Culligan Water Bottle?

Has any one checked to see what kind of plastic Culligan uses on there water bottles? I havent receved a responce from them yet.

There's a lot of discussion about using waterbottles...and a lot of differring opinions. Some people use water bottles...some don't, and some only use them for making meads and apfelweins, but not beer. Unltimately it'll come down to your own choice.

But take a look first at the underside of the bottle at the symbol...


Here's some of the other codes....and some info.



1. PET or PETE – Light gauge containers such as store bought pop bottles should be a one time use only. Heavier gauge containers show no evidence of leaching chemicals.

2. HDPE – not known to leach unwanted chemicals.

3. PVC or V – Bad – Strong evidence to show the leaching of DEHA, a known human carcinogen.

4. LDPE – not known to leach unwanted chemicals although not as widely recycled as #1 or #2.

5. PP – not known to leach unwanted chemicals although not as widely recycled as #1 or #2.

6. PS - suspected to possibly leach harmful carcinogens

7. Assorted but usually polycarbonate – Bad – may contain leaching BPA.

Basically though 1 is the best 2 is ok....the other ones besides leaching problems are also the most succesible to oxygen permeability.

It may be regional....but I've seen some in Michigan with <7> on them...

Some stores carry them with <1>'s on them.

I have a Culligan bottle and it has a 7 on the bottom.

just fwiw.. after a similar thread the other day, i checked the bottoms of my Arrowhead bottle and they were 7 as well.

None of the water bottles out there I've seen are suitable for use as a fermenter or conditioning vessel. There is the chemical issue as stated above, then there is oxygen permeation concerns. If you want plastic, spend a few more bucks and get a Better Bottle. Your beer is worth it!

I buy Absopure in 3 gal bottles from Lowes and the bottles are made from PETE, same as Better Bottles (AFAIK). I re-use the bottles once or twice as secondaries before I recycle them. They're nice when you're adding stuff like fruit or chocolate since you don't have to worry about getting all that gunk out when you're done. Just give it a good rinse and toss in the recycling bin.

Dean Palmer said:

None of the water bottles out there I've seen are suitable for use as a fermenter or conditioning vessel. There is the chemical issue as stated above, then there is oxygen permeation concerns. If you want plastic, spend a few more bucks and get a Better Bottle. Your beer is worth it!

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Well I'm a bit embarassed to admit it...but I use the #7 polycarbonate bottles on occasion. Being a bit concerned I did a little research and offer the following:

Polycarbonate has, and is the most common plastic used in baby bottles and is approved for food use by the US FDA as well as in Europe and Germany.

The O2 permeability of polycarbonate is relatively similiar to HDPE (aka ale pails)

That's it...I use em to ferment in on occasion. I also use stainless steel as well as HDPE buckets.

Do the research and make an informed judgement.

Sorry...but to read the above sounds like using polycarbonate is akin to making beer in a lead lined open crock.

MW

And the debate begins yet again....:cross:

wilserbrewer said:

Well I'm a bit embarassed to admit it...but I use the #7 polycarbonate bottles on occasion. Being a bit concerned I did a little research and offer the following:

Polycarbonate has, and is the most common plastic used in baby bottles and is approved for food use by the US FDA as well as in Europe and Germany.

The O2 permeability of polycarbonate is relatively similiar to HDPE (aka ale pails)

That's it...I use em to ferment in on occasion. I also use stainless steel as well as HDPE buckets.

Do the research and make an informed judgement.

Sorry...but to read the above sounds like using polycarbonate is akin to making beer in a lead lined open crock.

MW

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My wife works in the hospital supply industry and there is a big push to stop using that plastic in baby bottles. Some hospitals have already switched over.

I'd say the jury is still out on PET or PETE. Although they are generally considered safe. Antimony a toxic chemical used in making PET/PETE may leach into the water or beer. According to the Reader's Digest Feb 2008 " Last year, scienctists in Germany found that the longer a bottle of water sits around the more antimony it develops. High concentrations of antimaony can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. In the study the levels found were below those set as safe by the EPA, but it's a topic that needs more research".

Unfortunately for us the way industry and govt works, it seems most everything is considered safe until proven otherwise.

Lead, Mercury, Asbestos, DDT, Thalidmide, Vioxx ect. We have a long history of pulling products off the shelves only after the harmful effects are later discovered.

Well **** lol

I have made world class beer in the "7" bottles. No doubt about that. But were they carcinogen bombs? Probably not, but it bears a little more scrutiny.

cheezydemon said:

Well **** lol

I have made world class beer in the "7" bottles. No doubt about that. But were they carcinogen bombs? Probably not, but it bears a little more scrutiny.

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Like I said I think in my first post...It's really a matter of choice. People have been using all sorts of things, including these to brew stuff in for years. And I'm sure when the BB's came on the market the die-hard glass carboy users said it wouldn't be good for beer either. I've seen pics of jerrycans with airlocks on it on the web, and other strange things as well...So who really knows.

Whatever works for you as the brewer is what's best, if you're beer/wine tastes fine to you and you don't fall over a half hour later, then I guess it works for you.

I need a couple 3 gallon jugs for adding some fruit to mead after I rack it out of my 6 gall BB primary...rather than paying 15-20 each for 2 BB's, I'll probably get a couple of Lowe's or HD water bottles if I can find them with a <2> on them for 5 bucks apiece.

And I'll brew with the water.

I use 5 gal water bottles that have a #1 PETE on them. They come from spring water from Dahlonega, Ga. No probs. I also have one that is a #7 that I use too. No probs with it either.

So, how about using P.C. as a secondary for cider, since the cider is so acidy?

This has been extensively studied - more so than many of the other materials that we use in brewing and food so get informed:

Polycarbonate Plastic and Bisphenol A

and make your choice.

I have used #7 bottles for both wine and beer.
I am more likely to develop cancer from the fried foods I eat and the second
hand smoke that I have inhaled.
Its all a matter of degree, amount dilution - call it what you will.

cheers.

I agree with a previous poster, and have seen no information in this thread that would add to what I already know about this subject. PETE is an approved material, and is the one most generally available on the marked in the "Better Bottle" brand carboys. While I might speculate that packaging water in a particular type of plastic might be safe, but that another liquid containing a solvent like alcohol might not, I've seen nothing here or anywhere else referring to a scientifically rigorous study on this issue. I'm therefore reserving judgment. There's a huge fear / anxiety factor when threads about these sorts of subjects get going, and pretty soon everyone thinks that something is wrong, even in the complete absence of any reliable evidence (cf. the ongoing hysteria about children's vaccinations an autism).
Personally, I use the two 5 gallon glass carboys that came with my brewing kit, and a 5-gal. Better Bottle that I purchased. As far as I'm concerned, the PETE carboy is the winner, no contest. It's lighter, easier to handle, just as easy to clean & sanitize, and has none of the safety concerns that are undeniable with glass. For primary fermentation, I just use the white plastic "Ale Pail," and don't see any issues there, either.
As far as the absorption of chemicals from the various things we eat, drink & handle on a daily basis....see the previous post. A lot of what passes for information on these subjects in the media contains no facts, and is just a vehicle for the rampant speculation that rules in a culture dominated by 24-hour news channels. As a final note, my son was a nuclear submariner, and now works in a nuclear power plant. He will not be exposed to as much radiation in his entire career as you will receive if you fly coast-to-coast on an airliner. Flying six miles up, you are flying above most of the Earth's protective atmosphere, and are thus exposed to far more of the Sun's radiation. So much for commonly held beliefs, which may or many not contain any "wisdom."

Rico, it would really help some of us older people if you put a space between each "paragraph," on occasion. Big blocks of text are very difficult for some of use to read.

Without a little bit of white space every few sentences.

Ok?

...and having unnecessarily long signatures makes posts difficult for others of us to read.

I have been using the #7 culligan water bottles, and read all the debate when the subject comes up. it would of been nice since this has been brought up a gazillion times if this was in a stickey in beginners brew forum as this is the scientific answer i have been looking for on this forum. Now I can make an informed decision as to wether to keep using my CHEEPER BOTTLES

This has been extensively studied - more so than many of the other materials that we use in brewing and food so get informed:

Polycarbonate Plastic and Bisphenol A
Polycarbonate Plastic and Bisphenol A

and make your choice.

I have used #7 bottles for both wine and beer.
I am more likely to develop cancer from the fried foods I eat and the second
hand smoke that I have inhaled.

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Thanks HBT for all the good information that is passed along:rockin:

Threads like this remind me of why I just RDWHAHB. :cross:

Hi all... This link might help you to decide...

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/packag-emball/bpa/bpa_survey-enquete-bot-bou-eng.php

Appears that the Canadian Gov't did their own study and the results showed that the amount from certain plastics from certain manufacturers (i.e. the ones in the study) show a trace amount of "bad stuff", but not enough that it'd harm you...

Cheers!

Revvy said:

Whatever works for you as the brewer is what's best, if you're beer/wine tastes fine to you and you don't fall over a half hour later, then I guess it works for you.

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hehe... well, as long as it's not the carcinogens making you keel over...



FWIW, i've got a 5 gal. #7 water bottle kickin' around i've been thinking about using for a primary on short batches, but I've been chicken to try it for fear of chemicals leaching out and oxygen diffusing through. Since some of you guys have used them without catastrophic results, I may whip up a batch of something this weekend just 'cause nature abhors a vacuum, just as homebrewers abhor an empty carboy.

Yes sir, those are 7 PC which apparently is something you don't wanna use. It's a bad chemical leaching plastic.

FYI - Recently checked out the culligan water bottles at walmart. The smaller size (3 gallons I think) does not have a recyclable #. The 5 gallons have #3 which as stated earlier in this thread is not good. I was a little dissapointed cause I was going to try and get some 3 gallon bottles for half batches.

My friend started using the blue somewhat clear water bottles for brewing. He says it has a 1 plastic number. He got a filed 6.5 gallon jug from Wal-Mart for $1.89

I always concern with the quality of drinking water, it’s very important for all living things to have pure and clean water which is healthy to drink. I am using culligan water filter which can help to clean and remove harmful substance from water. There are top three types of Culligan water filters : Gold Series Culligan, the Iron Cleer Culligan and the Super S Culligan.

I work in the plastics industry, more specifically a blow molder that makes these bottles and those similar looking ice bucket things. Those fairly clear, blue tinted ones are indeed polycarbonate.