FAQ: Aluminum Pots for Boil Kettles?

[cheezydemon]

With all of the aluminum foil used in cooking, and all of the aluminum cans used to hold beverages including beer, I am amazed that this is even an issue.

With the amount of aluminum used in packaging and everything else, the only thing that makes sense to me, is that altzheimers victims' bodies can't filter the aluminum out of food and dispose of it like the rest of us can.

So yes, if you have altzheimers, for God's sake don't brew in it. Also don't eat candy bars or frozen dinners, or anything else packaged in aluminum.

 

[hammer one]

I just bought a turkey fryer at a Harris Teeter for 20.00 bucks , just for the burner but now I'm looking forward to a full boil. thanks for the great info.

 

[Dextersmom]

The 'aluminum vs. stainless steel' (SS) pot debate pops up frequently, and given that we tend to see lots of new homebrewers enter the hobby shortly after Christmas, perhaps it is timely to post an FAQ on the subject.

Q: Is an aluminum pot OK for a boiling kettle in homebrewing? My LHBS only recommens using stainless steel.

A: Both aluminum and SS pots are excellent in homebrewing, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it is purely a personal preference. Here are some considerations:

Aluminum Pots:
Pros:
- considerably less expensive than SS
- much better at conducting heat than SS, which means faster boils, faster cooling, and less chance of scorching
- not as heavy to lift as SS

Cons:
- oxidizes easily, meaning that oxygen-based cleaners (e.g., Oxyclean, One-step) cannot be used (Note: caustic or other similar clean-in-place solutions can definitely not be used, which is why the brewing industry generally does not use aluminum.)
- passive oxide layer must be built up before brewing (**see note below) with a new aluminum kettle, although it is very easy to maintain

Stainless Steel Pots:
Pros:
- can be cleaned by oxygenated/CIP cleaners without damaging the pot
- passive oxide layer that protects the pot is not as easy to remove as aluminum
- they are really shiny and look cool!

Cons:
- expensive
- not nearly as good at conducting heat as aluminum

if its for boiling wort doesn't it not matter if you're going to use oxy-clean or one step. you're gooing to be boiling with it anyway which will kill most everything. and really if you needed to be 100% sure couldn't you use a bleach sani solution made from water and bleach?

 

[Cheeto]

what about enamal coated pots ( like the ones used for camping)

I bought a 25qt at Wally-world for $21.87

will this cause me any troubles ???

 

[FlyGuy]

They work fine, as long as you don't chip them. If you do, they can leach metallic off-flavours into your beer. Despite having one, I don't know much about their thermal characteristics. Probably pretty similar to SS.

 

[avidhomebrewer]

Of course aluminum will bend/dent easier than SS; it is a softer metal. I have 2 10 gallon pots, one of each, and really don't see any advantage/disadvantage with either. In either pot, carrying 50 or so # or liquid and pot isn't a fun time, but you gotta do it. I had the aluminum much longer than the SS and everyone stated, 'You can't use aluminum, it will give a metallic taste to your beer'. I was skeptical when I first got it, but nothing of the sort. Besides, as everyone knows, aluminum is much cheaper. If you can get aluminum, go for it!

 

[Mr.TC]

How do you get the passive oxidation layer on the aluminum? I just bout a 30.00 turkey fryer that is aluminum and I have bolied some water in it to try out the wort chiller I made but I am clueless on how to make it have a passive layer.

 

[Homercidal]

I think the thing to do is to fill it up with water, and then boil the water for like 30 minutes to an hour. This should give you a dark coating on the inside, which is what you want.

 

[FlyGuy]

Yes, that's what I have done and it works very well. If it will fit, you can also stick it in the oven at 350 F for about 10 - 20 mins until it darkens, but I don't like this method as much because the outside of your pot will oxidize too, and no longer be nice and shiny!

 

[oddsock]

I have heard that aluminum can retain flavors from cooking, then pass them on to your beer. So if i boil a pot of onions or cabbage I'll end up with oniony beer. Is this true? Should an aluminum brew pot be kept strictly for beer?

 

[Yooper]

I've never heard that- I have a ton of aluminum cookware. I've made spaghetti and fish in the same pan, and didn't notice any flavor carry over. If that happened, you'd need to have a pan for every type of food you make.

I do use my brewpot just for beer, now, though. In the beginning, I used my regular cookware and it was fine.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

With all of the aluminum foil used in cooking, and all of the aluminum cans used to hold beverages including beer, I am amazed that this is even an issue.

Actually, aluminum cans are lined with another substance (plastic, I think, but I could be wrong there) because the carbonation would eat it away. That said, though, I see absolutely no reason not to use aluminum. Use whatever works.

 

[z987k]

I really hate to add to this thing, but I recently acquired a SS keggle and used it last week to make my oktoberfest. Next brew, I will actually time it, but it took significantly longer to boil, and then had a hard time keeping a rolling boil. I have one of those cheap turkey fryers off ebay for $35 or so and I really don't know the BTU, but guess it's around 55k based on other pictures of known burners. With my 7.5 gal Al pot, once the wort boils, I HAVE to turn the flame way way down and it maintains a rolling boil for the whole time. With my new keggle this weekend, I had to keep the burner full blast the whole boil to maintain a rolling boil.

That said I really enjoyed not having to worry about a boil over, and I'm going to brew with it again and actually take times to boils etc, but if it's as bad as last time I will be selling the thing and buying a bigger Al pot.

 

[budbo]

but I recently acquired a SS keggle and used it last week to make my oktoberfest. Next brew, I will actually time it, but it took significantly longer to boil, and then had a hard time keeping a rolling boil. I have one of those cheap turkey fryers off ebay for $35 or so and I really don't know the BTU, but guess it's around 55k based on other pictures of known burners. With my 7.5 gal Al pot

If you took an oversized 15 gal aluminum pot that would also increase your boil time.. The stainless keggle has a lot more metal area to heat than your aluminum, and also a lot more head space and metal exposed to the surrounding air cooloing it, requiring more heat to keep the boil going. If you do a 10 gal batch in the Keggle, you will find you need a lower flame to keep the boil rolling than a 5 gal batch.

 

[Hash Slinger]

I have heard that aluminum can retain flavors from cooking, then pass them on to your beer. So if i boil a pot of onions or cabbage I'll end up with oniony beer. Is this true? Should an aluminum brew pot be kept strictly for beer?

The only way a Aluminum pot can carry over flavor is if it has not been cleaned properly, and/or it had a alkali substance cooked in it. Since most food is acidic alkalinity is usually not a problem. There is nothing wrong with using aluminum in brewing as long as you keep anything with a high pH away from the pot. Stainless is also damaged by high pH.

 

[Farmer]

Bah I've eaten tons of green eggs when I was in the Army. It was because the containers used to keep the eggs warm while bringing them out to the field was lined with aluminum. And probably because the KP staff kept having us scrub off the protective dark layer.

I'm probably going to try the aluminum pot just because of the price difference. If it turns my beer green then I'll just drink them with a mouse or in a train or in a box or with a fox…

 

[7Enigma]

So question. Once the passive oxide layer forms the wort will not strip it away? I did my first brew with my turkey frier without first baking or boiling to get the oxide and after just spraying it clean it still looks pretty shiny.

 

[vfinch]

I've done three brews so far (IPA, Brown, Hefeweizen) with my 30quart aluminum kettle and have had no off flavours at all. The only issue I have with it is that it tends to ding a lot easier than stainless, though that doesn't affect my brewing at all.

 

[blaze379]

I've been brewing in Alum. for years, beers taste great, never had a problem

 

[bad coffee]

does anyone have any problems using an aluminum pot with a copper IC?

Copper wire and aluminum wire do nasty things when put together. So does anyone notice oxidation on their chiller where it touches the aluminum pot?

B

 

[z987k]

nope, I'm sure there is a little bit of reaction going on, I mean acidic wort and Al + Cu is going to make a battery of sorts, but I've never had a problem.

 

[Tankard]

Yeah, my IC gets oxidized but I'm not so sure it is from touching the aluminum pot. They oxidize no matter what, you just have to keep them clean.

 

[bradsul]

I use a copper dip tube into my aluminum kettle which acts as a syphon for my CFC, I've not had any troubles at all. I'm sure there's some action going on but not enough to worry about.

 

[Kugster]

Cons:
- oxidizes easily, meaning that oxygen-based cleaners (e.g., Oxyclean, One-step) cannot be used (Note: caustic or other similar clean-in-place solutions can definitely not be used, which is why the brewing industry generally does not use aluminum.)

So does this mean starsan cannot be used? Not really sure what CIP solutions are??

 

[FlyGuy]

So does this mean starsan cannot be used? Not really sure what CIP solutions are??

Star-san is fine. Just avoid the oxygenated cleaners or caustic clean-in-place (CIP) cleaners.

 

[Steel-Reserve]

what do u mean about oxidize layer in the aluminum kettle? please explain this, i didn't understand this very much, do u need to make a layer of some sort, and does it stay there for ever? or do u need to do it over and over, or is it a bad thing if the layer occurs? sorry for the noob questions, but i'm trying my hardest to understand. thanks in advance

 

[Bigpete9000]

here's what it looks like after boiling water in a aluminum pot for a hour to build a layer ...its not rust.

 

[Steel-Reserve]

ok thanks for showing me what it looks like. appreciate it.

 

[FlyGuy]

what do u mean about oxidize layer in the aluminum kettle? please explain this, i didn't understand this very much, do u need to make a layer of some sort, and does it stay there for ever? or do u need to do it over and over, or is it a bad thing if the layer occurs? sorry for the noob questions, but i'm trying my hardest to understand. thanks in advance

That layer of oxidation is desirable because it is essentially non-reactive, and forms a protective layer between your wort and the aluminum wall of the kettle. It is relatively difficult to remove, once you have built it up (a good thing), although it is possible to scrub it off if you try. Therefore, it is always recommended that you clean your pot with a mild detergent (if any) using a soft cloth or sponge. You want to preserve that passive oxide layer -- it is a GOOD thing.

 

[chrishart7]

I'm a noob, but I'm curious about what is the purpose of putting a valve at the base of the boiling kettle? Does this just make it easier to empty into a fermenting bucket or carboy?