Any new news on Home Depot Homer buckets?

[thadius856]

The only truly safe option that I'm aware of for the super paranoid is probably glass.

You're forgetting stainless fermenters, like corny kegs, sanke kegs, conicals, etc.

 

[forcabrew]

I'm Ron Burgundy?

Haha

 

[thadius856]

Also, remember BPA? That's still used in some food storage containers and is proven to be harmful to human health.

If you believe BPA is harmful, then I sure hope you're not drinking beer out of cans or eating any food out of cans. Both are BPA-lined.

 

[psymonkey]

The most recent discussion (2012 - ghetto brew kit) was by cherrington3, who actually used one of the buckets to boil his wort and then was never heard from again.

While this is written clearly, please clarify - he boiled IN a plastic homer bucket??? Am I reading that right?

 

[pwkblue]

While this is written clearly, please clarify - he boiled IN a plastic homer bucket??? Am I reading that right?

here is the thread...and a picture of the boiling bucket

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/ghetto-brew-kit-369699/

 

[TheBrewingMedic]

here is the thread...and a picture of the boiling bucket

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/ghetto-brew-kit-369699/

a picture AND video ....and y'all were busting on a guy for using cheap buckets for fermenting, this takes it to a whole new level


edit: and whilke I am all for innovation and new tricks/gadgets, there is a reason plastic buckets are not rated for high temps, such as the acetol they likely contain....and the formaldehyde the acetol releases when it's heated

 

[doctorRobert]

and then he was never heard from again.....

 

[itzkramer]

Don't make it a habit to ferment in Homer Buckets. They're made for mixing paint and cement. Store grain in them, but maybe use a liner for long term storage stuff. Would you use the same cheap orange plastic to eat off of if they made dishes out of it? Maybe once...if I had to, but not by choice.

Come on, common sense people.

 

[doctorRobert]

Don't make it a habit to ferment in Homer Buckets. They're made for mixing paint and cement. Store grain in them, but maybe use a liner for long term storage stuff. Would you use the same cheap orange plastic to eat off of if they made dishes out of it? Maybe once...if I had to, but not by choice.

Come on, common sense people.

Go visit a marshalls, and you'll find plenty of orange plates. Sure they might be a little fancier, but I doubt any of those have a #2 food grade on the button.

 

[Varmintman]

Come on guys one more and it will be ten pages about the merits and lack of merits with a orange bucket

You just cannot make this stuff up

 

[Big_Cat]

I just came from Home Depot and i took pictures of the homer buckets ...they are way skinnier and the 5 gallons are til the rim... in all fairness I've never brewed on buckets but i think its very possible and as long as you are sanitary you should be fine..






And this is the bottom of it with its codes

 

[doctorRobert]

whats funny is if they were died white, like a brew bucket, than nobody would have a problem with it. Am I wrong in thinking that for the regular fermenters they put something in the plastic to make them white?

 

[Homercidal]

HDPE is naturally somewhat translucent. They 'could' add any color they want, but it comes raw as whiteish color. Molded some gasoline funnels today with 'natural' HDPE. It's the same material used in milk jugs and other things.

Also it might be worth it to know that any product not approved as food safe or better may have other things in it such as mold release, oil, contamination from other materials, etc. as a consequence of a production facility. Food grade products have a more stringent cleanliness and contamination standard to follow.

 

[jerseyale]

6.5g ale pail for $8.75

https://bellsbeer.com/store/products/Ale-Pail-%2d-6.5-Gallon-Primary-Fermenting-Bucket.html

6.5g brewing ale pails for $8.75

 

[strantor]

For the record I think that the mold releasing agent argument that was brought up is totally valid. I have worked on injection mold machines before and watched the operators. They spray the mold with some nasty stuff called "stoner" and shoot the molten polymer/rubber/plastic/HPDE/whatever pellets in there. The pellets melt against and conform to the shape of the surface of the freshly "stoner" coated mold, so I assume that some of that crap HAS to become impregnated into the plastic. I had not thought of this (did not realize that buckets were injection molded) before asking about the homer buckets. In light of this, I would recommend using only food grade containers for storing grains or fermenting.

And that is my final word. I am officially withdrawing from this discussion. thanks again everybody.

 

[TyTanium]

10 pages on Homer buckets might be completely ridiculous, but when I read posts like this ^^^^^, I think it's worth educating myself.

 

[Darren231]

If you're looking to go on the cheap for fermenters go to Menards and purchase 4 gal spring water bottles...I think I paid $5/ea. I use three of them for a 10 gal batch. I get my knife steel nice and hot, melt a hole through the nipple and stick the air gap in. It's nice and tight. I've thought about flipping them and poking two holes and shoving a tube to the airspace and venting through the bottom and installing a drain situation to capture the yeast.

 

[thadius856]

For the record I think that the mold releasing agent argument that was brought up is totally valid. I have worked on injection mold machines before and watched the operators. They spray the mold with some nasty stuff called "stoner" and shoot the molten polymer/rubber/plastic/HPDE/whatever pellets in there. The pellets melt against and conform to the shape of the surface of the freshly "stoner" coated mold, so I assume that some of that crap HAS to become impregnated into the plastic. I had not thought of this (did not realize that buckets were injection molded) before asking about the homer buckets. In light of this, I would recommend using only food grade containers for storing grains or fermenting.

And that is my final word. I am officially withdrawing from this discussion. thanks again everybody.

Thanks for the follow-up, OP. I'm out too guys.

 

[Disander]

Through all of this thread I have come to a conclusion of my own (Secret One). Thank you to everyone that has actively participated!

~Dis

 

[castermmt]

I seen some at Lowes. They have a food grade bucket

 

[pwkblue]

I am brewing a 3.5 gallon batch right now...that will be going into the Lowes Food grade 5 gallon bucket for fermentation...using a gasketed ale pail lid which fits perfectly.

 

[Gameface]

Dang, I have about 12 homer buckets. I don't use them for fermentation but I have been storing grains in them. I'm not dead yet or anything but had I read this first I would have bought something else to use to keep grain in.

 

[clevernonsense]

Dang, I have about 12 homer buckets. I don't use them for fermentation but I have been storing grains in them. I'm not dead yet or anything but had I read this first I would have bought something else to use to keep grain in.

Since it's dry goods and presumably not left in there very long, not something to get too anxious about.

 

[unionrdr]

I kinda thought they'd be ok for grains anyway,being dry. Mine has had a lot of water,PBW,& starsan run through it over the course of the year I've been using it. I wonder if that could've made any kind of improvement?...

 

[Gameface]

Since it's dry goods and presumably not left in there very long, not something to get too anxious about.

Well I tend to stock up and while I usually plan to brew regularly I've actually gone the last 3 months without brewing because my brewing area in the backyard has been snowed in and I've been too lazy to shovel it out. I have some uncrushed grains that have been in buckets for about a year.

 

[LTownLiquorPig]

then scale your recipe to 4-4.5 gallons or split 5 gallons between 2 buckets. 5 gallons in 5 gallon bucket will take you right to the lip.

Putting 5 gallons of fermenting ale in a 5 gallon bucket, I would estimate you would lose 0.5 gallon to blowoff. That's a lost 6 pack every batch. If you value your homebrew similarly to craft brew...that's a $8-12 loss per batch.

That extra $8-12 for a bigger bucket doesn't seem like such a rip-off now does it?

As I said, penny-wise, pound foolish....

I started fermenting in recycled moasses buckets, back when I was still using Cooper's kits. I figured I'd just use less extract/sugar/brew enhancer and make 16L batches instead.

Pretty sure it would only take one try for somebody to put a 5 gallon batch in a 5 gallon bucket, if they got that far along anyway.

 

[jerseyale]

i've drained my hot sparges into the orange buckets tons of times without issues. I also let starsan solution sit in them for weeks without issue

 

[itzkramer]

http://www.survivalandpreparednessforum.com/showthread.php?1027-Confusion-on-Food-Grade-Buckets

 

[Skins_Brew]

I didn't read the whole thread, but here is a good reason why HD buckets are cheaper, even if they are HDPE.

HD orders the buckets by the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. Each of those buckets costs them a couple of cents. A company that sells "Brew Buckets" are maybe only buying a few thousand at a time.

 

[itzkramer]

I scored an awesome 25 gal HDPE container for grain storage. I'll post pics later.

The grain is kept in zip locks inside the tub, so I'm not worried about it. If I die I'll let you guys know

EDIT: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/new-grain-storage-bin-390619/