Ale Pails...

[BrewinJack]

I am so happy, so very very happy... I was looking around the other day and there has been rumbelings in the FDA about recalling 18 differnt types of the 120 types of #7 plastic... I use the certified BPA free water bottles, but i decided to change over to brewing certified plastic anyway. So i went out and shopped on line and found the best price on brewing buckets... and i did... 4-6 gallon ale pails, for 8$ a piece... they were on sale because there were no lids with the buckets and were being sold without the lids. So i found some #2 bucket lids which fit them. oh im so happy... makes me wonder why i didnt switch to buckets earlier... I have no reason why i wrote this, but im happy.... any thoughts?

Cheers

 

[Chello]

Where did you find the buckets for $8 a pop?

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

Good deal...congrats

 

[BrewinJack]

Where did you find the buckets for $8 a pop?

Ebay bought without lids had to get lids at local hardwear store, un drilled for about 1.25$ a piece... total for buckets, lids(bought seprate), and shipping. Was ab out 42.30$... I think these are knock offs however... they apear to be 5.5 gallon graduated buckets with a sticker on they which says in fancy letter... "Ale Pail" in all black letters... But if i remember right Ale pails are 6.5 gallon.... But they are #2 approved chem free, food grade real thick #2 HDPE plastic just like the real thing... I thing so im not complaining... for 8$ a piece... I dont have a pot big enough to make a 6.5 gallon batch, just bearly big enough to make a 5 gallon batch for primary so its alright with me, and you cant beat that for brewing approved buckets

Also saw some 7 gallon buckets claiming to be made from clear PETE for about 17$ a piece with lids... you might check and see if its still there...

Cheers

 

[Zul'jin]

I'm about to try a washed out empty bucket of step 3 shock treatment, calcium hypochlorite, for swimming pools. If nothing else, this bucket was certainly free of bacteria when I got it.

It's well over 5 gallons. Contained 100 pounds. Maybe close to 8 gallons. Lots of head space for a 5 gallon wort.

The lid is not airtight though. That's odd. I'd think it were water/vapor proof to keep the calcium hypochlorite from clumping, at least. To fix it for fermenting, I stuffed window insulation in the channel of the lid that closes down on the bucket. Seems tight. I suppose I could capture a small child to put in there and wait for it to die to test the air tightness but, I dunno, that seems like a lot of trouble.

Of course, I drilled a hole in the lid for a bung and airlock.

 

[Brew-Happy]

I'm about to try a washed out empty bucket of step 3 shock treatment, calcium hypochlorite, for swimming pools. If nothing else, this bucket was certainly free of bacteria when I got it.

It's well over 5 gallons. Contained 100 pounds. Maybe close to 8 gallons. Lots of head space for a 5 gallon wort.

The lid is not airtight though. That's odd. I'd think it were water/vapor proof to keep the calcium hypochlorite from clumping, at least. To fix it for fermenting, I stuffed window insulation in the channel of the lid that closes down on the bucket. Seems tight. I suppose I could capture a small child to put in there and wait for it to die to test the air tightness but, I dunno, that seems like a lot of trouble.

Of course, I drilled a hole in the lid for a bung and airlock.

Good Luck! I tried to clean out a similar bucket, but continued to get the bleach smell in it.

Put the lid on it for a day or so. Take off the lid and see if the smell is still there.

Keep us informed on this because I am always about cheap or free stuff locally.

 

[Zul'jin]

Here's what I did. Scrubbed out bucket with plain water and let sit full of plain water for a day. Emptied and left open for over a week. Washed out bucket with plain water again. Washed out bucket with a good squirt of BEST iodine 1.6% and plain water. Filled with another squirt and plain water, let sit a few hours. Rinsed with plain water.

The bucket has a slight odor of BEST. And that's only noticeable after walking around with it on my head and making phone calls to SWMBO and talking out loud to myself and the cats because it sounds cool.

 

[Zul'jin]

The wort is fermenting.