Brewing Master

Question:

When I got ready to take my converted straight-sided, Anheuser-Busch Sankey keg to my welding friend, he said  (without seeing it) that my keg is more likely to be aluminum than stainless.

If it is an AB sanke keg, it is stainless steel. AFAIK, all sanke kegs are stainless. The one aluminum keg I have is not straight sided (more barrel shaped) and I believe it is an old Miller keg. — John Varady                     http://www.netaxs.com/~vectorsys/varady Boneyard Brewing                The HomeBrew Recipe Calculating Program

Response:

: How do I reliably determine that my keg is stainless?  The newsgroup : archive articles on this subject point out three options, so far as I can : tell. : 1) take it to a welder, which is not really an option for me : 2) scratch test, which I don’t see as particularly convincing (a friend : suggested a nail or pocket knife) : 3) use lye, if it discolors it’s an aluminum keg : Is there an easier or better way?   Try using a magnet.   Magnets will not stick to aluminum. Jack Costa Mesa, CA

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: Is there an easier or better way? Try using a magnet. Magnets will not stick to aluminum.

I believe certain types of stainless steel are non-magnetic also?  If the magnet doesn’t stick, it might still be stainless…? —

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A magnet is not a good test.  High quality stainless steel is austenitic (non-magnetic).  Lower quality and just plain old carbon steels are ferritic at room temperature and are magnetic.  Austenite and ferrite are just different crystal structures in the solid phase. Perry Krebs Portage  IN

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A magnet is not a good test.  High quality stainless steel is austenitic (non-magnetic).  Lower quality and just plain old carbon steels are ferritic at room temperature and are magnetic.  Austenite and ferrite are just different crystal structures in the solid phase.

Ahh… I *knew* I’d heard somewhere that certain types of stainless are non-magnetic! FWIW, I just checked… all of my stainless brew pots (the cheap, thin-bottomed type most HB shops and discount stores seem to carry) *are* magnetic.  My wife’s good stainless cookware is not.  Seems to confirm what you’ve said here… —

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: How do I reliably determine that my keg is stainless?

As far as I know all Sankey’s are SS. JG — Life’s too short to sleep

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Hey Guys, If the welder can’t tell if its stainless. get another welder. A/B s ARE ss Tom – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : How do I reliably determine that my keg is stainless? As far as I know all Sankey’s are SS. JG — Life’s too short to sleep

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When I entered this thread I didn’t see that bringing it to a welder was not an option. Why? Tom – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : How do I reliably determine that my keg is stainless? As far as I know all Sankey’s are SS. JG — Life’s too short to sleep

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When I entered this thread I didn’t see that bringing it to a welder was not an option. Why?

The welder is out of town, he’s doing me a favor, and I want to be sure before I send it off. — Rob Dewhirst Return address is bogus due to spam.  If you reply to this message without changing the address, it will bounce. Use: robd "at" ixks.com

Response:

: : : Is there an easier or better way? : : Try using a magnet. : : Magnets will not stick to aluminum. : I believe certain types of stainless steel are non-magnetic also?  If : the magnet doesn’t stick, it might still be stainless…? Magnets will not stick to Firestone-Spartanburg kegs. I tried it at home last night.  You folks are correct, magnets won’t help. Jack Costa Mesa, CA

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Who cut the top out?  They will know…….Frip

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Who cut the top out?  They will know…….Frip

Me! — Rob Dewhirst Return address is bogus due to spam.  If you reply to this message without changing the address, it will bounce. Use: robd "at" ixks.com

Response:

– Matthew J. Chitiea C&C Distributing Tel/Fax: (530) 622-TANK (8265)             Listen people, it’s not this difficult.     1.    All Sanke kegs ARE NOT Stainless as a another poster stated. Some ARE aluminum. Hoover Container Corp, Spartanburg and many other made aluminum kegs up until the mid 1980’s.     2.    Straight sided S/S kegs weigh 31#/each, Aluminum kegs weigh 26 to 27#s each     3.    You can cut aluminum w/ a knife.     4.    There ARE S/S magnets to determine, even the different grades, stainless steel.     NOTICE TO ALL:   If you have an A/B keg. DON’T SAY SO!   A/B is going after (bring suit and arresting) breweries, MicroBreweries, Wineries, HB Supply Stores AND INDIVIDUALS for possession of stolen property. It does not matter if you got it from a scrapyard. A/B has blanket, "Must Destruct" orders on their cooperage. If the scrapyard sold it, they have received stolen property.  If you have a keg from a MicroBrewery, your an aperture of the rectum, you just cost that Micro $70 to $110/keg. It is stealing.   BE CAREFUL!

Response:

When I got ready to take my converted straight-sided, Anheuser-Busch Sankey keg to my welding friend, he said  (without seeing it) that my keg is more likely to be aluminum than stainless. How do I reliably determine that my keg is stainless?  The newsgroup archive articles on this subject point out three options, so far as I can tell. 1) take it to a welder, which is not really an option for me 2) scratch test, which I don’t see as particularly convincing (a friend suggested a nail or pocket knife) 3) use lye, if it discolors it’s an aluminum keg Is there an easier or better way?  Since my welder is doing me a favor, I want to do all the work up front to make sure he’s getting a SS keg to weld.  I don’t want to contradict him, send him the keg, then have him tell me it’s aluminum after all. — Rob Dewhirst Return address is bogus due to spam.  If you reply to this message without changing the address, it will bounce. Use: robd "at" ixks.com

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