Found Collection

by **Hopster1** » Sat, 08 Jun 1996 04:00:00

Has anyone ever had trouble with a stainless steel pot? My last few
batches, which were all grain brews, came out tasting awful. In fact,
I threw most of it out. I was getting very discouraged because I didn't
know what the problem was. Then, for my most recent batch, I boiled
some water for topping up the carboy. I let it sit in the covered
stainless
steel pot for a few hours to cool. After topping up, I just happened to
taste a little of what was left. It tasted AWFUL, like it was boiled in an
old cast iron pot. This ss not my brewing kettle but I do use it to heat
the mash and sparge water.

The water itself that I use is fine. Yes, it was sort of a cheap pot, made
in Mexico, but I've used it before without a problem. Has anyone ever
seen a stainless steel pot go bad?

Hopster

by **Douglas B. Follet** » Sat, 08 Jun 1996 04:00:00

Quote:

> Has anyone ever had trouble with a stainless steel pot? My last few
> batches, which were all grain brews, came out tasting awful. In fact,
> I threw most of it out. I was getting very discouraged because I didn't
> know what the problem was. Then, for my most recent batch, I boiled
> some water for topping up the carboy. I let it sit in the covered
> stainless
> steel pot for a few hours to cool. After topping up, I just happened to
> taste a little of what was left. It tasted AWFUL, like it was boiled in an
> old cast iron pot. This ss not my brewing kettle but I do use it to heat
> the mash and sparge water.

> The water itself that I use is fine. Yes, it was sort of a cheap pot, made
> in Mexico, but I've used it before without a problem. Has anyone ever
> seen a stainless steel pot go bad?

> Hopster

Sounds like there is something fishey in Denmark. No one I know has
ever had any problems with stainless. You need to do some serious re
evaluating of your brewing process. Then again it could be a wierd type
of steel. Could it be aluminum? I have even used thoes cheap paper
thin, huge stainless steel salid bowls made in Tiawan with no problems.
Don't throw out your wort! I have had some pretty wierd tasting wort
turn into some pretty fine beer. Unless you have a lot of experience
analizing by taste, the progression of beer through its many changes I
wouldn't be tossing the stuff at the first sign of a wierd taste. Could
you have some old water pipes causing a problem. Some times old pipes
when the water has sat over night, when first turned on will put out a
water with an iron taste.

by **jo3s** » Sun, 09 Jun 1996 04:00:00

Quote:

>The water itself that I use is fine. Yes, it was sort of a cheap pot, made
>in Mexico, but I've used it before without a problem. Has anyone ever
>seen a stainless steel pot go bad?

I doubt your pot is actually stainless steel. Or it might have
additional ***in the alloy, not just the 18/8 mixture. Tin, lead,
copper, etc., etc......

Jo3sh

DNRC Crown Prince of Chortlers-at-Work

by **Charles Dew** » Mon, 10 Jun 1996 04:00:00

HO>Subject: Trouble with stainless steel pots?

HO>Has anyone ever had trouble with a stainless steel pot? My last few
HO>batches, which were all grain brews, came out tasting awful. In fact,
HO>I threw most of it out. I was getting very discouraged because I didn't

How are you cleaning it?
---

by **J. Brackma** » Mon, 10 Jun 1996 04:00:00

I would be more suspicious of your water supply, even if municipal, than
the pot. I even use aluminum successfully.

by **Mike Kiduli** » Tue, 11 Jun 1996 04:00:00

Quote:

>Has anyone ever had trouble with a stainless steel pot? My last few
>batches, which were all grain brews, came out tasting awful. In fact,
>I threw most of it out. I was getting very discouraged because I didn't
>know what the problem was. Then, for my most recent batch, I boiled
>some water for topping up the carboy. I let it sit in the covered
>stainless
>steel pot for a few hours to cool. After topping up, I just happened to
>taste a little of what was left. It tasted AWFUL, like it was boiled in an
>old cast iron pot. This ss not my brewing kettle but I do use it to heat
>the mash and sparge water.
>The water itself that I use is fine. Yes, it was sort of a cheap pot, made
>in Mexico, but I've used it before without a problem. Has anyone ever
>seen a stainless steel pot go bad?
>Hopster

How do you clean the SS kettle? If you are using steel wool pads, you
may be leaving a deposit of iron on the surface of the SS. I use only
Scotch-brite (tm) pads on my SS kettles. I have both expensive and
dirt cheap SS kettles, and have not observed this behavior.

Mike Kidulich

DNRC Minister of Home Brewing, Relaxation, and Really Cool Toys
Holder of Previous Knowledge O-

by **Hopster1** » Wed, 12 Jun 1996 04:00:00

Thank you for responding to my post. I think I uncovered the source of
the problem. I'd forgotten that, after brewing my last batch I scrubbed
both of my pots with a "stainless steel" sc***. I suspect that left a
*** deposit in the pots that came out in the beer. I cleaned them out
with a plastic sc*** and I'm hoping that takes care of the problem.

I'm sure the problem wasn't in the water. I use cold, filtered tap water
that's very neutral tasting and I've brewed many good batches with it.

My experience with this problem has brought up an interesting question,
though. Should boiling water in stainless steel have a completely neutral
effect? In researching this problem I boiled some water in another
stainless
pot that I didn't scrub with the steel sc***, let it cool, and then
compared
it to my tap water. The boiled water had a small but noticeable metallic
aftertaste. Is this to be expected? I may be nit-picking, but should we
expect some minerals to leach from even the best stainless steel pots?
Try this out some time, that is, boil some water in your brewpot, let it
cool,
then taste it. See if there is a difference and if the difference is
significant.
Let us know your results. Thanks again.

Hopster

by **GREATFE** » Wed, 12 Jun 1996 04:00:00

Quote:

(Hopster125) writes:
>Try this out some time, that is, boil some water in your brewpot, let it
>cool,
>then taste it. See if there is a difference and if the difference is
>significant.
>Let us know your results.

There would be a difference in taste just from the removal of the
"temporary hardness" minerals from the water. This would have nothing to
do with the Stainless. The significance would depend on the mineralization
of your particular water.

Greatferm

by **Samuel Mi** » Thu, 13 Jun 1996 04:00:00

Quote:

>(Hopster125) writes:

>>Try this out some time, that is, boil some water in your brewpot, let it
>>cool,
>>then taste it. See if there is a difference and if the difference is
>>significant.
>>Let us know your results.

>There would be a difference in taste just from the removal of the
>"temporary hardness" minerals from the water. This would have nothing to
>do with the Stainless. The significance would depend on the mineralization
>of your particular water.

>Greatferm

The original poster could boil a quart or so of water in glass or
porcelain, then let us know if that also has the metallic taste.
This would verify or disprove your conjecture.

How about it?

Samuel Mize