Rain barrel as fermenter

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I use the light blue one in the pic at the far right for 10 gal batches. My Homew brew store gets extract in bulk in those barrels and they wash them then give them away when they empty them. I picked up three and have been using them for two years. They are food grade plastic.
 
Awesome. I think I'm going to get a 15 gallon barrel so I can start 10 gallon batches. Also that's a great idea to use it for a chiller beak. Though I don't think that would work here in Florida.
 
I get the 15 gal and the 55 gal from my LHBS. They work well for all sorts of duties! The 55 gal can be cut down and used a keg tub or swamp chiller tub. The 15 gal work well as fermenters. I also cut the tops off and install a handle from a five gallon bucket and you have a nice ten gallon bucket for recycling bottles or whatever!

The 15 gallon would make a great "budget" e-kettle IMHO with the installation of an element, but that's another discussion.

If you look around, you might find these for free locally??? There use is quite common in the food industry.

If you can find an "open top" barrel cleaning might be a bit easier IMO.
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/487679877/60L_open_top_HDPE_plastic_drums.html
 
Awesome. I think I'm going to get a 15 gallon barrel so I can start 10 gallon batches. Also that's a great idea to use it for a chiller beak. Though I don't think that would work here in Florida.

That is kind of funny so do I, the water tends to hold about 15-20 degrees cooler then ambient temperature + the one I use sits in the shade. I use it to drop the temp down to the 80-70 degree range then run the last part with ice/water to drop to pitching temps takes about 15-20 minutes I'd have to guess, I do the last bit of clean up/put stuff away then add ice and finish. Rinse pot with the water remove the fountain pump dump water on fruit trees.
 
LHBS should be willing to give you their empty 15 gallon ones. I picked up two more yesterday. My LHBS isn't nice enough to wash them for me though.

Spring for a wrench if you end up using them though. Using a screwdriver is a PITA.
 
at one time i had an unlimited supply of poly 30gal barrels which held polyphosphate an additive put into drinking water to seal old pipes to prevent iron from leaching into the water.
i had thought about using one as a fermenter but couldn't bring myself to brew 20 or more gallons of the same beer.
it would've worked out great. i had installed a hose bib on one to drain just above where i imagined the yeast cake would be.
now they are doing time as rain barrels.
sadly my supply dried up too.:(

i would think the barrels would be difficult to clean.

GD51:mug:
 
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