[Brewmeisters]

Where do you live?  I have a 15 gallon stainless steel Polerware kettle with a 1/2” 2-piece ball valve, 1/2” thermometer port, a lid and a graduated sight gauge I will sell to you for $50.  I’m not interested in shipping it for obvious reasons.  I have pictures, but no way of attaching them to this post.  I can send them via email.  Send me an email if you’re interested.  I paid $450 for it brand new in 2013.  Still in very good condition.



I live in SE Iowa, I would love to buy this! I ordered a 10 gallon SS kettle with ball valve and thermometer on Thursday. I could just use that one for a HLT.

[goose]

I think the best place to shop for kettles (and a lot of other stuff for your brewery) is a restaurant supply store.   You can get a super heavy gauge (~1/4") 10 gallon aluminum stockpot for under $100.   What I've used for many years.  If you think for some reason you need to go stainless, it will run you a lot more, but still way less than the exact same thing sold as brewing equipment.

Rob:  Did you ever notice any problems with wort acidity pitting the aluminum?  I was afraid of using aluminum pots for that reason and wonder if you ever noticed this problem.  Just curious.

I haven't had any problems.  Restaurants apparently don't have any problems.  The one thing to remember with aluminium is you don't want to clean it with strong alkaline like PBW or use anything like Barkeepers Friend, just dish soap and elbow grease.   You want to build and keep a dull oxide layer on it, and it's then passivated.   You can boil plain water in a new one to jump start this.

Martin uses aluminum kettles,  he's the big brain around here to ask about any reactions with aluminium.  Martin?


EDIT I just looked up in John Palmer's book (he was a metallurgist in a former life after all.)  He says aluminum is nonreactive between pH 4.0 and 8.5 and at brewing temperatures.   Now, outside those conditions, I'd say your batch is a dumper anyway!  He agrees aluminum is a great choice for brewing vessels.  (I think the main reason that aluminum isn't used commercially is that very large vessels would essentially be too brittle.  Not scientific language I know.  Pretty sure Jeff Rankert is the resident big brain on those kinds of properties.)

Fair enough.  Another myth debunked.  Thanks Rob and Denny.  Just as an FYI, I use keggles in my brewhouse instead of aluminum.