Used Stainless Steel Drum Cleaning/Use

[yournotpeter]

Everyone - I am in need of some advice regarding reusing stainless steel drums, as I just don't know enough about SS. I am looking at acquiring some stainless steel drums that were previously used to store water-based ink. Does anyone have any idea if something like this could be cleaned and then reused as a HLT, Mash tun, BK? If so, ideas on how to clean appropriately? It's one thing to reuse old beer kegs....but something that housed water-based ink (which I know nothing about), might be altogether something different. Thanks!

 

[augiedoggy]

Everyone - I am in need of some advice regarding reusing stainless steel drums, as I just don't know enough about SS. I am looking at acquiring some stainless steel drums that were previously used to store water-based ink. Does anyone have any idea if something like this could be cleaned and then reused as a HLT, Mash tun, BK? If so, ideas on how to clean appropriately? It's one thing to reuse old beer kegs....but something that housed water-based ink (which I know nothing about), might be altogether something different. Thanks!

The seam around the bottom would be my only concern since those drums are not sanitary the ink will be hard to wash out of that area...
That said I fix printers for a living and go home with water based ink all over my hands often... It hasnt hurt me yet from absorbing through my skin

 

[yournotpeter]

The seam around the bottom would be my only concern since those drums are not sanitary the ink will be hard to wash out of that area...
That said I fix printers for a living and go home with water based ink all over my hands often... It hasnt hurt me yet from absorbing through my skin

Good point on the seam...these are huge 200 gallon barrels and it will be hard to get down in there the way it is!

 

[iijakii]

200 gal, geez!

 

[yournotpeter]

200 gal, geez!

Well, I'm investigating the feasibility of a nano, and the size and price is right!

 

[augiedoggy]

Well, I'm investigating the feasibility of a nano, and the size and price is right!

I would try it... You can get them clean it just might be a bit of a pain to get it all out of the seam...

avoid the black (pigmented) and magenta if you can they are worst ones...

 

[yournotpeter]

avoid the black (pigmented) and magenta if you can they are worst ones...

Yeah, I'm not sure if I'm going to have much of a choice. They are being sold out of New Jersey (I'm Wisconsin)...I'll have to buy them site unseen and have them shipped :-(

Thanks for your insights on the ink!

 

[stevehaun]

I bought a 55 gallon stainless steel drum that held printer ink. But, it was stored in a plastic bag inside the drum. No ink to be found. If the ink is truly water soluble, I would boil with an acid solution and then rinse. Then I would boil with a base solution and rinse. This is the best I can offer without seeing the drums and without knowing the chemical composition of the ink.

 

[augiedoggy]

I bought a 55 gallon stainless steel drum that held printer ink. But, it was stored in a plastic bag inside the drum. No ink to be found. If the ink is truly water soluble, I would boil with an acid solution and then rinse. Then I would boil with a base solution and rinse. This is the best I can offer without seeing the drums and without knowing the chemical composition of the ink.

Yes and be sure its water based... There are nasty inks out there like the solvent or even worse UV based stuff... That actually burns your skin if your exposed... and it doesnt dry or cure unless it gets exposed to uv light, had it melt my shoe soles a couple weeks ago ... Not what you want to leave behind in the seams of the barrel to end up in your beer.

True water based ink will clean up easy.

 

[mattd2]

Good point on the seam...these are huge 200 gallon barrels and it will be hard to get down in there the way it is!

At 200G you could probably just get inside them to clean... Just don't use any harse chemical cleaner without good ventilation

 

[Jaybird]

I would say they are 100% perfect and ready to re used! Toss a picture this way lets look at them. There are a CRAPLOAD of SS barrels that are actually sanitary built without that seam on the bottom.

Just remember these are for beer production NOT fermentation. I mean come on. we can brew beer with POND WATER and were good. A little water based ink? Soak in PBW. Rinse and repeat if needed! No brainier IMHO....

Cheers
Jay

 

[yournotpeter]

I'm attaching the pictures that I received - one I just recently got and it shows the inside really well and it appears to be good shape. Let me know what you think! I'm getting encouraged to pull the trigger!

 

[cilestiok]

Those are incredible!

 

[augiedoggy]

yes those appear to be from manufacturing and not storage.. I could be wrong though.. Good find! better snatch some before someone else does.

 

[yournotpeter]

I was told by the seller that the ink was stored directly in the tank and not in a bag. He did send me the MSDS sheet, which I've attached. Anyone good at reading these things and let me know what they think?

View attachment Sanford_Roll_on_Inker.pdf

 

[sandyeggoxj]

What did you end up doing about these? I hope you bought them.

 

[stevehaun]

I hope you bought 3 of them!

 

[yournotpeter]

What did you end up doing about these? I hope you bought them.

Yep! I pulled the trigger and got three of them. They are amazing. I am working with a welder to now install some tri-clover ferrules, building a false bottom, etc.... My plan is to be brewing on these bad boys as a licensed brewery by the end of the year!

 

[sandyeggoxj]

What did they set you back? What size batch do you plan to produce in a single run? Rims?

 

[tjr3000]

Yep! I pulled the trigger and got three of them. They are amazing. I am working with a welder to now install some tri-clover ferrules, building a false bottom, etc.... My plan is to be brewing on these bad boys as a licensed brewery by the end of the year!

I wish I would have seen this earlier. I would have had you ship in a bunch more and split the shipping!

 

[MaxStout]

If you want to do BIAB I'll bet Wilserbrewer can make up a bag for them.

 

[Jwin]

Awesome find! Let us know how the build goes!

 

[yournotpeter]

What did they set you back? What size batch do you plan to produce in a single run? Rims?

I was able to snag them for $500 per vessel, which I was happy with....although it cost me almost $400 to have them freighted from NJ to WI!

I'm hoping to get close to 5bbl in a single run. Might be closer to 4.5, but it will be a hell of a lot of beer!

I'll keep everyone posted as I progress!

 

[sandyeggoxj]

That is awesome! So for $2500-3000 you'll have a 4-5bbl brewhouse. Nice!

 

[Hello]

Those are slick and seems like a great deal.

 

[Jaybird]

I'm attaching the pictures that I received - one I just recently got and it shows the inside really well and it appears to be good shape. Let me know what you think! I'm getting encouraged to pull the trigger!

WOW! That's a sanitary tank man! NO SEAMS! KILLER FIND! Great buy for the $$$$

Well done!

Cheers
Jay

 

[cilestiok]

Mind sharing where you got them from in jersey?

 

[yournotpeter]

Mind sharing where you got them from in jersey?

No problem - they still have more in stock. Got them on eBay

 

[augiedoggy]

No problem - they still have more in stock. Got them on eBay

just wondering how you made out with these?

 

[yournotpeter]

Update:

I've been holding off on cleaning these as I've had my welders working on installing all of the ferrules. But I'm feeling confident they are going to do the job!

Here's a link to some of the pics:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskxFTZic

 

[augiedoggy]

Well I just bought the remaining 2 of these the seller had left.... wanted three but apparently someone beat me to it because the available amount changed when I asked about them oh well excited to have what I got coming...