Is There An Aluminium Debate?

[Dazza_devil]

The pot will do just fine, pfs. Best of luck with the brew!

Etymology 



One anecdote attributes the origin of the word to a meeting of the Preston Temperance Society in 1832 or 1833. This society was founded by Joseph Livesey, who was to become a leader of the temperance movement and the author of The Pledge: "We agree to abstain from all liquors of an intoxicating quality whether ale, porter, wine or ardent spirits, except as medicine." The story attributes the word to Dicky Turner, a member of the society, who had a stammer, and in a speech said that nothing would do but "tee-tee-total abstinence". 



An alternate explanation is that teetotal is simply a reduplication of the 'T' in total (T-total). It is said that as early as 1827 in some Temperance Societies signing a 'T' after one's name signified one's pledge for total abstinence.[3] In England in the 1830s, when the word first entered the lexicon, it was also used in other contexts as an emphasized form of total. In this context, the word is still used, predominantly in the southern United States.

So maybe Our Don drank lagers?

I'm pretty sure he didn't mix with the boys, just went home to the wife and kids and abstained from alcohol as far as I know.

 

[bcp]

Essentially, don't take aluminium intravenously, otherwise it's ok.

"Aluminium is (after oxygen and silicon) the third most common element (at 8%) in the Earth's crust. As a result, you cannot avoid being exposed to aluminium. You'll find aluminium in drinking water, foods, pharmaceuticals, anti-perspirants, and printing inks...

The first scientific "evidence" about aluminium's toxicity appeared in the mid-1970s. People with Alzheimer's Disease have typical changes in the brain that can be seen only with a microscope. They're called "neuro-fibrillary tangles". Various studies found high concentrations of aluminium at autopsy in the brains of people suffering with Alzheimer's Disease - and almost always in the characteristic neuro-fibrillary tangles in the nerves. So, did the aluminium cause Alzheimer's Disease? No. It eventually turned out that the neuro-fibrillary tangles were very "sticky" - and absorbed the aluminium out of the water used to wash them.

But around the same time, a brand-new aluminium-related disease appeared - "Dialysis Encephalopathy". By the mid-1970s, patients with chronic kidney failure were now routinely being treated with a new technique called "dialysis". It used hundreds of litres of water each day to purify the blood. Unfortunately, the aluminium naturally present in the water entered the blood, and couldn't be removed - because the kidneys weren't working. As the blood levels of aluminium soared to thousands of times higher than normal, the patients became confused and demented. As soon the problem was recognised, this "Dialysis Encephalopathy" was fixed by removing the aluminium from the water.

So, giving aluminium in massive concentrations directly into the blood of very sick people with failed kidneys did cause dementia. But there are lots of causes of dementia. Alzheimer's Disease is one of these. The dialysis patients, even though they had very high aluminium levels and dementia, never developed the neuro-fibrillary tangles, that are characteristic of Alzheimer's Disease.

On average, we each take in about 10 - 50 mg of aluminium per day. But even people who take antacids and buffered aspirin, which bumps up their aluminium intake to 1,000 mg of aluminium per day, have no increased incidence of Alzheimer's Disease."
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/200.../29/1163941.htm

 

[unrealeous]

A home brewer telling me it's safe to brew beer with aluminium is like a prisoner telling me its safe to inject smack with a ballpoint pen.

Hell, it probably is safe. But the big boys don't use it... The good news if it does give you Alzheimer's, you won't remember how you got it.

 

[MHB]

Unrelated to its use a metal in brewing I loathe Aluminium, just plain hate working with it and don't like the feel of products (like pots) made from Ally, there is just something real about Stainless, it just screams I'm Here Forever.

That aside I wouldn't choose Aluminium for any number of reasons mentioned above, but wouldn't be too worried about using it if you got a good deal on a nice big pot.

It's interesting to note that the original research into the possible link between Alzheimer's and Aluminium was funded by the Canadian Galvanising Company, then the world's biggest maker of enamelled cookware

MHB

 

[JestersDarts]

Etymology 

 

  One anecdote attributes the origin of the word to a meeting of the Preston Temperance Society in 1832 or 1833. This society was founded by Joseph Livesey, who was to become a leader of the temperance movement and the author of The Pledge: "We agree to abstain from all liquors of an intoxicating quality whether ale, porter, wine or ardent spirits, except as medicine." The story attributes the word to Dicky Turner, a member of the society, who had a stammer, and in a speech said that nothing would do but "tee-tee-total abstinence". 

 

  An alternate explanation is that teetotal is simply a reduplication of the 'T' in total (T-total). It is said that as early as 1827 in some Temperance Societies signing a 'T' after one's name signified one's pledge for total abstinence.[3] In England in the 1830s, when the word first entered the lexicon, it was also used in other contexts as an emphasized form of total. In this context, the word is still used, predominantly in the southern United States.

well there you go.

I thought teatottaler it meant that you didnt drink booze, so you drank tea instead. therefore, totally tea only => tea-totaller.

 

[Swinging Beef]

Death fo false metal!

 

[Shed101]

Anyone else really want a steak now?

yes please. could you deliver it by lunch time?

i'll pm my address.

 

[beerbrewer76543]

I see your point though, strength to weight ratio, I would prefer Titanium.

Do you snort crack as a profession?

edit for clarity: Aluminium is awesome

 

[jakub76]

Al is a better conductor of heat than SS. So you can save $ on the pot, the burner and the gas.

Regarding thicker base, build quality has nothing to do with material. My $80 al pot is a shitload more solid than the crappy indian SS pots at twice the price.

I did a lot of reading about the health issues and satisfied myself I had nothing to worry about. I suggest you do the same, oh and my ball point pen syringe works fine, just need to wait a few weeks before using the same vein

 

[glaab]

I don't think a kettle needs a thick base, something about the gravity of the wort. I read that at ibrew or Palmer or somewhere. Who wouldn't prefer SS to ally? We can't all afford to spend a million dollars an a kettle though.

 

[Bribie G]

My new Crown urn with exposed element is SS and has a SS - clad heating coil as well. :icon_cheers:

 

[Dazza_devil]

Do you snort crack as a profession?

No, do you sniff crack?
I happen to believe Titanium is superior to Aluminium in every aspect, just my opinion, do you have one on the subject?

I love my titanium billy and spork.
An aluminium one would of been out of shape, scratched to bits and stained to buggery by now and things taste so much better from it.
And what is that smelly metallic black slime that comes from my baking tray when I clean it.

Being a better conductor may not be an advantage. A good thick piece of steel would perhaps retain it's heat and original shape for longer. Temperature regulation may also be easier to achieve with steel.
I was of the impression that you have to be very careful what you clean aluminium with as it can become pitted and is not a very durable metal.

Regardless of cost and how superior it's build quality is I would never buy an Aluminium pot.

Edit - I like my metal to be tough. Tough as.....
It's a bird, it's a plane, ......it's the man of Aluminium. It just doesn't sound right.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

My 75litre aluminium stockpot cost me $50 because it had a lid wedged in it that couldn't be removed - unless you had an angle grinder. So, I think my aluminum pot is pretty good enough. It is as ugly as sin though, and when it falls onto the ground from a height in a big windstorm because I forgot to put it away, it bends. But, it bent back again.

Oooh lahk mammoth?

 

[Shed101]

I love my titanium billy and spork.
An aluminium one would of been out of shape, scratched to bits and stained to buggery by now and things taste so much better from it.

Like the look of those titanium sporks ... but a bit pricey. Probably a bit harder to melt than the plastic ones, too
Aluminium billies are great though. The bendiness is actually v. useful because you can pack them and reshape later.

 

[Dazza_devil]

The bendiness is actually v. useful because you can pack them and reshape later.

not if your multi-fuel burner is packed inside it.

They are expensive though, even more-so since I got mine. Perhaps the price of Titanium has risen.
Well worth the extra investment, you get what you pay for.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

not if your multi-fuel burner is packed inside it.

Never an issue with my Optimus 8R...

 

[Shed101]

I use a 35 year old lightweight gas burner that fits fine inside

... had a titanium bike once. It got nicked :angry:

OT ... I (or rather SWMBAN) bought an el cheapo SS Big W 19l stockhoppot.

 

[Dazza_devil]

Never an issue with my Optimus 8R...

Mines an Optimus Nova, one of my most prized possessions, love it to bits.
Never seen the 8R before, neat little burner.

 

[zebba]

How the heck is titanium superior to aluminium in every way. You can pick up a pot big enough to do full batches made in aluminium for what? Under $100? If you don't look to hard. What's a 40L titanium pot worth? Can you even get them?

Platinum has better thermal conductivity and looks sexier also. Imagine the chicks I could pull with a platinum stock pot!

Here's the facts as I see them. We have 3 realistic options for kettles:
- Aluminium - cheap, good conductor of heat, but not as durable, not as "bling", and harder to clean than SS
- SS - bling, durable, easy to clean, but a comparatively exxy and not as good a conductor of heat
- Copper - great conductor, durable, yeasties love it, looks bling IF you really put in some effort, but hard to get and very hard to clean

Titanium is great and all (heck, I have a titanium wedding ring, glasses and tooth!), but how the hell it's appropriate for brewing I'll never know.


And there are no health issues with aluminium. That myth needs to be stamped out as soon as it is raised.

 

[Dazza_devil]

OT ... I (or rather SWMBAN) bought an el cheapo SS Big W 19l stockhoppot.

I got excited when I seen 15 litre SS jobs for 20 bux at Kmart in the catalogue. After inspection I thought it probably would of made a good drum as it had a distinct tinny sound when I tapped the base. Good enough to boil water in though I guess, bit hard to burn water.