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WTB 55gal SS drums

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they're usually like $200 each on ebay shipped.
But I'd rather help an HBT member first before I buy some off there
 
Hey,
I have a bunch of these SS 55 gallon drums. We would be willing to sell up to seven of them. They are all used, but in good condition. For it to be viable for us, we would have to get $180 plus shipping for them. I'm not sure how much shipping would be (or even how to do it), but I'm sure we could work something out. In case you are local, they are in Greensboro, NC.
 
Really what kind of Stainless steel? 304? What was is in it before? Is it a closed head or open?
Thanks
 
They are open head (thicker gauge steel than closed head), they previously had silicone in them (not toxic, but you want to get it all out). As far as the type of SS, I'm not sure. They have some markings on them, I will have to see if I can decipher the meaning from them.
 
But are they used for grain storage, mash tuns, boil pot, fermenters or what?
 
But are they used for grain storage, mash tuns, boil pot, fermenters or what?
All of the above I suppose if you want... We are using ours for HLT/MLT/BK and were going to use them as fermenters also but decided against it and are going with conicals instead.
 
cool, what kind of burners are you using to heat those things up. they have a wide diameter base dont they? i dont think they would fit on a standard turkey frier ;)
 
The diameter is about 24". I wouldn't imagine they fit either. We haven't actually fired them up yet or even gotten them retrofitted into proper equipment so I couldn't speculate what is required. We are planning on building a special stand with the 32 tip chinese wok burners.
 
Just make sure they have a vent on the bottom if there is a round lip around the bottom like kegs have. I saw on here somewhere, where the guys keg exploded because of that once he put it on a burner.
 
I've purchased a few of these and had them shipped freight to my residence (in KY) from PA. shipping was $150 whether I wanted 2, 3, or 4....so the more you buy, the lower the cost.
ajwillys--why did you decide against fermenting in them? Why conicals? Where are you getting your conicals?
FWIW, $180 is a great price. Used SS drums aren't always available, and as a result, sometimes people pay $300 a piece for them.
 
Years ago I would get them for free from my mechanic to make wood stoves. You can cut the top off and burn off the paint. And you will be left with a shiny stainless drum. Some grocery/italian markets also have them for olive oil. Not sure what they do with the empties. Check around.
 
I'm not sure the painted ones are SS, at least not alot of the ones I've seen. I've seen them used as burn barrels and they definitely rust.

brian,
There were two reasons we decided not to ferment in them. One is that because of the way they are sealed on the bottom, they can harbor bacteria in the crevices, no matter how hard you try to clean. The second reason is that there shape did not lend well for yeast reuse, which is important when brewing at this size. Also, the shape made it more difficult to rack the beer, etc.. rather than just using gravity. I know $180 is a pretty good price, but we saw them on ebay for around that pretty often so we weren't sure we could get much more. Plus, they are used, so that knocks the price down a bit.

If anyone in the NC area wants one, we got one more to sell.
 
i wish i would have taken it when i was there, just didn't think i had the room to drive it back to WA. thanks for the great deal and if i can find 1 to 2 more here in WA i'll be good to go.
 
Hey,
I have a bunch of these SS 55 gallon drums. We would be willing to sell up to seven of them. They are all used, but in good condition. For it to be viable for us, we would have to get $180 plus shipping for them. I'm not sure how much shipping would be (or even how to do it), but I'm sure we could work something out. In case you are local, they are in Greensboro, NC.

Do you still have any 55 gal drums left to sell?
 
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