can I use a bucket for cider?

I saw some threads in the beginner brew section that said you have to use glass carboy for cider and you shouldn't use a bucket, but no one said why. Is this true, and if so why?

Marathon06 said:

I saw some threads in the beginner brew section that said you have to use glass carboy for cider and you shouldn't use a bucket, but no one said why. Is this true, and if so why?

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A fermenter is a fermenter is a fermenter . People have been fermenting wines ciders, beers, meads in all manner of fermenters. It's really a silly debate. Use what works for you.

Great, because I already used a bucket!!!

I would suggest a bucket for your primary because it's easy to stir and mix your ingredients. After a few days rack to secondary glass jug to let it finish and age.

A bucket for cider is very traditional, though in Mississippi it was considered good form to use the communal tin dipper. When I was a young lad of six - in 1960 - grandma would set the bucket on the kitchen table and give us kids a half-dipper each, after which we'd soon be asleep. Of course, infants got theirs from a glass bottle with rubber nipples. The adults all used the tin dipper, turn about, and it was rare for anyone to be so rude as to drink straight from the bucket; I believe the concern had more to do with wastage than with hygiene, however. Some did use Mason jars, too, more-or-less as a go-cup. So no problem using a bucket as long as you abide by the local mores and customs.

So long as it's clean and won't taint the flavour, you're good to go.

Dicky

Dicky said:

So long as it's clean and won't taint the flavour, you're good to go.

Dicky

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And rated as food grade

I just did a batch completely in a bucket for the first time ever. As a primary it worked great, when I racket it to secondary in a bucket I ended up with my first ever infection, the dreaded 'white film'. I used appropriate sanitation, and the other 3 batches I racked that day into glass and topped off were fine, so I'm assuming the larger head space did not allow enough of a CO2 layer to form.

My take on buckets. Great for primary, not so for secondary.

Might be just fine if you have a CO2 system and could bubble some into your bucket to minimize this though.

I started my last batch in a bucket. It makes it much easier to mix in the ingredients. 10 days for primary while fermentation was still going strong. Then transferred to my carboy for secondary.
I like having it in glass if it is going to be in there longer than 1-2 weeks. It will probably be in the carboy for 6-8 weeks before I bottle it up.