aluminum and the wort.

I would add/install a 1/2" ball valve (stainless, 3 piece) to the pot to make it a kettle. This has several advantages not the least of which is rapid draining into your fermenter. That let's you drain ~6 gallons of chilled wort in about 90-120 seconds (at the most).

I used an 8 gallon aluminum kettle for several batches before upgrading to a boilermaker. That kettle is now being used by my brew buddy so it will probably get many years of use.

I would suggest getting a wort chiller as soon as you can afford one. With the ball valve in the kettle, the entire range of options is available to you there.

 

[elpenoso]

The search function is a wonderful tool on this site. Learn to use it.

 

[johnheather125]

Funny thing. my LHBS absolutly sold me on the stainless steel.He said right out aluminum would not work, and me believing him bought it. I guess he lied to make a dollar

 

[CidCitrus]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/faq-aluminum-pots-boil-kettles-49449 FAQ: Aluminum Pots for Boil Kettles?

 

[Ramitt]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/faq-aluminum-pots-boil-kettles-49449 FAQ: Aluminum Pots for Boil Kettles?

Lots of great info in the FAQs on this site. I have learned a lot there.

 

[Golddiggie]

Funny thing. my LHBS absolutly sold me on the stainless steel.He said right out aluminum would not work, and me believing him bought it. I guess he lied to make a dollar

I'd have to wonder if it was ignorance, or trying to make another dollar off you that was the source of his misinformation. I would wonder what other poor/bad advise the person at your LHBS is giving out...

 

[Kosch]

I actually had my LHBS suggest not use aluminum. Now, he didn't try to sell me a stainless (I asked), instead he said just to get one of the cheap enamel canning pots. I ended up using aluminum for my first batch, but went back for the cheaper stainless.

What he told me was that aluminum contributed to flavors. He told me a story of how he brewed for quite awhile with aluminum, and always tasted fine to him. He took a six-pack to a co-worker at the time that had been brewing for years who told him "You need a new kettle. You use aluminum dont you? I can taste it."

I like the idea of stainless just because it's easier to clean. Mine was $45 for a 20 quart. If I ever get into having to do full boils (just doing extract now), I'll probably go aluminum just for the price and weight savings.

BTW I don't feel he tried to scam me or anything, he tried pretty well to convince me to just get something else. I didn't buy it for a couple of trips. They've been good to me, too.