Buying 5 gallon water bottles?

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Cpt_Kirks

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Where is the best place to buy 5 gallon water bottles?

Now that I am awash in 3 gallon kegs, I need another 5 gallon fermenter and am thinking of trying one out.
 
I would avoid water bottles. They are not usually food-grade plastic.

That has been beat to death. How can it not be "food grade", if it contains drinking water?

The main issue is that they are not as thick or as gas impermeable as a Better Bottle. From what I have heard, they work fine for primaries where the beer will not be in them more than a few weeks.
 
That has been beat to death. How can it not be "food grade", if it contains drinking water?

The main issue is that they are not as thick or as gas impermeable as a Better Bottle. From what I have heard, they work fine for primaries where the beer will not be in them more than a few weeks.

Well, if it's for primary, you'll have to plan on doing 3.5 gallon batches, to make sure you have enough space. I wouldn't do it (especially with #7 bottles) but if you do, you can probably find full water bottles at places like Wal-Mart.
 
I go to Sam's and get 4 gal bottles of water to grew with and I found they are #1 PET so I have used them as fermentors. I split a batch of wheat beer into two of these for secondary as I wanted to add fruit to some but not all of the batch.
 
I have seen them in Wally World and THD, was just wondering which had the best deal on them.

I may just buy a new, full one, though I have seen them for sale empty.
 
the 4 gallon ones from Sams are from the Monadnock water company . They are #1 pete little thin but I use them for Apfelwein. I have like 10 of them now because I use the water at the office . And at less than 5$ and no deposit there great.
 
I've seen them at several places, but check on the bottom for a PET or type 1. The coolers at work at the right ones, but I have not seen them at the stores so far.
 
This has also been beat to death, but the Homer Buckets from Home Depot are nice for non-krauzening brews or 3 gallon beers. Fairly cheap, and they make great grain storage/cleaning/sanitizing buckets on brewday. I've got a mead in one now, but I agree with only using for primary, long term it's glass all the way.
 
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