Aluminum Pot Precautions For Home Brewing

Special Review Aluminum Pot Precautions For Home Brewing

Here is a topic that has been debated amongst home brewing aficionados. Chances are, you have some sort of large pot around the house that you can use for home brewing. It is important that the pot you use is large enough for the job and made of either stainless steel, aluminum, or enamel coated aluminum. There are pros and cons with each pot, and in the end, it will come down to what you already have available or personal preference.

If you go with aluminum, there are certain precautions you must take with your pot, and there are a couple concerns as well. This isn't meant to scare you, but if you are researching home brewing online, then you will likely read about this anyway.

If your aluminum pot is brand new, then it will be necessary to "season" it before use. You will need to oxidize the inside of the pot before using the first time for home brewing. No worries though, this is easy! Simply fill your pot with water, up to a point higher than you will boil your wort, and let the water boil for 30 to 60 minutes. Then, drain the pot and you should see that there is a change in the color of the pot's interior.

It should turn a dark color, or at least no longer be shiny. This is an indication that you now have a layer of aluminum oxide coating the pot, and this aluminum oxide coating forms a protective layer between the aluminum and your wort. This process only needs to be done once, and only for new aluminum pots.

If the aluminum pot you have has been used before, then it should already have the protective layer intact. If you are not sure, you can always re-oxidize it using the same process just to be sure. This protective layer will keep your worts from developing a metallic flavor that you will notice in your finished beer.

After oxidizing, it is also necessary to properly care for your aluminum pot. Do not use harsh or abrasive detergents or scouring pads to clean. No steel wool! Also, do not use any oxygen based cleaner such as OxyClean or One Step, nor should you use any caustic or similar clean-in-place solutions.

These will remove the protective layer and can scratch the aluminum. This can lead to scratches that will provide nice hiding places that bacteria, germs, spores and other microorganisms can attach to and hide--and get into your beer and contaminate it.

You may read online that aluminum can cause Alzheimer's Disease. However, there is no conclusive evidence of this. Just remember that most professional kitchens use aluminum cookware, and you absorb aluminum form antacid tablets and deodorant.

According to Jim Palmer, the author of the home brewing bible "How To Brew", there is more aluminum in a common antacid tablet than there would be in a batch of beer produced in an aluminum pot. Many in home brewing have used aluminum pots for years with no ill effects.

The main thing with aluminum is to take proper care of the pot. However, remember that one of the most important lessons to learn about home brewing is proper cleaning and sanitization of your home brewing equipment, so this should be second nature anyway.

As for all the rest, simply DWHAHB!