plastic pails

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mnpaddler

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what makes a plastic pail a food grade pail? I have a 6 gallon white plastic pail that has markings on the bottom of ROPAK 4 and HDPE #2 inside of a recycle set of 3 arrows in a triangle. I want to use it for a brew pail as they want $20.00 for what looks like the same pail at the brew shop!

any info appreciated...cheers
 
HDPE type 2 is typically food grade, but it doesn't have to be.

To know for sure you have to contact the manufacturer.


EDIT: to make things easier for you, here's the manufacturer information:

Contact LINPAC Ropak

10540 Talbert Avenue
Suite 200 W
Fountain Valley
CA 92708
USA

+1 (714) 845 2845
[email protected]
 
If it's white, I'd say you're OK. Much better than the orange Homer buckets.

White is ok but the best is translucent. I would not use any colored buckets but do not use any black buckets no matter what they are stamped.

There is a post that Home Depot buckets (the translucent ones NOT the orange ones!!!) are food grade but not advertised as such since they do not sell food at the Home Depot.
 
Try going to a health food store that sells food in bulk. The one near me often has stacks of food buckets that are free. Also you can use used 5 gal water bottles, like from a water cooler. This is all I use. They were free.
 
I am not always a fan of w-mart but they have 5 gallon white plastic food safe buckets with lids for $3.50. These are in the paint department and can be used for 4 gallon size batches. Just FYI.
 
New, white #2 HDPE buckets should all be good, I think. I wanted some fermenters with a bit more capacity than the standard "Ale Pail," which is 6.5 gal. I got three of the 7 gal. white buckets from US Plastics , which can be ordered with lids in a variety of colors, making them easy to tell apart. The lids for these buckets also have a real, functioning neoprene "O"-ring, which means you get a positive seal on the fermenter every time. I got three of these with lids, delivered, for around $32. I have been very pleased with them; the extra .5 gal of headspace doesn't sound like much, but I no longer have any foamouts.
 
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