Question about plastic fermenters.

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MilwaukeesBus

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Hi all,
I had a quick question about the plastic fermenter buckets. I'm on my fourth brew now and my first was an irish stout. It was left in the primary for 3 weeks, when I bottled that batch I cleaned the fermenter and brewed a ESB the next day. When that batch was done I cleaned the fermenter and let it sit in my garage for a week. Yesterday I got the bucket out to brew a new batch and it still had a heavy alcohol smell to it which was starting to smell kind of skunky. I know that the plastic can absorb scents and what not but I figured that it would dissipate after a week or so. So sorry for the long lead in but here's my question, will my skunky fermenter impart unwanted aroma/flavor to my new batch? And if so is there anything that can be done to remove scents from plastic buckets.

TIA,
Steve
 
I don't think it'll be a problem. A number of experienced homebrewers on this board use plastic fermenters. I have glass carboys, but my bottling bucket is plastic. It always smells like the last batch.
 
Think of it like a BBQ... where the meat juices and gunk that get left behind from previous cooking contribute to the next BBQ.

But yeah... RDWHABH... its all good. If ya start (constantly) getting some odd flavours, start worrying about it then...
 
Chrus said:
Think of it like a BBQ... where the meat juices and gunk that get left behind from previous cooking contribute to the next BBQ.

But yeah... RDWHABH... its all good. If ya start (constantly) getting some odd flavours, start worrying about it then...

lol
I never thought of it that way. Seasoning the fermenters...
 
I use a bottling bucket as my primary fermenter as well as for bottling. I use carboys for secondaries. I use a rag instead of a kitchen sponge to clean it, and yeah, it does smell like beer, but it doesn't smell like rotten beer. :)
 
That is a great way to think of it.
Like seasoning an Iron skillet.
I know my 2 buckets smell like beer even after cleaning well and sanitizing.
But it never smells bad :)
 
i've noticed this too, not had any probs so far though, I suppose if its steralised it's steralised regardless of smell.
 
I just transfer my batch of Star San solution around from bucket to bucket as needed and that seems to do a decent job but yeah that 'beer smell' may not entirely go away.
 
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