Square vs Round Buckets

[Invader1]

Round buckets seem to be universally used in fermenting. Why is that the standard, why don't people use square buckets?

 

[eelpout]

The only reason I haven't is because the only square buckets I've see are cat litter ones.
The fact that it's cat litter ain't the problem, it's the fact that the litter is constantly scratching like sand paper the inside of those buckets.

 

[Brauer]

Round buckets seem to be universally used in fermenting. Why is that the standard, why don't people use square buckets?

It's like a square watermelon! If they were readily available you would see a lot more of them

 

[Invader1]

Is there any other reason than rarity of square buckets?

Cleaning related, the distribution changes in terms of cooling, fermenting area, etc.

 

[Kahless]

The standard round fermentation bucket is used in the food industry for liquids, e.g. massive tubs of yoghurt or ketchup at fast food places, so it may be to do with that design already being available and in mass production. This then adds the question, why not transport 5 gallons of ketchup in a square bucket instead of a round bucket? These are all pretty hypothetical but It might be to reduce splashing inside the vessel during transport in order to reduce the risk of spillages, as well as provide a tub of increased structural integrity (no corners to have defects in), or alternatively it might be the cheaper manufacturing costs due to less material needed for a vessel of the required volume.

Still, wouldn't want a round tub falling over and rolling about the back of a van

 

[C-Rider]

If you had and used a square bucket it would be harder to clean w/all the corners

 

[Ike]

If you cruise the web you can find SOME food grade square containers, some folks will brew in them and some won't, based on their opinion of the plastic used to make the container.

Just as an example, NOT something I've used, but I think I've heard of folks using them here and there...

http://amazon.com/Dynalon-105665-gallon-Hedwin-Square/dp/B004AHL300/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1426608179&sr=8-9&keywords=5+gallon+food+grade+square

 

[POAS]

Typically, cylindrical containers are more economical than a squared-off structure due to material needed to make it. For the same volume, you have less surface area, thus less material. In addition, rounded structures will more successfully withstand the outward-directed force of the liquid stored within (hoop stresses). So that is normally why containers for liquids are usually cylindrical buckets. Hence, they're readily available and probably why we all use them for brewing.

 

[Thedutchtouch]

Is this an actual question or a troll attempt?

 

[Clonefan94]

I would just think it's availability and cost, as others have mentioned above. Besides my LHBS, I have two other restaurant supply stores where I could go to get Food grade buckets if I needed to. The one square version they do offer, is almost twice the cost of the basic round bucket.

If they were cheaper or a few just landed in my lap for free, I'd probably use them. For me it's a case of don't fix what ain't broken. Round ones work perfectly well, so I don't see the need to go out of my way to try and find something different that probably won't work as well. Mainly for cleaning. I like the lack of corners when it comes to trying to get a vessel clean.

As also mentioned, pressure wise, you are a lot better off with a round bucket. Not that anyone ferments under pressure in a plastic bucket, but in the off chance you had a clog in the airlock, the round bucket would probably just lose the lid, where I would think a square bucket could have the possibility of cracking the bucket as easily as just blowing off the lid.

 

[beernutz]

I use a square fermenter because all the round ones I looked at which would hold the quantity I required were too wide to fit in my fermentation freezer. I'm using a 50 pound vittles vault I bought on amazon for about $35 to which I added a spigot and airlock. I don't use the bicycle straps any more but instead built a wooden platform with four chains to connect it to the hoist that is much easier to use and more secure than the straps.

This fermenter is more difficult to clean than the round buckets I've used because of the four handles molded into the sides of the vittle vault. Fermentation gunk gets under them which is hard to see making the container harder to clean. I usually end up filling the fermenter with hot water and pbw and letting it soak for a day or so to be sure its clean before sanitizing and reusing it.

 

[dansensel]

I believe that many folks in AUS use square fermentors. Jamil and John Palmer discussed square cornered fermentation vessels in one of the Brew Stron episodes before. (Sam Smith Yorkshire Squares) they discussed the difference in the fermentation due to the convestive currents established by the yeast activity and the dead space you would have in the corners.