Home brewing is quite different than commercial brewing of beer. The home brewer runs a small operation and most of the time it is being run on a shoe-string, so cost is important. Although cost is a factor, the typical home brewer is also fully aware of the different materials that are used in the process and how important it is to select components made from the material which will not taint the beer with any taste and work well when different materials are in close proximity to one another.
The issue in brewing is corrosion so all metals must be non-corrosive. The materials of choice are aluminum, copper, brass and stainless steel brew fittings.
There are many different components necessary to brew beer; brew pots, fittings, chillers, etc. The perfect home brewery takes into account the specific advantages and disadvantages of the available materials as well as the form and use. The least expensive materials are aluminum and brass and for those brewers, who are looking at the cost closely, they often go this way but they will spend a great deal more time and attention to the cleaning process.
For years, copper was always the favorite material for home brewers but the cost has steadily crept up, to the point where it has more or less been overtaken by stainless steel. Stainless steel always was known as the “gold standard” but was seen as too expensive. This is no longer the case. Less costly stainless alloys are now available for brew fittings without any degradation of the corrosion resistance and durability of some of the stainless that was once used.
As the price of copper skyrockets so does the price of anything made from it, including the necessary tubing. Stainless steel tubing is less expensive but hard to find, the perfect solution is to use chemically inert hose to transfer the liquid and to make the connections with stainless steel couplings and fittings. Many home brewers use Camlock fittings for their perfect seal and rapid disassembly for cleaning the system, these types of hose couplings and fittings also work well with the stainless steel brew fittings that are now commonly used.
Whatever material you use for the brew pot is a choice based on the likes and dislikes of the brewer as well as cost but it is most important that the brew fittings are stainless steel.
