Nalgene carboys #5 PP? ok to use as fermenter???

Through work i have basically unlimited access to Nalgene Carboys...They are recycling # 5 PP...
i have been to this site What do those recycling numbers mean?

but my question is still not really answered...
I was wondering if you can use these as a fermenter/secondary?
I was going to make a mead and did not want to tie up my glass carboys for a year (the point of this is not how long i am going to ferment my mead...)
I assume they are not food grade plastic and therefore suspect...

but should you only use # 1 or 2's??
according to the list, #5 is what tuppeware is made from??

i would appreciate any insite in this matter...my mead is dependant on some info...
Thanks

Please do not send me any beer that you make in a #5 bottle.

I agree that #1 is ok, glass is better, better bottles rock. But a #5....No thanks.

You can ferment in the (#7) 5 gallon water bottles but the real question is are you comfortable enough with the risk of Oxygen permeability.

There are some figures available on this but you have to really dig to find them and they are usually in terms that mean nothing to us. Somewhere, somehow, PETE was labelled as the King of all plastics with respect to permeability. I have yet to find out where exactly, aside from some shady websites trying to convince you that if you store anything in ANY pastic you are going to grow a tail.

Anyway, rant over. I have fermented in the #7's and the beer was fine. The bottle was a pain to clean cause the ridges so I stopped.

As far as secondary, if you can get data that shows your Nalgene has equal or better performance than PETE or Glass. Go for it.

I still say nothing is better than a plain old 6-7 gallon HDPE bucket for Primary. Although, It would be interesting to try something more, rectangular or square to increase the surface area in contact with the yeast. Meh.

GilaMinumBeer said:

You can ferment in the (#7) 5 gallon water bottles but the real question is are you comfortable enough with the risk of Oxygen permeability.

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I'm more concerned about what chemicals will leach from said plastic under heat and Ph levels, not to mention what the alcohol will extract.

BigKahuna said:

I'm more concerned about what chemicals will leach from said plastic under heat and Ph levels, not to mention what the alcohol will extract.

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I became less concerned about that when I realized that the cheap Vodkas in the plastic weren't #1's. Been a Long time since I have bought Vodka but, IIRC, the plastic was #7.


Actually, it might be interesting to see what variety of plastics the heavy spirits are contained in. You would think PETE would be prevalent but, I wouldn't be surprised at all if there was a wide variety used.

Edit: ....Vodka's in the plastics "weren't" #1's.

GilaMinumBeer said:

I became less concerned about that when I realized that the cheap Vodkas in the plastic are #1's. Been a Long time since I have bought Vodka but, IIRC, the plastic was #7.


Actually, it might be interesting to see what variety of plastics the heavy spirits are contained in. You would think PETE would be prevalent but, I wouldn't be surprised at all if there was a wide variety used.

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Will look when in likker store next!

IIRC #7 is "mixed" which could be a multi-layer plastic that is #1 on the inside and #anything else on the outside, or #4 on the inside and #2 on the out. The trouble is you don't really know from one instance of #7 to the next.

BigKahuna said:

Please do not send me any beer that you make in a #5 bottle.

I agree that #1 is ok, glass is better, better bottles rock. But a #5....No thanks.

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What about lining it with a standard poly trash bag? Then, the beer is in contact with polyethylene, which is generally OK for beer contact. Plus, it could make harvesting easier.

jds said:

What about lining it with a standard poly trash bag? Then, the beer is in contact with polyethylene, which is generally OK for beer contact. Plus, it could make harvesting easier.

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Hm.... my wife buys those vanilla scented trash bags. Maybe a vanilla porter is in order!!

Seriously though, this is an interesting idea; has anyone ever done it?

I basically stick to the "its glass or its your ass"
policy (i don't even really know what that means) when fermenting/brewing/whatever...
I mean are you really going to pour your vanilla chocolate stout into a plastic cup...
unless you are at your frat's reunion...

anyway, why does everyone love the "better bottle"..it would seem that plastic would scratch with any rough cleaning (scouring brush, etc) and over time, any plastic is going to absorb flavors...that is the nature of plastic..

Now your answer really doesn't matter, i am going to stick to glass...but i just like to stir it up a little...you plastic whores...

DrDuckbutter said:

anyway, why does everyone love the "better bottle"..it would seem that plastic would scratch with any rough cleaning (scouring brush, etc) and over time, any plastic is going to absorb flavors...that is the nature of plastic..

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Due to the highly overrated fact that BB's tend to not shatter on the off occasion that one slips from you grip (cause you were too bull headed to go get a milk crate) thus severing those useless toes. I mean Shah, balance is so overrated.

That, and for the price of 1 glass carboy. I can buy 3 equally sized buckets.

oxygen permeability aside...

I work in a lab that use those Nalgene bottles...you do realize they cost between 100-200 a piece right? (I think a 20L size goes for about $218)

Could be a stupid way to lose a job if you ask me. Stealing a package of printer paper is one things, liberating a lab of some Nalgenes could get you into felony territory pretty quickly.

Just sayin....

nalgenes...we use them once and then literally throw them in the garbage..
i would not steal a carboy from work....
but thanks for caring...

Free, you lucky dog, go get 'em. My plastic bottle of Canadian Mist has a PETE number 1 on the bottom.

GilaMinumBeer said:

That, and for the price of 1 glass carboy. I can buy 3 equally sized buckets.

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How much are you paying for your buckets with a lid?

DrDuckbutter said:

nalgenes...we use them once and then literally throw them in the garbage..
i would not steal a carboy from work....
but thanks for caring...

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Well, good on ya bro...maybe I'm thinking of different nalgenes....the ones I'm thinking of are really expensive and would not be thrown away....but you wouldn't expect them to be...

Sorry if I offended your delicate sensibilities and insinuated you might consider lifting one from your work. How obtuse of me...

no, while I appreciate you keeping me out of jail, to brew anthor brew, it is the same Nalgenes you are thinking of....i work in a company that makes drugs...they (company policy) have to throw them out with any product contact..

YES, they throw out like 6-8 per day, mostly 10L, but also 20L and 4L...it is a shame...but they are #5's and apparently you can grow a 3rd appendage with such plastic...

DrDuckbutter said:

no, while I appreciate you keeping me out of jail, to brew anthor brew, it is the same Nalgenes you are thinking of....i work in a company that makes drugs...they (company policy) have to throw them out with any product contact..

YES, they throw out like 6-8 per day, mostly 10L, but also 20L and 4L...it is a shame...but they are #5's and apparently you can grow a 3rd appendage with such plastic...

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yeah, that does seem like a shame, but since there is "product contact" I don't think I would want to recycle those for brewing, even if the plastic were OK to use for brewing...

broadbill said:

yeah, that does seem like a shame, but since there is "product contact" I don't think I would want to recycle those for brewing, even if the plastic were OK to use for brewing...

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I don't know. Depends on what kind of pharmaceuticals they make.

I used 2 different #7 water cooler bottles for 2 of the same recipe batches (long trail ale clone) with 1 week primary and 1 week secondary, both in the #7 bottles, both batches tasted like cardboard. I have done the same recipie in glass and no cardboard at all. I dont think its worht the risk after learning this the hard way. We still drank the cardboard flavored beer.

I also work in a lab that uses the Nalgene bottles

the only things we store in them is D.I.water

and a rather weak (2 n) NaoH solution (sodium hydroxide)

they will grow mold on the inner surfaces if not cleaned