plasticphobia

One of the things I've continually read since I started brewing is how plastic gets to be unsafe over time. Buckets need to be replaced, hoses get replaced even more frequently. Before the carboy crisis you'd have thought the better bottle was pure evil, now it seems like most people love them.

So where do you stand? How often do you replace your hose and buckets? Do you go overboard and replace other plastic stuff like the autosiphon? My autosiphon broke years ago at the bend in the inner tube. I jammed a hose on it, clean it well, and dare not remove it. So far no evidence of trouble. One of my buckets is the bucket I got with my starter kit, I can't even guess how many gallons of beer have been through it.

if a bucket ain't scratched, it ain't dead. hoses are cheap enough if a good soak of boiling water won't fix it, replace it. i find a thorough rinse is all it takes when done. but i can autoclave all my hoses to assure sterility.

NEVER Replaced one bucket or hose.. been going for 2 years. We'll see how it goes in another 2-3.

mordantly said:

but i can autoclave all my hoses to assure sterility.

Click to expand...

i was wondering, i have access to a very large autoclave at work. what temp and pressure do you 'clave your equipment?

15 psi which creates 250F and hold for 30 minutes. then let the pressure cooker cool down on its own.

From my personal research, I don't really care, its just what I've picked up from unrelated reading. Clear plastic is made by using some synthetic estrogen that is possibly linked to bad things in early human production. I think canada has maybe banned clear plastic baby bottles?

Anyway, Its supposed to be detrimental to young male baby's and also if the parents are near a plant that makes the chemical they're pretty much a cert to have a girl. That was from some CBC documentary I saw a while back.

I have 1 glass fermenter and a couple plastic and I plan the longer fermentations to be in the glass.

Still using my original buckets after 8 years, but hose gets replaced when it won't clean up.

By the way, ramthebuffs, other than your racking cane, you probably don't have any polycarbonate items in your brewery. Other plastics (of which there are hundreds) are not a problem,

I only changed a 7 year old bucket because I accidentally poked a hole in the bottom of it...sadly this was with a full batch fermenting inside. Only batch I've ever had to toss

I just bought 6 feet of 5/16 ID tubing, the kind that comes with most starter kits, for $.96..no big deal at all.

I actually prefer to do my primary in the buckets, easier to clean and no blowoff needed since the bucket breathes a little. However, sometimes when I want to monitor what is going on, or I just want to see cool stuff, I go with a glass and a 1 inch blowoff. They both work.....


That being said, I am going to be purchasing a 9 gallon platick fermenter soon.

Glass shatters. That is my primary concern.

Heavy + breakable = eventual disaster

Still on my original buckets. I switched from carboys to better bottles after a near disaster and haven't looked back. Hoses I replace as they appear to need replacing, no idea how often that is as I don't really pay attention.

Still have six or so plastic buckets; had them for nearly 2 years. I use the conical first, then the glass carboys, then the plastic buckets. Ive used the buckets recently with no bad effects.

Plastic is the way to go. Lightweight, light on the wallet, easy to clean, easy to harvest yeast, no mess (most of the time). There are downfalls as well, such as not being able to see the fun stuff during fermentation, and not being able to age liquids long term. But thats only my humble newbie opinion.....

Nuke my plastic every third batch or so in a bleach solution, never had a problem. I replace my siphon hose every once and a while.