Aluminum kettle

[PrimitiveOperation]

My brother found a nice aluminum stock pot with a handy draw off at the bottom and it looked like just the ticket for a finish kettle that I could bottle off of.

Does anyone know if there is a reason aliminum isn't used much in sugar'n? Just seems that it would be cheaper thanstainless and probably heat better too.

Thought I would just ask if everyone thought it was ok to use before I tried it.

[HanginAround]

I don't know about the maple business specifically, but it's been rumoured over the yrs that aluminum can contibute to Alhiemers, etc. I don't think there is anything conclusive out there. I did read that you shouldn't store acidic foods in aluminum because more Al is leached from the container than with water. I wonder if acidic sap and hours of boiling lead to high levels? I don't think I'd worry about it though really, nobody drinks enough syrup for it to matter. Even an antacid tablet that you eat has 10-20 mg of Al.

[325abn]

I made 12 gallons last year using an aluminum roasting pan Syrup was great.

[maple flats]

I had some syrup once finished on an Aluminum turkey frier rig an my wife and I could both taste a hint of alum. Don't know if all alum would do that. The guy who used it only had a flue pan he cooked in on an open air block arch and no syrup pan, then he finished in the alum frier so it was in there longer I would think than if you used a flue/syrup pan rig and then finished it.

[Pete S]

We are using an aluminum baking pan, and we haven't had any problems.

There are cooking pans made out of aluminum, that are on the market, etc.

I "think" you biggest concern is to keep the vessel "cooled" with the boiling sap..............'er else you'll have the bottom melted right into your fire in short order.

Pete