Any new news on Home Depot Homer buckets?

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I haven't read the whole thread, but Home Depot and Lowe's both have food-grade buckets, but they're only 5 gallons, in white or black. Also, they do have gamma seal lids, which I just found out about through homebrewfinds.com the other day. The model number on the product page is a hint, but the labels actually did say "Gamma" when I picked a few up a couple days ago after work.
 
They do indeed carry food-grade buckets at both locations. A common theme through the entire thread was "just buy the food grade ones there".

The OP was about the orange "Homer" buckets specifically.
 
Noted. I guess I should have read the whole thread, but I figured I'd just throw that in there while I was posting anyway.
 
No worries. Thanks for adding.

Don't think anybody had said Gammas were available at Home Depot now yet.

Can also find them at WinCo and Sams Club. Maybe Walmart? Can't recall.
 
I suggest you get a "real" brewing bucket....

I mean even if it was $20 it will last forever if you take care of it.

It is the cost of four (4) beers where I live not includiung the tip.

You can find them on Craigslist and you can even BORROW ONE from someone not doing a batch.

HOME DEPOT does not make those buckets and could have 10 manufacturers... even if you get an answer today it might not be true for last week or next week.

Go ahead and use one and chance growing an eye in your forehead but I think it is not worth the risk...

DPB
 
Five gallon buckets are of little use in fermenting five gallons of beer. For other uses, fine. For fermenters, I use the 7 gal. buckets from U.S. Plastics. They are food-grade, and you can get lids* in about 10 different colors. The seal is much better than the traditional "Ale Pail" I started with, which is by no means airtight. The USP buckets have a neoprene 'O'-ring seal in the lid that does the job. I got three buckets and lids, delivered, for $32.

*Putting airlock holes in these are a snap. Bore a 1/2" hole using a new, sharp WOOD or "paddle" bit, trim off the flash, and install the rubber grommet sold by finer homebrew supply firms everywhere.
 
rico567 said:
Five gallon buckets are of little use in fermenting five gallons of beer. For other uses, fine. For fermenters, I use the 7 gal. buckets from U.S. Plastics. They are food-grade, and you can get lids* in about 10 different colors. The seal is much better than the traditional "Ale Pail" I started with, which is by no means airtight. The USP buckets have a neoprene 'O'-ring seal in the lid that does the job. I got three buckets and lids, delivered, for $32.

*Putting airlock holes in these are a snap. Bore a 1/2" hole using a new, sharp WOOD or "paddle" bit, trim off the flash, and install the rubber grommet sold by finer homebrew supply firms everywhere.

Link?
 
Heck - a 6.5 gallon Ale Pale complete with gallon markings is only $9.85 from labelpeelers.com - why would you bother with something else a few pennies cheaper? Now the 7.9 gallon for wine is a tad more expensive at $14.16 but those measurements sure are darn useful for a few dimes.
 
Heck - a 6.5 gallon Ale Pale complete with gallon markings is only $9.85 from labelpeelers.com - why would you bother with something else a few pennies cheaper? Now the 7.9 gallon for wine is a tad more expensive at $14.16 but those measurements sure are darn useful for a few dimes.

The pre marked fermenters are notoriuosly inaccurate.
 
I worked at HD for a while, and when I asked my managers about it they all gave me different answers. According the the packaging, they're not, so I'd stay away.

They do, however, have some three gallon paint buckets which are, so they'd be good for half batches.
 
I'd rather ferment in used plastic milk jugs than take a chance with one of these. That's just my opinion on it. The way I see it, taking gambles with your health isn't worth any odds. Actual food grade equipment may cost more in the short term, but in the long run you may be saving your inheritance for your children/grandchildren. Can an extra ten spot saved now really be worth taking a risk with plastics that are possibly dangerous? I don't think so.
 
Just skip all this plastic bucket nonsense and get yourself a 6.5 gallon glass carboy. Its worth the couple extra bucks and will last a lifetime.
 
Just skip all this plastic bucket nonsense and get yourself a 6.5 gallon glass carboy. Its worth the couple extra bucks and will last a lifetime.

Thanks peck_man I do have carboys as well as an Ale-Pail and soda-kegs all of which are fine vessels for fermenting in. Recently the only way I could ferment 8 gallons of lager in my keezer and still have room for 2 soda-kegs was to stack up two 5gallon HDPE food grade buckets. Smallest footprint I could arrange without spending $270 on a 10 gallon cornelius. I noticed a post on this thread that claimed 5 gallon buckets are 'pointless' for fermenting beer in, point is; use what work best for your current situation as long as the contact surface of your vessel is food safe/food grade. If anyone knows of a reasonably priced 10 gallon fermenting option with no more than 11" diameter please let me know :)
 
For those with a Menards nearby, they have specifically-marked food grade 5gal buckets for $3.97. They look exactly like the regular john deere green buckets they sell for $3.47, except for being white. One wonders if the color is the sole difference, and the buckets are exactly the same otherwise.
 
I only use Homer buckets to condition and mill my grains into (after an initial thorough cleaning). Well, and for soaking bottles in Oxiclean (but different bucket). I agree with others that fermentation is not a place to save money. Not sure where cutting corners is possible in brewing but risking your health is not worth it. Ever.
 
^^Word man. I use my orange homer cheapo bucket for draining PBW out of fermenters soaked clean,delabeling large numbers of bottles in PBW,that sort of thing. Rinse it out,sanitize it with Starsan,dry out lid on & store. I also use it under my Barley Crusher grain mill. Fits like a glove. The wood base covers the top of the bucket,so no poofy stuff all over everything like bondo dust. I also got a 12oz shiny new scoop to get the crushed grains from the bucket into the biab kettle set up. No more pouring too much & getting it in the burner tray. That $5 bucket sees a lot of brewery uses,but fermentation won't be one of them. 5G fills it virtually to the top.
 
If you live near a Firehouse Subs fast food place, they sell the buckets they get pickles in for a buck or two. Baking soda helps to get rid of the pickle smell.

Of course if you're going for a pickle beer you're in luck! !
 
Just skip all this plastic bucket nonsense and get yourself a 6.5 gallon glass carboy. Its worth the couple extra bucks and will last a lifetime.



Cleaning glass carboys sucks. If you're pressed for space, carboys suck. Buckets are a breeze to fill and clean, and I can store my stuff in the ones not in use as well as stack them.
 
I"ve been using 2 gallon HD paint buckets to ferment and bottle for the past 2 years. No problems in taste yet and one took 2nd place in this years Kona Brew Contest. But then I"m 70 and to old to worry bout stuff. LOL
 
I"ve been using 2 gallon HD paint buckets to ferment and bottle for the past 2 years. No problems in taste yet and one took 2nd place in this years Kona Brew Contest.


See there.. If you'd used regular buckets, you may have gotten first! lol. The thing that struck me most was the use of 2 gallon buckets instead of the 5?? In these contests, do the judges ever say why they liked a certain brew over another? I was just wondering if there is ever any constructive criticism to give you ideas on what to tweak in the recipe for next time. Of course, every judge's tastebuds are going to be different and you can't please everyone.

These days, at 70, you could still have another 30 to go.. or more!:mug:
 
If you have a load of crappy old food unsafe buckets, you can line them with Reynolds turkey bags (24 pounders) you can even wash and re-use a couple of times if cost is an issue. For storing grain in the buckets, they would last forever.
 
See there.. If you'd used regular buckets, you may have gotten first! lol. The thing that struck me most was the use of 2 gallon buckets instead of the 5?? In these contests, do the judges ever say why they liked a certain brew over another? I was just wondering if there is ever any constructive criticism to give you ideas on what to tweak in the recipe for next time. Of course, every judge's tastebuds are going to be different and you can't please everyone.

These days, at 70, you could still have another 30 to go.. or more!:mug:

:)

I use the 2 gallon buckets because I don't drink a lot of beer during a week, maybe a 6 pack and I like to vary what I drink as you can see from my signature below.

They don't say why they liked one over another, but the do give written report w/positive and negative criticism.
 
If you have a load of crappy old food unsafe buckets, you can line them with Reynolds turkey bags (24 pounders) you can even wash and re-use a couple of times if cost is an issue. For storing grain in the buckets, they would last forever.

A fellow homebrewer gave me a couple of those and I keep forgetting to use them, but the one time I did, it did a good job of keeping the bucket clean and there was practically no time spent washing the bucket. They should be on my shopping list again.
 
If you have a load of crappy old food unsafe buckets, you can line them with Reynolds turkey bags (24 pounders) you can even wash and re-use a couple of times if cost is an issue. For storing grain in the buckets, they would last forever.
Oh Man! Ive thought about that for a long time and always wanted to try it! :mug:
 
Would the Reynolds bag be permeable? I would imagine that if you use the bag it would be the same as just using the bucket.
 
Would the Reynolds bag be permeable? I would imagine that if you use the bag it would be the same as just using the bucket.

Permeable? They are heat resistant plastic. Not at all permeable as far as I know.


I got two or three from a local restaurant. They were food grade and free. However, those places do scrape them up pretty good. Probably best to think of a source where the contents might be very liquid, and not require scraping.
 
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