Stainless Steel vs Aluminum

[DoubleBrookMaple]

Trying to decide which category to post this.

I am designing a finishing and filtering assembly. Finishing/Pressure pot I want to use is aluminum alloy. I want to fabricate a multi-stage pressure filter box, and aluminum is so much easier to work with.

I would not consider Aluminum for evaporation equipment, but what is the cons to using it for finishing?

This is the thread on the filtering system started way back in 08.
http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?4472-Home-made-filter-contraption&p=232124#post232124

[psparr]

There are a lot of people that can from an aluminum coffee urns. Me included. Works great.

[lpakiz]

I think my entire filter press is made of aluminum.....

[maple flats]

So is mine. For filter presses Aluminum has been the norm since I started in 2003, maybe much longer. The real old ones were cast iron and Leader now has one out the is plastic (PVC?) but aluminum dominates the field at this time.

[tuckermtn]

I also have an aluminum press, but I wonder if you are going to heat/cook/finish syrup in an alum. pressure cooker than filter if there might be some issue. My press gets hot, but typically just for a short period of time, and under 219 deg. I am no metalurgist...just not sure if cooking syrup in alum. is okay. Perhaps Dr. Tim can chime in?

[maple flats]

I missed that point (finishing). I think you should avoid aluminum if you are going to heat the syrup in it, filtering is OK.

[DoubleBrookMaple]

So far, my own "research" has found that there is no problem, but we will wait for more input.

Aluminum cookware is not considered to be any real health risk, and recent studies have debunked the link to alzheimers. The high acid foods can leach aluminum, and our syrup is considered low acid, with a PH of 5.15. "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 and is not recommended". Anodizing is considered to prevent any leaching. I think probably anyone claiming they taste aluminum is questionable. Like I said, for finishing, which is a relatively short cooking time, I will need some fact-based references to turn around on this. One reference stated that if one sees corrosion and pitting of the metal that it is time to replace it.

References:
http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/food/food_safety/handling/hgic3864.html
http://www.treehugger.com/culture/ask-treehugger-is-aluminum-cookware-bad-for-you.html
http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/business_food/files/Approximate_pH.pdf
http://www.msue.msu.edu/objects/content_revision/download.cfm/revision_id.499708/workspace_id.-4/01500616.html/
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=1076&tid=34
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookware_and_bakeware