Alloy kegs

[Frisp]

I know that stainless can stand the heat of a gas burner but what about Alloy kegs?

Im still trying to work out how best to use my two alloy and one stainless kegs.

 

[BrewStew]

alluminium alloy i believe conducts heat alot better than stainless... not sure about any welds though

 

[Frisp]

How about resistance to heat.. Im told that alloy will melt. Can they take the heat of a burner?

 

[BrewStew]

i've got an ally frying pan.... not melted on me yet

 

[Frisp]

i've got an ally frying pan.... not melted on me yet

Fair point... I suppose the way to find out is fire one up and see what happens.

 

[BrewStew]

i'd expect it'd be ok, my only concerns as i've said would be the welds, if any, as they have a lower melting point.

 

[A T]

Just found this,

Furthermore, Brewing Techniques (Jan/Feb '95) had an article on a
parallel brew experiment using an aluminum brewpot and a stainless.
Laboratory analysis showed that there was no significant difference in
trace aluminum levels between batches. They also pointed out that most
of the Al you digest is from your food and water. And for that matter,
many medical people consider copper a bigger health risk.

As for off flavors, IF this happens (hearsay IMO), it is probably the
result of the brewer scrubbing the oxidation layer of the pot during
cleaning. Don't scrub, use a soft cloth or sponge and non-abrasive
cleaner. This is one of the reasons Al is not used much commercially,
its not caustic cleaner friendly.

 

[BrewStew]

after reading that then you'll probably want to make your choice based on what needs scrubbing clean the most, so i'd personally have the ally kegs as HLT and MT, and your stainless one as the copper because the copper tends to need a bloody good scrub afterward!

 

[brewzone]

I'm sure I've seen someone warn of the potential danger of kegs exploding somewhere on another site. This occurs where the bottom/top edges are rolled causing any moisture trapped in the rolled seam to superheat and explode due to the pressure of the steam. I've not heard of many instances of this but the way to avoid it is to drill a small hole or saw a slit into the rolled edge so as to release the steam.

 

[A T]

Agreed BrewStew

 

[Frisp]

All good stuff , thanks peeps