10 replies to this topic

[Falconite]

I have a unused 24 Qt (8 gal) aluminum turkey fryer that I was thinking about using for a primary fermenter.  1114091051a.jpg   145.97K   2 downloadsI have looked around this site and haven't found any info using aluminum. Is there any reason I shouldn't use it.

[MinnesotaMaker]

I don't have a scientific answer for you, but I've always heard that aluminum is a bad choice for anything acidic. As a turkey fryer, it's not such an issue because the aluminum would be fairly stable in oil for the short time used. But as a primary, you'd have the aluminum in contact with an acidic liquid for extended periods. May not be good.

I wonder if the inside of your fryer is coated or treated to make it less reactive?

I stick with stainless, glass, or food grade plastic

[surlees]

I agree with Lon.

Fred

[shuboyje]

I was gonna post against, but now I am not sure. Here is a quote I found while researching:

“We chose aluminum not only because it brings qualities identical to glass in terms of compatibility with wine, but it also protects the wine from light, which accelerates the (bad) aging process"

http://richardshear....tle-advantages/

Anyone can post anything online, but this does come across as an official quote.

[MinnesotaMaker]

Here's the info I found on the web.

Avoid cooking highly acidic foods in aluminum – Aluminum cookware manufacturers warn that storing highly acidic or salty foods such as tomato sauce, rhubarb, or sauerkraut in aluminum pots may cause more aluminum than usual to enter the food.

Anodized aluminum
Anondized aluminum has been treated to develop an aluminum oxide (extremely hard and non-reactive) coating on the surface of the cookware. Commercial Aluminum Company, the manufacturer of Calphalon, a best-selling brand of anodized aluminum cookware, claims that a final stage in the anodization process seals the aluminum, preventing any leaching into food. Anodized aluminum cookware doesn’t react to acidic foods, so these pots and pans are good choices for cooking rhubarb and sauces with tomato, wine, and lemon juice.

[rpage53]

For a few days in a primary fermenter, you probably wouldn't add any more aluminum than you are adding by using bentonite. And there is no evidence that aluminum in food creates any kind of health hazard anyway. Many of the same people that threw out their aluminum cooking pots, have now thrown out their plastic water bottles in favour of aluminum ones.

A plastic fermentor is cheap but if money is a concern, your pot should work fine. On the other hand, you can sell the aluminum pot and buy a couple of plastic fermentors.

Rick.
PS I've never seen an aluminum pot with a sticker from the manufacturer that said to avoid cooking acidic food. Some health advocates say that.

[grapenuts]

I was gonna post against, but now I am not sure. Here is a quote I found while researching:

“We chose aluminum not only because it brings qualities identical to glass in terms of compatibility with wine, but it also protects the wine from light, which accelerates the (bad) aging process"

http://richardshear....tle-advantages/

Anyone can post anything online, but this does come across as an official quote.

YOU SHOULD NOT USE ALUMINUM IN THE WINEMAKING PROCESS! Sometimes used in crushers, the hoppers, but the contact witht the grapes is short and for the most part, at that point the juice is protected from exposure to the aluminum by the skins. Once the skins and juice are in a container, you need a container that will not react to an acid - aluminum does!

The aluminum containers you refer to on that side are coated on the inside, just like you cardboard milk containers. It is probably coated with some food grade plastic.

"Aluminum is coated to avoid contact with beverages. Those coatings are there to prevent the metal from reacting with the content.Ok in the short run, not great for long-term storage. Glass is, in itself, totally inert. Proven safe in over 3000 years of use. And while it’s true that blocking certain wavelengths of light is good, glass wine bottles accomplish the same effect by being produced in brown and green. That’s why you don’t see clear glass wine bottles."



Short answer is NO to aluminum. As far as I am concerned, I would not even use anodized aluminum cookware that is on the market!

[bzac]

I have a friend who is a metalugist for Alcan Aluminium (and amateur winemaker) , and when asked if you should use uncoated aluminium for a fermenter he said no because it will react with the wine acids.

he said unless you can get a huge pop can , avoid it.

Z

[rpage53]

Though pots are uncoated, they are anodized and are relatively non-reactive. I don't see a risk but it is a waste of a very expensive pot when a cheap plastic fermenter works better.

I don't recommend using the aluminum fryer but we have to remember that many people ignore our advice and go ahead anyway. If he did, there shouldn't be any damage to the wine nor any health problems but over time the anodizing of the aluminum can be damaged by repeated exposure to strong acids.

Rick.

[Scott N Hammer]

I have a unused 24 Qt (8 gal) aluminum turkey fryer that I was thinking about using for a primary fermenter.  1114091051a.jpg   145.97K   2 downloadsI have looked around this site and haven't found any info using aluminum. Is there any reason I shouldn't use it.

I don't see a problem using the pot as a primary fermenter, the short period of time the must is in the fermenter, 7 to 10 days shouldn't affect the wine. Let us not forget beer cans are made of aluminum. The only can I know that boasts about being coated is Keystone. (Specially lined Can)

[Crazy Run Ranch]

I don't see a problem using the pot as a primary fermenter, the short period of time the must is in the fermenter, 7 to 10 days shouldn't affect the wine. Let us not forget beer cans are made of aluminum. The only can I know that boasts about being coated is Keystone. (Specially lined Can)

Is there any question that beer tastes better out of a bottle? Most beer cans are lined but often still taste metallic (but most don't boast). Also, wine is usually more acidic than beer (usually in the 4.something range).
The science here is pretty simple. The resistance to corrosion is due to a passivating layer forming on the metal to protect the base material. If the liquid is too acidic, it will destroy the passivation layer and corrode the base material. This is why materials like copper become corrosive even with a very low strength acids with pH 6.5 or below. Dip copper in wine and it comes out really clean looking, this is because you just washed the passivation layer off. Aluminum does the same thing at a pH of 4.0. It can also happen to 304 stainless but at levels below wine pH. This is why higher grades of stainless are used in chemical handling equipment.