Can I use this for a Primary?

[llazy_llama]

And a close up of the lid:

So I'm looking at this bucket getting ready to throw it away, and it hits me... I could use this for a bait bucket and take it fishing! I'll just let it sit in the garage until the weather warms up and the ice melts.

Fast forward a month. It's still freezing. Screw fishing, I want to make some of Edwort's famous Apfelwine! My carboys and my ale pail are already spoken for, and I just think it would be hilarious to serve people a beverage that was crafted in this container. It's currently clean as a whistle and soaking in a 6% bleach solution for a day or two. It holds about 3.5 gallons if I really fill it up, but I'll probably stick with a 2.5 gallon recipe to see how the wife and I like it. It just seemed suck a waste to throw this away.

My only question really is how can I make an airlock for this? I thought about drilling a hole big enough for a stopper, but I really want to go for ghetto with this batch. Is there any way I could rig up something homemade to keep out that terrible, terrible oxygen?

Any pointers would be much appriciated. Thanks.

 

[Yooper]

I wonder if the plastic is food safe? I wouldn't chance it, but it might be ok.

 

[Eskimo Spy]

First, I highly doubt that it's food grade. Second, and more importantly, kitty litter? Blech.

Use a normal ale pail, or anything that's food grade plastic. That simply won't do.

 

[Orfy]

No disrespect intended but can you not push for the few dollars for a fermenting pail.
If not I'd wait until you have one free.

 

[chefmike]

You are definitely a homebrewer.

And that is far braver than my desire to use an empty PICKLE bucket. WOW!

I would say bait is a good idea.

Laughing.... or use.... airlock? drill a hole and stick it in. Call it done.

 

[llazy_llama]

...kitty litter? Blech.

It's not like the cat poops into the bucket. It's basically just sand, and with proper cleaning and sanitization, it's just a bucket. May or may not be food grade, that I'm not sure about. Apfelwine is easy and quick enough, we're not talking about 10 year mead here. Worst case scenario, it tastes like crap, I pour it out, and I get a chuckle out of it.

Orfy: I have the equipment, this is just a novelty project. If it works, I've got a new small fermenter for Apfelwine. If not, meh, it'll still be fun to try.

chefmike: I'm going for 100% ghetto style here. Not paying a cent here. Browsing through some of the older threads, I might try the trashbag/elastic method.

 

[Eskimo Spy]

The problem is, kitty litter is not just sand, it has iron, aluminum, fragrances and chemicals in it. So, if the plastic is not food grade, which it's not, then it will absorb said metals, fragrances and chemicals into it, then your beer will absorb said metals and chemicals. Personally, I would not drink that, because you may get more than a laugh out of it, you may get sick.

It's your body, do with it what you will

 

[llazy_llama]

Hmm... looking into it I see that clumping cat litter can contain quartz, aluminum, and silica dust. Well, crap, I'm already at my quota for carcinogens.

Ah well, it was worth a shot. I suppose I'll have to look for food-grade strange containers to brew in from now on. I wonder if there are any Cystal Pepsi containers still floating around out there...

 

[MaynardX]

And a close up of the lid:

My only question really is how can I make an airlock for this? I thought about drilling a hole big enough for a stopper, but I really want to go for ghetto with this batch.

Do you have an extra hose? I think it would be pretty ghetto to drill a hole and stick a tube directly in the hole. Then, seal that bad boy up with a ton of duct tape!

 

[dontman]

If you really feel the urge to go cheap go with an orange "Homer Bucket" from Home Depot. Food grade and about $5 with a lid.

 

[ifishsum]

A grocery store bakery will most likely give you a few frosting buckets that make dandy fermenters, usually just for the asking. Nice tight sealing lid and food grade. I would not use a cat litter bucket myself.

 

[likwidbliss]

I used one of those kitty litter buckets to make some apple wine once. Wasn't too crappy.

 

[llazy_llama]

Do you have an extra hose? I think it would be pretty ghetto to drill a hole and stick a tube directly in the hole. Then, seal that bad boy up with a ton of duct tape!

Hmm... you may have just renewed my interest in this bucket. I might have to brew up a 2.5 gallon batch of Apfelwine now. That would just look awesome to have this crazy kitty-litter contraption in the kitchen with a length of hose sticking out, maybe a baloon on top, and half a roll of duct tape securing the whole thing together.

likwidbliss: No ill side effects? I'm fine with it tasting crappy, I just don't want anyone getting sick from it. I'd definately have to try a bottle or two myself first, then wait a day just to be sure I don't get sick. I've got free health care anyway, so screw it.

 

[dontman]

When you were a kid didn't you fill an empty shampoo bottle and sample the water. Remember that nasty perfume taste? There is no way to get rid of that in a non-food grade bucket. You will taste the perfume from the kitty litter in your apple wine. You think that you are just risking a few bucks for ingredients but you are discounting the time and anticipation that you invest in the project.

 

[Yooper]

Hmm... looking into it I see that clumping cat litter can contain quartz, aluminum, and silica dust. Well, crap, I'm already at my quota for carcinogens.

Well, I'm ultra laid back. But I wouldn't make a batch of anything I planned to eat or drink in a non-food safe container wthat once contained those ingredients. Whether you get sick or not today isn't really an issue, I guess. That **** will build up in your system and it can't be "ok" for anybody.

 

[llazy_llama]

...You think that you are just risking a few bucks for ingredients but you are discounting the time and anticipation that you invest in the project.

Good point. I'll have to spend this week drawing up some plans for some other terribly ghetto project. Maybe a whole fishtank (new, not used) setup. It'd be a pretty solid container, temperature control would be a breeze, and it'd hold 20-30 gallons... I'll figure something out. This whole thing was just for ****s and giggles anyway, until I heard that you could actually get sick from it.