Flimsy Aluminum Turkey Fryer Pot

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jeremu

jeremu

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I was stoked to buy this turkey fryer for $10!
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It came with a 7 gal?!? flimsy aluminum pot.
I read the post of This vs. That and it said that you could use aluminum if you created a Passive oxide layer. I went to my LHBS and it was a different dude than last time and he was no help at all.
I asked him about the pot and all he said was "Pst. You could use it if you want your beer to taste like medal."
Then he showed me a $80 ss pot.
Yea ... eventually I would love to by ss, but for now can I use the aluminum?
Has anyone used aluminum? a really thin one at that?

Any help would be much appriciated!!!!!!
 
Yes of course you can i use the same pot as pictured and its fine. i can heat 7 gallons of water in that thing faster than i ever could heat 4 gallons in my ss pot
 
Think about it this way, if restaurants use them for food, you can use them for beer. I had my LHBS tell me the same thing when I first went in.
 
I guess I should try it too - could it be that the aluminum keggle stories are just old wives tales?
 
I just bought the same pot. FYI you can get it at Academy sports brand new for $20. Sold as a 'turkey frying kit.' They also have larger pots. The burner which I bought earlier cost me $30 and came with a 4 or 5 gallon pot, from Academy also.

The pot is flimsy, but just don't throw it around and it'll be fine. Haven't tasted the one batch i've boiled in it yet, but im not worried at all, I made sure it had a good oxidation layer first.

If you're too worried about it Walmart has a really nice 5 gallon Stainless for $50. It's a 'tramontina' brand. I almost bought this before I cheaped out and went with the aluminum.
 
I use the same pot. I have even started doing full boils in it. No problems at all. I was planning on buying a nice stainless pot, but after using this one, I don't really see a reason to until it is no longer useable.
 
I got a new 13 Gal Al pot for $35. My first batch had a distinct metallic taste when bottling. Conditioned bottles lost metallic taste for a oxidized cardboard taste.
Hoping this goes away!
 
Noooo!!!!! Don't use aluminum foil for left overs!!! Don't drink coke from the can!!!!!!

WHAT??? BREWING???? OH, OK, no problem.

;)

If aluminum made you senile I would not have enough brain cells to breath.

No off flavors either.
 
I've use a Turkey fryer of similar... if not thinner.. construction for a year. Keep the oxidation layer on the Aluminum (dont use Scrubbie to wash, only light washing and rinse, leaving the oxide on the aluminum)
My beer has improved over the year due to improvements in my brewing process elsewhere.
However I have moved to a SS pot now for my 2nd year of brewing (it is 9.2 gal), as my Alu pot is dented and borderline "Cracking" (is only 7.5 gal)... I don't want to loose a batch to a stupid crack forming so I searched arround and found a nice SS one online!

Brew with what you have, you will be just fine and when you are far enough along with your brewing and have the $$$ to invest in a nice SS (maybe larger) pot, then go and take that SS step.

Cheers and Brew on!
:mug:
 
I just listened to a podcast on Basic Brewing radio from back in 2005. It was basically about getting into the all-grain brewing side of things.

Anyways John Palmer was the guest on the show that day and actually RECOMMENDED Aluminum pots because he said they conducted heat better. I'd take John's word for it anyday. I would think if someone like Mr. Palmer recommends Aluminum, I'd not be too worried about off flavorings.
 
Sorry all my internet went down last night.
I really REALLY appreciate all of you!
Sure it's nice to have someone tell you the text book answer, but to talk to people who really know what the hell they are doing and actually have done it makes all the difference in the world!!!!

Do I have to create a passive oxide layer every time I brew or just one time?
 
FxdGrMind said:
Brew with what you have, you will be just fine and when you are far enough along with your brewing and have the $$$ to invest in a nice SS (maybe larger) pot, then go and take that SS step.
:mug:
Click to expand...

+1 to this

As far aas the oxide layer it will form after your first brew. I still lightly scrub the bottom of mine w/ a green scrubby every once in a while. Just to keep it looking decent.
 
Jeremu,
Just the first time. As long as you don't green scrubbie the dark oxidized layer off when you clean. FWIW, I try to rinse out my pot as soon as I can after transfer. As long as I get to it in a reasonable amount of time, I don't seem to have a big problem cleaning it out with a soft rag or paper towels. I usually use hot water and some PBW (sometimes). Usually it cleans out easily with just the water. If something happens that scratches off the oxidized layer, just reboil some water.
I started with the same sort of pot, using it for my boil kettle. I have never had any problems or noted any metallic tastes. When I moved up to full boils and all grain, I stuck with aluminum, replacing it with a 10 gal, thicker Aluminum pot. The "flimsy" one does make a great HLT.
enjoy
jason
 
SWEET!!! I scored a full propane tank for $15 so as I type I'm creating my passive oxide layer. I filled it to the top and it's been burning for about an hour ... still no rolling boil, but I do see little bubbles. So I'm thinking I need to have it on a rolling boil for 30 min? 60 min? Then clean and put away till my first brew. Yea?
 
I've gone back and forth on this, at least with myself, a number of times and keep coming back to the same conclusion... "aluminum cookware". Do a search on aluminum stock pots and you'll find them everywhere. ..and they're cheap too! :) I would think that if there was a valid concern regarding heating / boiling liquid in them, they wouldn't be used to cook with.

The only time I've ever noticed anything 'out of the ordinary' regarding beer and aluminum was, a number of years ago, my wife and I were walking around some local dollar shop and I found this really cool looking aluminum mug. It had the same striations that most turkey fryers have. It wasn't smooth. "That would make a great looking beer mug!" I bought, used it once and wound up throwing it away. It made my beer taste funny...

This is the only correlation between aluminum and it's effects on alcohol that I can draw. The only difference is that when you're brewing beer, it's not beer until after fermentation. There's no alcohol so basically, you're just boiling liquid! I can't see at all how this would affect the taste of your final product.

As far as the medical concern, alzheimers, metal deposits in the brain from using aluminum as cookware, same thing. If it was a concern, I can't imagine that restaurants would continue to use it.
 
Just boil the water until the pot turns grayish black inside. That's the passive oxide layer. This is the same stuff they make sandpaper out of, so it's pretty durable. Just form it once before your first brew, and you should never need to do it again. I clean mine with a scrubbie pad, but just very gently. My 10 gal aluminum pot cost me about $20 and with how lightweight it is, and how fast it gets to boiling, I'm in no hurry to "upgrade" to SS.
 
Ok so I had the pot on the burner for about 2 hours and had a rolling boil for about 50 min.
I turned off the water and immediately threw out the water. then with a clean towel wiped the inside down and put the top on.
I'm leaving it outside under my patio.
I have about half a tank of propane so I don't think I need to fill it till after I make my brew.

Hopefully I can get my brew ingredients this weekend.
I'll get back with you after the beer is ready for tasting.


GOD I'm so freggin' excited to brew my own brew.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP!
 
masonsjax said:
Just boil the water until the pot turns grayish black inside. That's the passive oxide layer...
Click to expand...

I'm hoping I accomplished that...

I saw it first turn to a brass type of color then it started having a like a rainbow metalic type of effect.
Then it just kinda looked like a darker aluminum color, but now it almost looks the same colro as when I started.

If I didn't get the passive oxide layer then I'm gonna put it in the oven cause I used a hell of a loot of propane and it took forever.
 
oxidize it up and brew away. have done 20 or so batches in mine and not an off flavor yet. I actually choose it over my keggle today (i wasn't ready for the change:drunk:)
 
takedown said:
oxidize it up and brew away. have done 20 or so batches in mine and not an off flavor yet. I actually choose it over my keggle today (i wasn't ready for the change:drunk:)
Click to expand...

Over the keggle!!! REALLY!!!! No way ... I was hoping to upgrade to a keggle!
 
I use a 7.5 aluminum pot. My beers are absolutely amazing w/ no sign of a "metal" taste whatsoever. Aluminum > SS IMO.
 

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