Food grade buckets?

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parrothead600

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I have a large supply of grey plastic 5 gallon buckets w/ lids. These were previously used for gear oil. I have used some of these buckets for soaking bottles in oxyclean. The inside of the buckets have cleaned up very well afterward and I get no oil residue or odor from the bucket.
Can these be safely used for fermenting buckets (provided that they are cleaned)? If not, what kind of problems could I see?
 
What batch size are you fermenting? 5 gallons is about 2 gallons shy of what you want for 5 gallon batches...
 
I would be leery of a plastic bucket that held gear oil or any other non-food grade chemical for long periods. The plastic can take up some of the chemicals and then give it back up over time. IMO not worth the risk when buckets are so cheap. You can buy a food grade 5 gallon bucket with lid at Lowes or HD for like $10.
 
Or go to a grocery stores bakery department and ask for the icing buckets (with lids) that they normally recycle daily.
 
I would keep those for utility buckets and get some nice, new buckets that were well suited to fermentation. I use the 7 gallon US Plastics buckets. Lids can be chosen from around 10 colors, and the lid has a REAL neoprene 'O'-ring seal, so your fermenter will be airtight. Drill the lid with a 1/2" wood bit, you can buy the grommets at any online HB supply, and you're in business. I like these better than the standard "Ale Pail," because just that extra headroom means foamouts are less likely. Three buckets with lids, delivered, were around $33 bucks.
 
kappclark said:
How about Homer buckets ?
Click to expand...

A lot of people say they wouldn't use them. I have a few times though. The beer came out good. At your own risk. I really wouldn't use a used bucket food grade or not. If fermentation is the most important part of the process then why not spend a few bucks there. At least 15 for an Ale Pail and lid. That said I have used the HD buckets for the rare occasion I need 3 fermenters at once.
 
I use Homer Buckets to store the grain...Everything else (buckets, pots, fermenters is food grade..

OK - I guess I found out the h buckets are not "food Grade", but its not like I am actually consuming the grain, and they keep out the hungry mice. Call me cheap.
 
kappclark said:
I use Homer Buckets to store the grain...Everything else (buckets, pots, fermenters is food grade..

OK - I guess I found out the h buckets are not "food Grade", but its not like I am actually consuming the grain, and they keep out the hungry mice. Call me cheap.
Click to expand...

They pretty much are food grade though. It's the same plastic as the food grade buckets. They just havent paid for the lab testing. People go crazy over it... Are the coolers everyone uses to mash in food grade? I think not.
 
Beezy said:
They pretty much are food grade though. It's the same plastic as the food grade buckets. They just havent paid for the lab testing. People go crazy over it... Are the coolers everyone uses to mash in food grade? I think not.
Click to expand...

Yes - excellent point...both the HLT and MLT I use are Rubbermaid 10G coolers...better check that spec .. call the 800 #...

OH - and what about the brass fittings inside for the SS kettlescreen inside the MLT -- better check that one (smile) but who would I call?
 
Not worth the risk. Buy a new six gallon food grade bucket with a lid for under $11 at morebeer.com, probably other places you can get them cheaply too, I'm just familiar with MB.

I'm not sure what your medical insurance co-pay is but mine is around 12 bucks. I can buy a bucket for the price of a visit to the doc. Hmm, what to do?
 
Dan said:
Not worth the risk. Buy a new six gallon food grade bucket with a lid for under $11 at morebeer.com, probably other places you can get them cheaply too, I'm just familiar with MB.

I'm not sure what your medical insurance co-pay is but mine is around 12 bucks. I can buy a bucket for the price of a visit to the doc. Hmm, what to do?
Click to expand...

Risk what exactly?
 
Beezy said:
They pretty much are food grade though. It's the same plastic as the food grade buckets. They just havent paid for the lab testing. People go crazy over it... Are the coolers everyone uses to mash in food grade? I think not.
Click to expand...

But the white buckets at Wally World (Walmart) in the paint section for $2.97 have been verified by the manufacturer to be food-grade. Here's a link: http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/food-grade-buckets-walmart/

Also, you can get used known-food-grade buckets from bakeries, Dunkin Doughnuts, other places for next to nothing. I've been buying user food-grade containers from my local organic co-op for $1 (minus member discount). The only hassle is I have to clean it out. Alternatively, you can also buy food-grade liners (bags) for any bucket.

So, its not like you have to pay up for good grade stuff...just takes a bit of work finding it.
 
The problem with using non-food grade buckets is the same problem with using non-food grade tubing.

The plastic is likely to be recycled and there are no controls over what the plastic was used for before. I believe the least of your concerns is the oil that was stored in the buckets. Thousands of carcinogenic products are stored in plastic that is then recycled. The worse are pesticides and some pesticides are dangerous down to the parts per million.

Food grade buckets, tubing, or actually anything food grade is made from non-recycled material.
 
I use a tote for bottles. It's like 20 gallons or so. I can get a crap ton of bottles in there at once.
 
copyright1997 said:
But the white buckets at Wally World (Walmart) in the paint section for $2.97 have been verified by the manufacturer to be food-grade. Here's a link: http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/food-grade-buckets-walmart/

Also, you can get used known-food-grade buckets from bakeries, Dunkin Doughnuts, other places for next to nothing. I've been buying user food-grade containers from my local organic co-op for $1 (minus member discount). The only hassle is I have to clean it out. Alternatively, you can also buy food-grade liners (bags) for any bucket.

So, its not like you have to pay up for good grade stuff...just takes a bit of work finding it.
Click to expand...

How big are these food-grade (as opposed to food-safe) buckets ?
 
Lowes now carries food grade buckets and lids in addition to the standard buckets. 5 gallons with a gasketed lid for $6.00
 
kappclark said:
How big are these food-grade (as opposed to food-safe) buckets ?
Click to expand...

The Walmart buckets are 5 gallons.
The co-op/other used ones vary. I have a couple that were "Organic Agave Syrup", 60#. I don't know how much Agave weighs, but honey weighs about 12#/gallon, so I figure these are also close to 5 gallons.

I used these to store gains and other consumables.
 
matt2778 said:
Lowes now carries food grade buckets and lids in addition to the standard buckets. 5 gallons with a gasketed lid for $6.00
Click to expand...

How do you know they are food grade?
 
matt2778 said:
Lowes now carries food grade buckets and lids in addition to the standard buckets. 5 gallons with a gasketed lid for $6.00
Click to expand...

Home Depot has the same thing for about the same price (can't remember the $ exactly). They used to have super cool clear(ish) food grade buckets with measurement marks, but they've switched to the white ones.
 
bandt9299 said:
Does it really matter if i'm just using it to catch milled grain. Food grade sounds like a stretch to me.
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I use the standard buckets for catching milled grains but the food grade for anything wet. I'm sure others on here could me a thousand reasons why that's wrong so flame on.
 
No Flame here. I'm from the plastic capital of the world. I have lots of buckets and there all HDPE plastic!!!! Food grade scmood grade.
 
Like I said, you can get known-good buckets for $2.97 at walmart, or even cheaper for used bakery/dunkin doughnuts/other places. So, what are you "saving" by buying non-food grade buckets?

(Last I looked, the HD Homer buckets are $2.60 each at my local HD. For $.37, I think I will go with known-good, food-safe.)
 
The Wallmart and Lowes near me don't have buckets that say food grade on them. I would be getting them there had I known. I have an Ale Pail anyway. 15 bucks but 6.5 gallons you have some headroom. Personally I'd like to get the 6 gallon glass. To me the problem with plastic is its porous. If you get a little infection you can't be sure you can use it again for fermenting.
 
Beezy said:
The Wallmart and Lowes near me don't have buckets that say food grade on them. I would be getting them there had I known. I have an Ale Pail anyway. 15 bucks but 6.5 gallons you have some headroom. Personally I'd like to get the 6 gallon glass. To me the problem with plastic is its porous. If you get a little infection you can't be sure you can use it again for fermenting.
Click to expand...

Beezy, go to your Walmart and go to the paint section. Look for white buckets that are made by Encore Plastics. Here's a thread that discusses them: http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=167447, and here's a link to where someone called the company to confirm: http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/food-grade-buckets-walmart/, and finally here's a link to the Encore's website where they discuss: http://www.e-encore.com/FAQPails.html.

Unfortunately for me, my local Walmart here in upstate NY doesn't sell the lids. If you see the lids in Pittsburgh, let me know and I will pick some up on my next visit!
 
The lids don't really concern me. The wort doesn't really touch. What does sticks and stays there.

Id rather buy an ale pail anyway. The lids are tighter and more headspace.
 

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