I buy 5G buckets (HDPE 2) at HD or Lowes (~$5 w/ lid) - drill and attach a spigot and strip thermometer ($5 on ebay) and you have a fermenter for less than $10 (fill to about 4 inches below the top and good for 5G of 1.040 beer, bigger beers need more head space so about 4 to 4.5 G) -- I don't use an airlock, just set the lid on loosely until the krauesen subsides then snap it down until fermentation is complete
Go to your local Safeway or Albertsons and ask the bakery if they have any frosting buckets you can have. They usually do. I got two 3 1/2 gallon buckets with the lid that has the rubber gasket for free.
Cosper123 said:I'd just save up and buy a starter kit. They come with a lot of handy tools like a bottle capper, fermentation bucket (that you can later use for bottling bucket even if you upgrade), so on and so forth.
Really cheaper to buy the starter kits then get everything one at a time. But if going the minimalist approach check craigslist. I obtained two 6.5 and one 5 gallon carboys for 20 bucks.
And speaking of craigslist, it's a good place in general to look for starter kits or equipment in general of people that no longer brew for whatever reason. I have seen a lot of good deals on craigslist, just need to check it often.
Really cheaper to buy the starter kits then get everything one at a time.
Also, something like this may be helpful:
Safe Plastics: A Chart of Safe Plastics, Health Risks, and Glutathione
That home-depot bucket, the one I have and bought a couple of years ago is #2 HDPE, and most buckets like this are....
How are you guys brewing 5 gallon batches of beer in a 5 gallon bucket?
Usually have to scale down to 4 or 4.5G batches, though lower gravity beers in the 1.040 range will work with a blow off tube. When krausen subsides I snap the lid on, wipe it up and let it go until fermentation is done. I have a spigot and bottle right from the primary.
Quick question this thread has inspired me. I got a free 3 1/2 galling bucket from wally that had icing in it. The question is it ok to ferment in it even though its type 5 plastic but its food grade?
I personally think getting a bucket and lid from the LHBS for $13 including the lid is cheap enough. The materials for the beer cost more than that, so if you are too strapped for the bucket, you might want to rethink brewing for a bit.
Not being snotty, I just don't think the price of a 5gal bucket is cost prohibitive compared to the other things going on.
I think the only issue with #5 is long term storage/oxygen permeability.
A bucket from my LHBS is about $27
cincydave said:Wow! hope it was full of something, cause that's about double what they should normally run.
I disagree. Paying $90 for some vinyl tubing, plastic buckets, capper etc (and likely with NO kettle included) is a total rip off. I could produce a nearly identical start up kit for around half the price.
msujack and jonmohno have very good good points, sometimes it's just as easy and not any more expensive to just run to the LHBS. However... I am totally scouring around for cheap stuff to use as well. I skipped the kit and re-purposed a few things around the kitchen to get my first batch together. SWMBO isn't exactly thrilled about my new hobby and I can only spend a little at a time right now. If the ingredients are the expensive part for now, at least I'm brewing. As long as you get good food-grade buckets and clean/sanitize well you should be able to make good beer. I think for my first few batches, the least of my worries will be oxygen permeation in my fermenter.
I buy 5G buckets (HDPE 2) at HD or Lowes (~$5 w/ lid) - drill and attach a spigot and strip thermometer ($5 on ebay) and you have a fermenter for less than $10 (fill to about 4 inches below the top and good for 5G of 1.040 beer, bigger beers need more head space so about 4 to 4.5 G) -- I don't use an airlock, just set the lid on loosely until the krauesen subsides then snap it down until fermentation is complete
Brewcrew86 said:I thought the yeast needed to breath?
I buy 5G buckets (HDPE 2) at HD or Lowes (~$5 w/ lid) - drill and attach a spigot and strip thermometer ($5 on ebay) and you have a fermenter for less than $10 (fill to about 4 inches below the top and good for 5G of 1.040 beer, bigger beers need more head space so about 4 to 4.5 G) -- I don't use an airlock, just set the lid on loosely until the krauesen subsides then snap it down until fermentation is complete
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