Use of Aluminium Pot to dissolve Sugar

[Cxwgfamily]

to all,

I have a question about using aluminium pots for dissolving sugar. I just started a Blueberry batch of wine. The recipe called for 11 pounds of sugar in 2.5 gallons of water. They recommended putting a gram or 2 of citric acid to help the sugar dissolve and the recipe said the citric acid would contribute to a positive mouth feel in the finished wine. I followed the directions. When the sugar solution cooled down, I added it to the blueberry must. I noticed the grey stain on the sides and bottom of the aluminium pan was gone. The color of the pan below the liquid level was very clean. It is obvious the citric acid helped clean the aluminium pan. My Question: Will this add to off flavors of the wine and ruin the batch???

Your help and comments is much appreciated.

Cxwgfamily

 

[Scooter68]

Well I would surprised if it doesn't affect the flavor - don't forget all that oxidized metal that used to be in that pot is now in your wine. Time will tell. Aluminum used to be the standard material for most cooking pots and pans especially at big cafeterias. (I remember that from my college cafeteria work days - but now with the understanding that we have about how acids and various things in our foods can cause leeching out of metal from Aluminum, I hope all those pots are being retired to non-food use. Note that I'm not certain if the link of Aluminum to Alzeheimers has been firmly established but I know that the use of Aluminum in cooking is dropping.

 

[Stressbaby]

Well I would surprised if it doesn't affect the flavor - don't forget all that oxidized metal that used to be in that pot is now in your wine. Time will tell. Aluminum used to be the standard material for most cooking pots and pans especially at big cafeterias. (I remember that from my college cafeteria work days - but now with the understanding that we have about how acids and various things in our foods can cause leeching out of metal from Aluminum, I hope all those pots are being retired to non-food use. Note that I'm not certain if the link of Aluminum to Alzeheimers has been firmly established but I know that the use of Aluminum in cooking is dropping.

The aluminum-Alzheimer's connection was proposed in the 1970's, but this idea has long since been debunked.

 

[Cxwgfamily]

Stress baby and Scotter68,

Thanks for the quick reply. I did find some research online about citric acid and aluminum pots leaching aluminum into the liquid. But the research was done on a 1% citric acid solution. My citric acid addition yielded around a 0.02% citric acid solution. I feel the same as y'all do, probably an adverse impact but how much is the question. I have my fingers crossed and decided to continue. I will keep you posted.

 

[Floandgary]

The wine juices alone would have sufficient acids to have an affect on aluminum. Whether it would be of sufficient quantity as to pose a health issue or not might be debatable. After all, most of the elder generation here are known to have munched on coal or some other earthly substance in the early years!!! I think you'd have to have a sensitively tuned taste/nose to detect/distinguish an Aluminum presence. Go to a discount store and snag a Stainless Steel or even glass vessel for your dissolving operations.

 

[wineforfun]

Just dump the sugar in the primary and stir until dissolved. This is how I do all my ferments. No need to boil to break down.

 

[Scooter68]

Lack of connection or tenative unproven to connect Aluminum to Alzhiemer's aside - The issue is as other have mentioned - aluminum is not a great material for any mix that contains acids flavor change is the greatest concern.

Having grown up playing with liquid mercury and a variety of other now "TOXIC" substances I too am skeptical about all the claims of danger from commonly used items. But when you see a bright shiny metal surface where there once was a dull oxidized surface - something left that surface and ended up in that solution. Good, Bad or indifferent - It's just best to avoid it. Glass, stainless steel and food grade plastic fermentation tubs are about the only 'safe' materials for me when I make wine.

 

[Cxwgfamily]

all,
a quick update on the progress of the blueberry wine mentioned above. I bottled it and after 2 months in the bottle, i took it to my wine club for tasting. I put it next a guy's blueberry wine who has been making wine for 20 years. his comment about my blueberry wine was "Oh, this is good." After another sip, "this is better than mine, you are going to have to show me how you made this."
needless to say, I was pleased. it appeared the initial faux pas of the aluminium pan did not adversely affect taste.
cxwgfamily

 

[stickman]

You better save that aluminum pan so you can duplicate your results next time.

 

[Mismost]

Just dump the sugar in the primary and stir until dissolved. This is how I do all my ferments. No need to boil to break down.

mehhhhhh.... I'll go the other way. The boil does some changing of the sugar long chains to short chains and helps it ferment better....so I've been told....and it does totally ferment out.

I've also done the dump and run version and it too worked...but I have also had to clean sugar out of the bottom of the bucket (beer)....stirring a wine would keep that from happening.

I suspect we are creatures of habit...you're gonna dump....I'm gonna boil...both gonna make our own wine!