The recycle, reuse , repurposed thread

I know most everyone that bottles reuses bottles from craft beers purchased, but what other things have made their way to your brewing area? What do you grab before the wife makes it to the trash can? Here are a few I use:

Pretzel tubs: Get them at Sams or Costco. Use them for holding grain for a specific batch until it is ready to be crushed. If doing multiple beers, it is nice to keep them organized until ready to brew. The big ones will hold around 14 or so pounds of grain easily. One thing done prior to brew day!

Spice jars: Work nice for flavorings after they are opened. I will cut the label describing what it is and tape to the jar.

Margarine tubs, others: weigh boats for grain when making up a recipe, dumping pot for bottle dregs (no sink in shop), nice for when cleaning to carry some cleaning solution around.

I also catch my wort chiller water in tubs. It is nicely heated so I have a couple tubs for cleaning everything without wasting water or having to run more hot water.


So what else? I know I have others; just need to do a brew day to see stuff in action to remember. What do you use? Money saved from reusing is more money for home brewing! :rockin:

I use the three of the one gallon Carlo Rossi jugs for lots of things, as well as four or five 1/2 gallon Ball jars.

lou2row said:

Pretzel tubs: Get them at Sams or Costco. Use them for holding grain for a specific batch until it is ready to be crushed. If doing multiple beers, it is nice to keep them organized until ready to brew. The big ones will hold around 14 or so pounds of grain easily. One thing done prior to brew day!

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There was a home brew shop by where I live that took one of these type tubs, and made a fermenter out of it. The drilled a hole in the lid and put a grommet and then put an airlock in it.

Heck I try and have a dual purpose use for everything I buy if I can. I mash in a rectangular cooler and pull the manifold out so I can use it as a cooler to carry beer. I have a corona style mill that if you run wheat through it enough the flour is fine enough for bread.

Right, an extra and unused cheap-ish chest cooler that had sat in the garage for years is now my official bottle soaking and de-labeling bin.

Cleaned the storage closet today for my wife. Came across a boot dryer I got for Christmas years ago but never used. The 100 watt heater in it may be my heat source for a ferment chamber!

I also grabbed several gallon Carlos Rossi wine jugs from the recycle center. Use them for experimental batches. I use some jello shot containers for my hop additions. I write the minutes on the outside and then weigh them out into them. That way they are set for when they go in and I don't mix them up. Also have one for yeast nutrient/irish moss so they are ready and not forgotten.