Fermenter lifespan

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I don't know because I've never had to retire one so far and two of mine are approaching tens years old. I think I would consider ditching them if I had a contamination problem, but until then I will just keep using them. I do treat them gently and use them ONLY as fermetners and nothing else. Not all plastic bucket fermeters are created equal. The manufacturing quality has a lot to do with it IMO.
 
Your plastic buckets should last a really long time if not indeffinetly. Just remember to NEVER use abrasives to clean them and properly sanitize them and you should not have problems.
 
sully said:
when that smell will not come out
Click to expand...

I love the smell of my fermenters.

I've got one that's about 12 years old. another one is 2 years old. That one I may replace soon because the lid doesn't seal any more. If I can find a new lid that fits, I'll keep using it.

I wash them with dish washing liquid and a soft cloth. The buckets will last a long time, but the lids warp and crack from flexing while removing them.
 
tenglert said:
I love the smell of my fermenters.

I've got one that's about 12 years old. another one is 2 years old. That one I may replace soon because the lid doesn't seal any more. If I can find a new lid that fits, I'll keep using it.

I wash them with dish washing liquid and a soft cloth. The buckets will last a long time, but the lids warp and crack from flexing while removing them.
Click to expand...
Why not just buy a new seal for the lid? ;)

I've never used soap on mine either. :D
 
Fermenting buckets are like cars. Their age is determined by usage...not years.

I have four buckets that have seen around 45 batches each. I routinely rinse with 135 degree water. Soak in a mild bleach/water solution..and rinse in 135 degree water.

Despite the thorough sanitizing....I'm pretty sure I can detect a slight aroma of an ESB I did about 14 batches ago in one of the buckets....


....man I love that smell... :D
 
i have been doing 2.5-3.5g batches for my last ten or so brews, so all my primary buckets will last a REALLY long time as i forgave them for carboys for primary. having said that, i made a few pumpkin brews in two of them and they still retain a little hint of the spices after several months. those will only be used for spiced beers, but if you aren't putting spices in there, they should last indef as long as you don't scratch the hell out of them. :ban:
 
homebrewer_99 said:
Why not just buy a new seal for the lid? ;)
Click to expand...

The seal isn't the problem. It's the plastic gets warped and starts to crack around the edge. This lid snaps on really tight, and is hard to remove.

I'm thinking, with my next lid, I will drill a large hole in it and use a carboy stopper. That way I can pull samples without prying off the lid. I should get at least double the life out of the lid that way.
 
I have used the same carboys for many years.
My buckets have lasted three at this point.

Keep them clean and abrasion free and they should be fine.
Hoses, on the other hand, I replace yearly.
 
tenglert said:
The seal isn't the problem. It's the plastic gets warped and starts to crack around the edge. This lid snaps on really tight, and is hard to remove.

I'm thinking, with my next lid, I will drill a large hole in it and use a carboy stopper. That way I can pull samples without prying off the lid. I should get at least double the life out of the lid that way.
Click to expand...

Hmm, that is a really good idea. Where's my hole saw?? Also, no more lost grommets in the beer... I'm careful, but every now and then one of those things just does not want to stay put.
 
Catt22 said:
Not all plastic bucket fermeters are created equal. The manufacturing quality has a lot to do with it IMO.
Click to expand...

Believe it or not, they are pretty much created equal. It is where they are shipped from the molder that determines if they become paint cans or Ale Pails.

It is the care you are giving them that has afforded the many years of use.
 
Baldy_Beer_Brewery said:
Believe it or not, they are pretty much created equal. It is where they are shipped from the molder that determines if they become paint cans or Ale Pails.

It is the care you are giving them that has afforded the many years of use.
Click to expand...


I had based my observation on two plastic fermenters that I bought from Williams Brewing long ago. The inside surface seems to be much smoother & slicker (as if glazed or polished) than most other buckets I have seen. The plastic also has a translucent appearance vs. the more opaque common ones. The airlock hole in the lid is formed and not drilled and because of this, no grommet is needed. These buckets appear to have been manufactured specifically for use as fermenters. The downside is that they are considerably more expensive than the ordinary buckets often used. I do agree that how you care for them makes all the difference in longevity.
 
The smoothness is likely due to the mold being newer or the mold maker doing a better polishing job. I'm not saying that some vendors don't have different criteria for the buckets they buy, I doubt Williams or LD Carlson or anyone else has an injection molding machine and tooling to make their own.

Letica is one molder that I believe does a good job as far as quality. But there are a lot of food service buckets being made that I think some of the sanitization freaks would panic over.
 
I've been fermenting in the same bucket that came with my Midwest kit for two years, maybe 25-30 batches. There have been no problems. OTOH, I clean only with a sponge (and Dawn dishwashing detergent) and spray on Star San for sanitizing. Nothing abrasive, and clean it right away after emptying. I think the point made earlier about using it often is a good one. After a dozen or so batches, it started to get stained and smell strongly of hops, so I put in a half-cup of Oxi-Clean and filled it up with hot water, then let it sit overnight. IT turned nice and sparkly white, with only a trace of the odor. A few batches later and it was stained and smelling like hops again- and at that point I thought "What does the stain hurt?" and "What does beer smell like?" and I just ignore that stuff, and brew.
 
Now, does this also apply to plastic HDPE conicals? Will 24 hour soaking with caustic solution + 180F water rinse eradicate any flavors/smells?
 
I have a half dozen buckes that I no longer use for fermenters, but they are far from retired. I collect the wort during the sparged, store cleaner for reuse, soak items in sanitizer, and numerous other uses. I wouldn't be able to brew without them, but stick to glass or my Fermenator for all my fermentation needs.
 
I have two 3.5 gal buckets that I scrounged from a baker's. I was going to use them for fermenters (I brew 2.5 gal batches). I notice that both buckets have tiny little scratches, more like scuff marks - probably from the icing trowel. I remember reading that buckets are good until they get one scratch, then they're disease pits.

In which case, I think my buckets have had the shortest careers as fermenters. I'm now thinking of turning them into a lauter or mash/lauter tun.
 
If you don't like the smell, it is pretty easy to get rid of it. Use about a quarter of a cup of bleach in a fermenter filled with water. Let it sit overnight. Rinse it out, and smell is gone. But I've never found that a fermenter that smells like beer matters in brewing.
 
I just rinse mine as soon an they are empty with hot water and use a soft cloth. Than I sanatize with star-san.

I have two buckets and try to keep them full as much as I can.
 
I find the fear of scratches interesting. There were microscopic scratches in our buckets the second they fell from the mold. I take care to not scratch mine, but the absence of visible scratches does not mean that there are not nooks that bacteria can hide in.
 
I get rid of buckets when they are no longer able to be cleaned, have permanent stains and smell. At $5 per though, they get a replacing every few years.
 
When you get a super nasty, virulent, wild yeast that contaminates consecutive batches despite rigorous cleaning and disinfecting.
 

Similar threads

Hoochin'Fool
would you bottle this beer?
Replies
22
Views
897
mac_1103
mac_1103
tyrub42
New fermentation chamber is too small. Should I replace it or keep it?
Replies
22
Views
851
tyrub42
tyrub42
Denis2121
Racking to secondary with krausen
Replies
8
Views
435
hottpeper13
H
z-bob
US-05 yeast seems to be stuck at 70% attenuation
Replies
20
Views
590
IslandLizard
IslandLizard
Barão
Beer without airlock
Replies
11
Views
737
day_trippr
day_trippr

Latest posts

Back
Top