Three heavy duty 10 gallon aluminium milk churns, two of which have lids. In better nick than the photo makes out, although the front one does have that band of rusty stainless around the base. Insides are, as you would expect, quite tidy.
The guys at the scrap heap were very nice. They gave us some yellow jackets and let us wander around the mounds of stainless, copper and aluminium and look for something suitable. There was a couple of heavy stainless bowl like vessels but they would have been expensive due to the weight and the shape wasnt ideal, also no lids. Everything else was either too mangled, not food safe, too small or too big. Mostly stuff was mangled!
I couldnt justify the cash to buy the French stock pots - so its DIY and botching for us, unless I decide to resell them on eBay if they are really unsuitable. Took inspiration from Kev's old hot water tank build.
So... After my impulse buying my inital practical/build thoughts on them are:
- PROS
They were darn cheap compared to stockpots!
I like a challenge.
The smaller diameter (35cm) is great as they will comfortably fit on the 40cm worksuface I have just fitted in the shed.
They seem to be really strong and fingers crossed there should be no leaks (versus DIY welding)
All three vessels are the same, which is better than random scrap purchases.
They are ready made so build time is shortened.
They have near perfectly flat bottoms - great for bottom draining and false bottoms etc.
Aluminium is easier to cut and drill etc than stainless
They make me laugh!
- CONS
Aluminium not stainless i.e. not as shiny (yet)
I have researched the health side of Aluminium and am happy to use them. I have other aluminium pots I use for other things.
They are quite dirty and a little corroded. Nothing I dont think a day with a pressure washer and wire brush attatchment cant fix.
They are smaller than I would have liked at 10 gallons/45 litres (this is excluding the neck, so it might be able to push capacity a bit further).
If I ditch my Burco boiler and use one as a kettle my immersion cooler will need to be redesigned as it wont fit.
As a mash tun they will be a little on the tall and thin side so hopefully wont cause stuck mashes. Personally I think is as likely to be a good thing as a bad.
I may ditch my value kettle elements though and buy something purpose made as I have never been keen on their nakedness or water-tightness.
Suggestions, thoughts and mockery welcome!
Dean.
