This comes up often, so you can read the opinions and decide. I checked out the jugs where I work- they are #7 which is now under fire for being dangerous even for holding water (from trustedmd.com):
To be certain that you are choosing a bottle that does not leach, check the recycling symbol on your bottle. If it is a #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), or a #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene), or a #5 PP (polypropylene), your bottle is fine. The type of plastic bottle in which water is usually sold is usually a #1, and is only recommended for one time use. Do not refill it. Better to use a reusable water bottle, and fill it with your own filtered water from home and keep these single-use bottles out of the landfill.
Unfortunately, those fabulous colourful hard plastic lexan bottles made with polycarbonate plastics and identified by the #7 recycling symbol, may leach BPA. Bisphenol A is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor, meaning it disturbs the hormonal messaging in our bodies. Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly devastating to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes. For more of the science on the effects of BPA on our endocrine system etc. see these studies: Environmental Health Perspectives Journal. Nalgene, the company that manufactures the lexan water bottles also makes #2 HDPE bottles in the same sizes and shapes, so we have a viable alternative.
Unfortunately, most plastic baby bottles and drinking cups are made with plastics containing Bisphenol A. In 2006 Europe banned all products made for children under age 3 containing BPA, and as of Dec. 2006 the city of San Franscisco followed suit. In March 2007 a billion-dollar class action suit was commenced against Gerber, Playtex, Evenflo, Avent, and Dr. Brown's in Los Angeles superior court for harm done to babies caused by drinking out of baby bottles and sippy cups containing BPA. So, to be certain that your baby is not exposed, use glass bottles.
__________________ Broken Leg Brewery
Giving beer a leg to stand on since 2006
You call me a dog well that's fair enough 'Cause it ain't no use to pretend You're wrong
But when it's my time to throw The next stone I'll call you beautiful if I call at all
Dang Yooper, that scared the crap out of me! Thanks for posting it. Now I have to go home and look at all of the sippy cups we have at home for our little one.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyO
"I brew with a water cooler and some part from the toilet."
Quote:
Originally Posted by GilaMinumBeer
I do gravity feed the last gallon or two through my Therminator, but I expect you could suck start a Volkswagen before you could suck start one of these.
Dang Yooper, that scared the crap out of me! Thanks for posting it. Now I have to go home and look at all of the sippy cups we have at home for our little one.
Sorry to scare you- that wasn't my intent! It was all over the news about 6 months ago, and baby bottles all tend to be #7. For us adults, it's "probably" not as harmful, according to the reading I've done. We've tossed all our Nalgene bottles, and the extra water bottles we've been hauling around.
Anyway, for fermentation vessels, I'd recommend glass or a #2 hard plastic fermenter.
__________________ Broken Leg Brewery
Giving beer a leg to stand on since 2006
You call me a dog well that's fair enough 'Cause it ain't no use to pretend You're wrong
But when it's my time to throw The next stone I'll call you beautiful if I call at all
I used the clear blue water bottles as a primary for a few years, but I never left the wort/must in the bottle long enough to notice any adverse effects it had on my finished product.
During the past month I have been very busy and left the must in the bottles longer than I would have preferred... probably 3-4 weeks. When I racked from the water bottles (#3 by the way), I noticed that the must in each one of them had really bad tastes in them that I had never encountered before.
Like I said, using them for a week or two was not a problem... 3 to 4 weeks was a problem. I figure the yeast got oxygen due to the apparent permeability of the type of plastic used in these bottles.
I have since retired these bottles and will never use them again. I have a 6.5 gallon P.E.T. carboy that is okay, but from here on out I will buy only glass carboys.
Lesson learned.
Bill
The blue rigid 2 1/2 - 5 gallon water bottles, like those you commonly see in office buildings will have Bisphenol A in them. Just like the baby bottles. Which is why glass baby bottles are making a comeback, at least in alternative foods and living community. http://www.ewg.org/node/21540
Whenever you can use glass that's going to be better, though it may be more inconvenient. It won't leech into your liquid.
The blue rigid 2 1/2 - 5 gallon water bottles, like those you commonly see in office buildings will have Bisphenol A in them. Just like the baby bottles. Which is why glass baby bottles are making a comeback, at least in alternative foods and living community. http://www.ewg.org/node/21540
Whenever you can use glass that's going to be better, though it may be more inconvenient. It won't leech into your liquid.
Umm..
Recycling code 1: PETE - Polyethylene
Recycling code 2: HDPE - High density Polyethylene.
Most water bottles are made out of this stuff now (Absopure, etc.), and not Polycarbonate.
secondary fermenting in a water jug?
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