I'm making my first still to distill spirits and was wondering if it is alright to use an aluminum container, opposed to a steel container, as the boiler in the still. Could the aluminum produce any unexpected harmful side effects.
Aluminum can be toxic in very high concentrations, but using aluminum as cookware (or still-ware) is very unlikely to cause toxicity. The only time aluminum may cause a problem is when cooking tomatoes or highly acidic foods in untreated aluminum cookware. Even then, the level of aluminum that gets cooked off into the food is negligible. It's better, however, to make sure that the cookware you are using in the still is food safe. Copper may be a better choice, but I'm sure that's more expensive. Hope this helps. You may want to check your local area to see if there's a home-brewing supply, or a beer-makers supply company and they may be more helpful about a good container to use for the boiler.
