Grain storage - Firehouse Subs Pickle Buckets

[jmill]

I had the bright idea a few weeks ago that I was going to save money on food grade bucks by purchasing some of the used pickle buckets that my local Firehouse Subs sells for $2 each. Does anyone else have any experience with these? Any tips on removing the pickle smell?

I've used oxiclean, all the other cleaners and sanitizes I have, vinegar and baking soda, etc. and I cannot get rid of the pickle smell.

At this point, I've had to purchase new buckets since I needed to get a few bags of grain stored. Even the one bucket which I have run through several cleaning cycles still has the smell.

Any suggestions or should I just recycle/reuse them?

 

[smyrnaquince]

I had luck soaking pickle buckets in a bleach solution overnight.

 

[arnobg]

I just use free food grade icing buckets from Dunkin Donuts. They throw them away so they're free and an oxi soak doesn't leave behind any smell in the plastic. I would think since plastic is not oxygen proof, that it could soak that vinegar smell from the pickles and be there forever.

Never tried bleach though so i'm wrong!

 

[phug]

Stick them out in the sun to air out and let the sun get at rhem

 

[JohnSand]

You could put bags in the buckets.

 

[Hammy71]

The pickle buckets from there are great because of the charity. However, I use them for hauling dirt or something. Pickles are near impossible to get out of plastic.

 

[smyrnaquince]

I just use free food grade icing buckets from Dunkin Donuts. They throw them away so they're free and an oxi soak doesn't leave behind any smell in the plastic. I would think since plastic is not oxygen proof, that it could soak that vinegar smell from the pickles and be there forever.

Never tried bleach though so i'm wrong!

How big are the Dunkin buckets? There is usually a number of gallons molded into the bottom of plastic buckets. The only freebies I've been able to find are 5 or 5.5 gallons, which are a bit small for a full 5-gallon batch.

 

[jmill]

Thanks for the tips.

Stick them out in the sun

They sat out for a week in the TX heat...no luck.

I had luck soaking pickle buckets in a bleach solution overnight.

Need to try this before using them for something else. I tried everything but bleach.

Pickles are near impossible to get out of plastic.

If the bleach doesn't work, I'm inclined to agree,