Home Depot Homer Bucket vs Lowes Gray Buckets

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jakecpunut

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Hey folks, I've got a Barley Crusher on the way and plan on buying a couple of 50# bags of 2 row (when I find the best price)

I know several of you use the Homer Buckets from Home Depot for grain storage but I've not seen any (unless I missed while searching) anyone using the gray paint buckets that Lowe's has.

Since it'll be for grain storage only (no fermenting etc) are there any problems with the Gray buckets vs the Orange ones? Size the same etc etc?

I have a local Lowes, but no Home Depot... didn't want to make the drive to Home Depot if I could just use the ones from Lowe's...

Thanks!
 
They're both fine. They're really ubiquitous. Any generic hardwarestore cheap a$$ plastic buckets will work fine. We just refer to homer bucketes because everyone knows what they are....It's sort of like xerox, or Kleenex, the product name just becomes the descriptor for all of them.
 
I'm not happy with the orange Homer bucket lids. I keep busting them when I remove them even when using the special tool for the job. I think I will try some of the Lowe's buckets and see if they are any better. My bucket list is growing.
 
As I recall, the Lowes buckets are confirmed as food safe from the manufacturer, but the Homer buckets there has been some trepidation about the dye used and nobody (so far as I know) has gotten confirmation one way or another.

I use the Homer buckets for grain storage myself, so it's not like I'm particularly worried about it for that purpose. I probably wouldn't ferment in one, though.

Last time I was at Lowe's I couldn't find any buckets. They aren't like HD where they keep the buckets around all the time. Apparently at Lowe's they sell out of the buckets, or the lids, or both, and they just don't care about restocking them, even though they must have HUGE margins and the things sell like crazy.
 
I absolutely hate the lids on the Lowes buckets. Pain in the butt to get the lids off since the "lip" on the lid is so small.
Tom
 
The Lowes buckets are lighter than the other types i can find around me (i don't have Home Depot within 100 miles, not sure about those). I think the heavy ones are better, i broke a Lowes one by filling it with water and setting it down a bit hard.
 
IMO, HD buckets are superior because of the seal on the lid. Yes, they're harder to get off than the Lowe's lids, but I feel the HD lids seal better. And yes, I've used both.

Also, fyi that HD lids will melt and smoke really bad if you put them on your flat top range and turn on the wrong burner. :( :drunk:
 
I had forgotten about our local lowes FOOD store.. they have a bakery and I remember getting a 3 gallon bucket they used for icing a year or so ago... Just happened to think about that and wonder if they carry 5 gallon buckets? I know they're willing to give them all away so I guess I need to stop by and see...
 
As I recall, the Lowes buckets are confirmed as food safe from the manufacturer, but the Homer buckets there has been some trepidation about the dye used and nobody (so far as I know) has gotten confirmation one way or another.

Last time I checked on this, the Lowe's buckets were made by Encore Plastics. IIRC, the Encore web site said that all their buckets except the black and gray were made from virgin materials, but the black and gray might have recycled material.
 
I'm using a mix of 4.25 and 3.5 gallon pastry filling buckets right now. Anytime my church runs a baked goods fundraiser, I try to snag a few more. I'm also using some 1.5 gallon pretzel containers, but they're a bit of a pain to get the grain into and fill up fast. Oh well, free and on hand is good.
 
Go to any grocery store with a bakery. They usually recycle their icing buckets and don't mind giving them away (with lids.)

I've gotten many buckets (3 gal and 5 gal) from Meijers and Wally World. Lids, handles and free of charge! But, you have to clean out the sugary stuff before you use them.
 
We must have different HD buckets here in New Mexico because mine don't really even seal. They slide on and off very easily. I don't even think they are air tight. I did notice that HD buckets (here) are a recyclable plastic #2 and I think the Lowe's buckets were plastic #7 or something which actually made me think they were not food grade. All the food grade buckets I've seen before have been #2.
 
We must have different HD buckets here in New Mexico because mine don't really even seal. They slide on and off very easily. I don't even think they are air tight. I did notice that HD buckets (here) are a recyclable plastic #2 and I think the Lowe's buckets were plastic #7 or something which actually made me think they were not food grade. All the food grade buckets I've seen before have been #2.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resin_identification_code
 
Well I scored 2 free 5 gallon icing buckets at the local Lowes bakery! GO ME! haha

icingbuckets.jpg
 
Go to any grocery store with a bakery. They usually recycle their icing buckets and don't mind giving them away (with lids.)

I've gotten many buckets (3 gal and 5 gal) from Meijers and Wally World. Lids, handles and free of charge! But, you have to clean out the sugary stuff before you use them.

Interesting how the 3-gal icing buckets I have gotten have varied. They're the same volume, but the lids are different.

Some have no gasket and don't fit very tightly. Some have a thin, white gasket on the same exact lid, and are nearly airtight. Still others have lids of much heavier construction, with a removable, sturdy black gasket about the diameter of a corny lid gasket. These latter buckets make great fermenters for small batches and starters. The others get relegated to grain storage.

After I write this, I realize it is not all that interesting.
 
how many pounds of grain does a 5 gallon bucket hold?

The orange Homer buckets will hold at least 17 lbs of conditioned and milled malt. The milled malt volume is considerably larger than unmilled malt, so I would guess that you could easily get 20 lbs of unmilled malt into a 5 gallon bucket. I'm not sure if the Homer buckets are 5 gals or not, but at least it's a reference point.
 
I have 50lb unmilled in 3 containers totalling ~9.5 gallons, so I'd think you can get 25lb into a homer bucket no problem. You might be able to just squeeze a 55lb sack into 2 x 5 gallon homer buckets.
 
I got 5gallon pickle buckets from the local In-N-Out, they saved 4 for me last time and I could have gotten many more. It took a few days out on the sun and some bleach, pbw...etc to get rid of *most* of the pickle smell. But after I've used them for a year or so the smell is almost gone. Also they are food grade if that matters.
 
Joint Compound buckets are great too, and 5 gallon paint buckets have a gasket on the lid also. They clean up pretty easily if you get it before the stuff dries. Being a handyman, I have a dozen old buckets in the garage that get used for all kinds of stuff. If you need one, I'd say you could do a whole level of a typical home with 5 gallons of paint...
 
Here's a pic of 50 lbs of 2 row split between two 5 gallon Measure-Right buckets that I picked up at Lowes. The buckets are semi translucent so you can check grain levels at a glance. The lids (sold separately) have gaskets in them which should keep out the bugs and humidity. They seem easy enough to pry off without a bucket tool.

img_5597-59689.jpg


img_5667-59690.jpg
 
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