6-7 gallon buckets

are we the only guys who use larger than 5gal buckets for anything ? i was trying to avoid a lengthy trip to the LHBS for a freaking bucket (that they want almost $20 for), but i cant find anyone who sells them. yes i know i can get them on-line but i wanted to just pick one up today. any advice on where to check ?

yeasty said:

are we the only guys who use larger than 5gal buckets for anything ? i was trying to avoid a lengthy trip to the LHBS for a freaking bucket (that they want almost $20 for), but i cant find anyone who sells them. yes i know i can get them on-line but i wanted to just pick one up today. any advice on where to check ?

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You might try bakeries in your neighborhood. I have been looking myself with not much in the luck dept.

Because of the lack of finding one, I have decided to split my wort between two smaller buckets. You could do the same with two 5 gallon ones or even two 3 gallon buckets. That would leave you plenty of room and you could experiment with one batch with adjuncts.

Just a thought.

I just called my local bakery and they have 5 gallon buckets, food grade, with lids, for $1.50 each. They did not have anything larger. But that is still a great price for a 5G bucket!

Homercidal said:

I just called my local bakery and they have 5 gallon buckets, food grade, with lids, for $1.50 each. They did not have anything larger. But that is still a great price for a 5G bucket!

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Not bad! Great for secondary and storage.

Do forget to check your local grocery store with instore bakery. They basically throw theirs out daily. I will be checking mine this Sat morning.

still striking out. i have an extra 5.5gal carboy i am soooo tempted to use as a primary with a blow-off tube but my next batch is a stout !

Dang. If you were going to brew that much at a time, I'd bite the bullet and find something. Luckily I have a couple of buckets and at least one of them is an Ale Pail and I think I can fit 6 gallons in there, although my recipes have always been 5 gallons (extract so far).

Try your local donut shop , Chinese take out ,or just about any other food establishment.
Most get supplies in 5 gallon buckets.
I got mine from Drunkin Donuts. Less the 5 buck dollars for a pair with lids.

Got a Petsmart or other big box pet store near you?

Petsmart sells pet food containers that some people have used as fermenters. Just put a hole and grommet for and airlock on it.

Gamma Plastics Vittles Vaults available through Petsmart. They are food grade, stackable, come in various sizes, and have an airtight locking lid...



You can also order them on line in various sizes even from amazon, and many online pet supply dealers.

In fact ONE online LHBS has taken thier 22 gallon sized, slapped a spigot and and airlock on it and have the nerve to sell it for nearly 100 bucks...Considering you can get one for about 50.00 (if not cheaper) then spend a total of 4 more bucks for both a spigot and an airlock....They probably stole the idea from discussions on here...




Others also use it for grain storage...

Too bad your not closer to me. I own a commercial bakery and have about 30 5 gallon food grade buckets and 20 6.5 gallon food grade buckets. I'd just give them to you.

In fact, we are having a brewday tomorrow and I plan on sending some home with a few HBT'ers!

Revvy said:

In fact ONE online LHBS has taken thier 22 gallon sized, slapped a spigot and and airlock on it and have the nerve to sell it for nearly 100 bucks...

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Those 22 gallon vittle vault things cost like $50. 50% of markup is not particularly egregious in retail and I doubt any homebrew store is able to buy those things wholesale.

In fact, if I start listing retailers that sell hops for more than twice what they can be bought in bulk then I will be going for a long time. I can start with all of the retailers that are well loved here at HBT.

Do we really want to talk about the "nerve" of this?

I think the OP was looking for something LARGER than 5 gallons. The local grocery did not have any, and rarely had 5 gallon buckets. They suggested asking the hardware in case they get nail or something in buckets... I told them that I really didn't think that scratched up buckets would work well for brewing beer... She said, "Oh, yeah, ok then." like I'm some alcoholic crazy homebrewer making moonshine or something.

I could maybe try Wal-mart or Meijer, they have a bakery and deli section that might carry larger buckets.

remilard said:

Those 22 gallon vittle vault things cost like $50. 50% of markup is not particularly egregious in retail and I doubt any homebrew store is able to buy those things wholesale.

In fact, if I start listing retailers that sell hops for more than twice what they can be bought in bulk then I will be going for a long time. I can start with all of the retailers that are well loved here at HBT.

Do we really want to talk about the "nerve" of this?

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Checking the math-u-lator... hmm... interesting.

That would be 100% markup. 50% would be $75.

How big are those Homer buckets from the Home Depot? They look about 6 gallons, but there's no HD out near my parts.

Food grade??

Lots of people use them. I think they're recycle code #2, IIRC.

i just want a big ole bucket on the cheap, 5gal wont do. for $50 would just get a few of the "brew" buckets at the LHBS

llazy_llama said:

How big are those Homer buckets from the Home Depot? They look about 6 gallons, but there's no HD out near my parts.

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My bottling bucket from lowes is actually probably cloder to 6. IIRC it's made by loctite or something like that. It is translucent, and it has gallon marks...It states on the bucket exactly where the 5 gallon mark is. I think it reads "5 gallon mark at third ring from the top." I never calculated how much over 5 gallons...but with a lid and blowoff tube I bet you could use it to ferment in...It cost me 5 bucks...and the lid was another 2...

yeasty said:

are we the only guys who use larger than 5gal buckets for anything ? i was trying to avoid a lengthy trip to the LHBS for a freaking bucket (that they want almost $20 for), but i cant find anyone who sells them. yes i know i can get them on-line but i wanted to just pick one up today. any advice on where to check ?

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I'm not sure of your location, but if you're anywhere north central Ohio, I'll sell you as many 6 gallon buckets w/lid as you'd like for $6 each.

Revvy said:

My bottling bucket from lowes is actually probably cloder to 6. IIRC it's made by loctite or something like that. It is translucent, and it has gallon marks...It states on the bucket exactly where the 5 gallon mark is. I think it reads "5 gallon mark at third ring from the top." I never calculated how much over 5 gallons...but with a lid and blowoff tube I bet you could use it to ferment in...It cost me 5 bucks...and the lid was another 2...

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Bah, I wish I had known that Lowes sold those too. We don't have HD up here, but we do have Lowes. Oh well, something to keep in mind next time I decide to double my fermentors.

llazy_llama said:

Bah, I wish I had known that Lowes sold those too. We don't have HD up here, but we do have Lowes. Oh well, something to keep in mind next time I decide to double my fermentors.

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I dunno...I'm getting excited about the vittles vaults...we're brainstorming on the other thread about angling them, putting some sort of ball valve on one of the corners to drain trub, and seeing if they would work as a cheaper conical than the US plastics Biodiesel ones...

i am in PA shipping would kill the deal. ill just save my pennies and take the drive. the problem is when i get to the LHBS i spend way too much.

Pfft, at least you have a LHBS. My closest one is a 4 hour drive. Count your blessings

That's what you get for living in South Dakota

it does take me 1.5hrs round trip. that is why i spend so much when i go !

Revvy said:

Got a Petsmart or other big box pet store near you?

Petsmart sells pet food containers that some people have used as fermenters. Just put a hole and grommet for and airlock on it.

Gamma Plastics Vittles Vaults available through Petsmart. They are food grade, stackable, come in various sizes, and have an airtight locking lid...

Others also use it for grain storage...

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I am new to this forum and have to tell you that this post made me feel incredibly naive. We have three of the containers in my home that we use for pet food. I have been going nuts trying to find something larger and the answer was literally four feet in front of me.

I did find 6.5 and a 7.5 gal food grade buckets that were fairly inexpensive through a newer online supplier but because they are new I have been leery of ordering. I am not affiliated with the site and this is not an endorsement but it is http://www.brewinternational.com I may order two 7.5s for fermentation and bottling.