How bad is scratched plastic anyway?

Hi,

I'm on my 6th AG batch now, and despite some troubles here and there, the beers have been largely good. (Knock on wood).

My question is how dangerous a scratched plastic bucket really is.

My first mash tun was a 30L plastic bucket most LHB shops sell as primaries. I drilled a hole in the side, and put a manifold in it. Worked well. I have since moved to a larger mash tun, and re-purposed this bucket as a bottling bucket.

However, the bottom of this bucket is scratched to sh*t from the copper manifold that used to be in it from its mash tun days.

I've read about scratches in plastic re: infections, but I would like to gauge how risky it is. I'm on the borderline with SWIMBO for gear budget right now and would prefer to avoid throwing this bucket away if I can. I'd like to know if this is one of those paranoia things, or something I really should be throwing away.

Thanks.

 

When in doubt throw it out. IMO plastic should be replaced whenever you are not sure if it's safe. Buckets are too cheap to risk a batch.

 

Buckets are cheap +1 to throwing it out if doubt. Start fresh!

 

I wouldn't risk it, replace it. To go through all the work and waiting, why add worrying.

 

Plastic is cheap but it really depends on the scratches. I have scratches in my one primary bucket that have been there 6 months or so. I don't use star san or anything fancy. I oxiclean and sanitize with bleach. Then I rinse and brew. It pretty much always has something in it and I have never had a single infection.

But hey your scratches might be different.

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Scratches in a mash tun are not problematic - anything they harbor and contribute to the runnings will be BOILED for an hour!

Scratches in anything that touches the wort post-boil are a diffrerent matter completely.

 

Yeah - this is our bottling bucket. LHB charges $25 for these, so sounds like consensus is to cough up the $25...

Sigh - I'm getting nickled and dimed to death on all of these, haha. I keep hoping that I'm homefree on gear!

 

Get used to it, man.

 

Dont throw the bucket away. Use if for grain or equipment storage.

 

Why don't you make one? Bucket, drill a hole, put in a spigot?

My LHBS sells bottling buckets for 12.95. I'd probably just buy one instead of messing with it...but 25 for a bucket? Damn, they're ripping ya off!

 

Seems I'm usually the odd man out, but I've been using the same buckets since I first started brewing (almost 5 years now) and I've never had an infection. Some of the buckets have scrathces and some have been used so much that they have beer stone starting to build up in them. The only problem I have is with odor absorbtion. I fill them with saniclean once in a while and it helps with that. I'm of the opinion that if microbes can penetrate the scratches, so can star san. YRMV.

 

Home depot sells buckets for 5$ you could use that to make a new one

 

The "when in doubt throw it out" advice is often passed around with regards to scratched plastic buckets. However, I have never read that anyone has actually had an issue they can definitely attribute to scratches in a bucket. I personally don't understand how an infection can get into a scratch such that the sanitizer can't reach it but the infection can reach the beer. What am I missing?

 

I have also seen the white food-safe buckets at Lowes for about the same price.

 

I understand safe insurance, but at 25 bucks a bucket like the OP said, that's redonkulous. I'd attempt to make a new one for under 10 bucks, or better yet, just sterilize with bleach...not sanitize....sterilize. That's even cheaper insurance for scratches. Just make sure to rinse well to get that bleach out of there.

 

There is a surefire way to sanitize a bucket regardless of scratches. Fill it with boiling water. I've only done it with polyethylene buckets. I don't know how other plastics will hold up to boiling water. I just use a heat stick to bring the water to a boil in the bucket. Then I put the lid on and let it cool on it's own. I only do this occasionally since it is total overkill.

 

Hardly the odd man, look for my post a few back.

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I did make my own. $25 is the price just for the bucket

It's another $12.50 for a spigot (which I already have luckily).

There is only one game in town (Vancouver), which probably has something to do with it.

Thanks for the comments everyone. To clarify, I wouldn't literally throw the bucket away, but I do want to avoid buying extra buckets if I don't need to.

 

Dont you have a home depot or lowes near you that sells food grade regular ol'e buckets?