Wort Collection Vessel - Stainless, Plastic, need advice

I mash in a 10G igloo container on my countertop. When it comes time for runoff, I attach tubing to ball valve and drain into containers that I dump into my boil kettle. Unfortunately, I can't drain right into the BK. I've been using 2QT aluminum pitchers to do this...however, I left PBW in one of them and it totally oxidized it and I ended up tossing it.

Anyone do anything like this and have suggestions for containers? I'd like it a little bigger (maybe 3-4 quarts). I'd prefer stainless, but since it's pre-boil, I could probably go with polycarbonate. Stainless is probably pretty expensive too. The pyrex half gallon measuring cups are too heavy. Maybe a pitcher of some kind?

Any input?

I drain into my bottling bucket then carry it to my kettle

hopalotamus said:

I drain into my bottling bucket then carry it to my kettle

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Any food grade bucket, aluminum pot, or stainless pot will do. Just my opinion, best not to use the bottling bucket for unboiled wort as there are lacto bugs in the mash. Best practice is to use seperate equipment b/w the hot side and cold side of the brewery. Even though you sanitze the bottling bucket before use, best to keep it as clean as possible and not use it for holding unboiled unsanitary wort.

Yeah, I'd rather not use a bottling bucket. I liked using aluminum pitchers because they had a handle. I like putting the pitchers in my sink and moving the tubing to the other pitcher when I grabbed one to dump it into the BK.

I might look at Walmart/Target for small SS pots or pitchers.

BrewThruYou said:

Yeah, I'd rather not use a bottling bucket. I liked using aluminum pitchers because they had a handle. I like putting the pitchers in my sink and moving the tubing to the other pitcher when I grabbed one to dump it into the BK.

I might look at Walmart/Target for small SS pots or pitchers.

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Why not just put the container on the floor?

pabloj13 said:

Why not just put the container on the floor?

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The boil kettle? That's on the stove being heated. I could get a bigger container to put on the floor to drain into, but I prefer doing it this way. I have some back problems and don't really want to fully drain into something on the floor that I will have to deadlift into the kettle on my stove.

Anything that is food grade would be ok. I use plastic pitchers often in my brewing.

I would work on changing your setup so that you can drain directly into the BK. It would save a lot of hassle.
I set up my gravity rig so that every thing will drain directly into the next.

HLT
TUN
BK
Fermentor

kh54s10 said:

Anything that is food grade would be ok. I use plastic pitchers often in my brewing.

I would work on changing your setup so that you can drain directly into the BK. It would save a lot of hassle.
I set up my gravity rig so that every thing will drain directly into the next.

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That would be cool, but really don't see an easy way to do that. I brew stovetop and there isn't counter space to put a box or something to elevate the MLT and a ladder sounds dangerous. And with some back issues, I don't think lifting a full MLT over my head onto a platform is advisable either.

I could put the BK on the floor, but I prefer to start the burner ASAP to cut down on time. Plus again, I can't lift a BK full of wort to the stove.

when i was still allowed to brew in the kitchen, i rigged a submersible pump with a nylon fitting and hose (so i didnt have to submerse it in my wort, dont ever put one of those in anything your going to consume) fit to the mash tun and pumped it to the bk (ss 5 gal pot). pump was from harbour freight at about 9 bucks. no lifting or toting. back then i thought it was cool to have "automated" part of my process.

I use a Rubbermaid 1 gallon pitcher to transfer runnings, sparge water, etc.
http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?Prod_ID=RP091194

You will get hot side oxidation by not draining directly into your kettle. I don't know if that matters or not though. Apparently, even though you boil for a long time, this will have an affect on the beer.

Not sure I understand tossing the aluminum because it oxidized. Not to get into the aluminum kettle debate but at a minimum you could have just scrubbed off the oxidation layer.

Any food grade plastic container should be fine, I would just make sure it's thick enough to not melt under that heat. A food grade bucket will be fine. A Home Depot or Lowes paint bucket will go the trick.

asterix404 said:

You will get hot side oxidation by not draining directly into your kettle.

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That is a very definitive statement you made...and pretty much BS. A lot of breweries waterfall their beer several feet into the brew kettle and there is tons of splashing. I have tubing into the bottom of my wort collection vessel and gently pour it into my boil kettle.

ReverseApacheMaster said:

Not sure I understand tossing the aluminum because it oxidized. Not to get into the aluminum kettle debate but at a minimum you could have just scrubbed off the oxidation layer.

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It might've been worse than oxidation. It was really cheap stuff and the entire bottom looked pitted and warped. I think it cost me $6 per pitcher. I tried scrubbing and it didn't work, so I concluded it was easier to just toss it.

wilserbrewer said:

I use a Rubbermaid 1 gallon pitcher to transfer runnings, sparge water, etc.
http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?Prod_ID=RP091194

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This is what I use as well. Works great!