pickle buckets?

[tywelcome]

I was able to find a local bakery that is willing to give me some pickle buckets.
The buckets are only 5 gallons. I am assuming that a 5 gallon brew would not have enough headroom to ferment in this 5 gallon pickle bucket. Is this right?
Do I have any options?

Thanks HBT.

 

[Revvy]

Sorry but the one thing that can't be gotten out of buckets to use them for brewing is pickles....I don't think you'll find one success story in all these threads. The pickling brine penertrates way too deep into the plastic.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/pickle-bucket-173350/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/pickle-buckets-144485/?highlight=pickle

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/pickle-taste-bourbon-stout-132670/?highlight=pickle

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/pickle-bucket-grist-104109/?highlight=pickle

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/pickle-bucket-85010/?highlight=pickle

As all the above threads have shown, even multiple soakings of oxyclean won't work....If it were that easy there wouldn't be so many threads.

As much as I am all for scrounging, recycling and repurposing, and finding free stuff for our hobby. I have to say pickle buckets really just need to be passed by. Get yourself some frosting buckets, or even soy sauce buckets from the local chinese takeaway, but not anything with vinegar, it's an acid and will penetrate the bucket.

Look for frosting or soy sauce buckets, or go get whhite hdpe buckets from lowes or had....

Yes 5 gallons is truly too small for 5 gallons of beer, but a smaller batch like 4.5 gallons would work.

 

[tywelcome]

Thank you for replying so early I was just leaving to get them. If i was to find some hdpe buckets or a bucket from my local chinese could I buy two 5 gallon buckets and split my 5 gallon brew in half and dump into the two 5 gallon buckets? Or is that two much head room? Also would a 6 gallon bucket work for a 5 gallon brew?

 

[hopsalot]

you will need some more headspace. I would make sure to clean the buckets thoroughly before using

 

[tywelcome]

Is there such a thing as too much head space? Could I ferment a 2.5 gallon batch into a 5 gallon bucket?

 

[Revvy]

Is there such a thing as too much head space? Could I ferment a 2.5 gallon batch into a 5 gallon bucket?

That would be fine.

 

[TJTHEBEST]

Pickle buckets did not work for me... i tried everything and that smell just would never leave

 

[BrewThruYou]

They work if you only make pickle beer. Just serve it with a pickle on the glass rim.

 

[springer]

Is there such a thing as too much head space? Could I ferment a 2.5 gallon batch into a 5 gallon bucket?

I agree with Revvy on this . My local Lowe's has white food grade 5 gallon buckets for under 5$ . They claim they are FDA approved .