Brew bucket idea

[hitthewall79]

So I had this idea, I work next to a backery, and as a result of this, they go through several 5 gallon buckets of frosting daily, and they give them away for free. I was planning converting these used frosting buckets into brew buckets. Is this a good idea, or am I just wasing my time? I was planning to sell them for like $4 that way I make a profit, and if any company wants to pick them up, they could sell them for $10 and make 250% profit on their investment.

Is this a good idea, or am I just wasting my time?

 

[Yellowirenut]

I have picked up frosting buckets from Wal-mart before. Plain white frosting is easily cleaned out. one had what appeared to be lemon flavored and colored. I never did get the odor out.

On selling them? Not sure how keen the bakery owners would be if he caught wind you where selling his trash for profit. He may start giving you buckets with holes drilled in the bottom. But then again I am in a mood right now so who knows.

 

[Zuljin]

Sounds like you eat a lot of frosting.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I think Yellowirenut owns a bakery that gives away 5g frosting buckets.

 

[Zuljin]

Can I get one?

 

[DSorenson]

I mean I am not here to judge, but I'm going to kinda judge:

Kinda tacky to take something someone gave you for free and charge someone else for that same thing, don't you think?

I like your resourcefulness, and I would think bartering for beer with the buckets you've cleaned would be a much more reasonable idea.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

Can I get one?

you want a match? your butt & my face! I mean my face & your butt!

 

[masonsjax]

Frosting buckets are free from pretty much every grocery store and bakery in America, not sure how many would pay for them. The reason I dont use them for beer is that they're only 5 gallon, too small for the batches I'm making.

 

[Zuljin]

I mean I am not here to judge, but I'm going to kinda judge:

Kinda tacky to take something someone gave you for free and charge someone else for that same thing, don't you think?

I like your resourcefulness, and I would think bartering for beer with the buckets you've cleaned would be a much more reasonable idea.

I don't see a problem with selling them. Once they give them to him, they are his. It shouldn't be their problemn if he falls head first into one and drowns, so it shouldn't be any concern of theirs if he cleans them up and does whatever to make them fermeters or bottling buckets.

Or, him taking the time and effort to get the buckets and prepare them for homebrewers is worth something. I wouldn't buy a stack of moldy, stuck together frosting buckets, but some cleaned out, with snug lids, handles and spigot hole drilled in them food grade buckets, well, I bought just that when I bought my first homebrew kit.

And, depending on how the bakery is ridding themselves of them, they may be getting a break by giving them to him. If that's less buckets in their dumpster or recycle bin, maybe it's less calls for pickup. Maybe less weight per dump. Where I work, we pay by weight to have the bins dumped.

It doesn't sound like a get rich plan at any rate.

 

[Zuljin]

you want a match? your butt & my face! I mean my face & your butt!

You're into some freaky stuff, man.

I get off about 3.

 

[hitthewall79]

Thanks for all the replies everyone... do you think it'd be a better idea to sell them with a spigot, or with just a place for an airlock in the lid, obviously i'd charge more for the spigotted one. Anyone who wants one, pm me, and as long as you pay for shipping, I'll be more than glad to send you one

 

[Billy-Klubb]

You're into some freaky stuff, man.

I get off about 3.

you'll get off when I tell you to!



sorry. that one was a bit over the top. sorry everyone!

 

[Zuljin]

Well you better tell me fast.

 

[Homercidal]

First, 5 gallon buckets are fine for use as a secondary bucket, but a secondary BUCKET isn't the ideal secondary vessel, having to do with headspace and exposure to air and all that.

Anyway, to be successful in using as a primary vessel you might need to either brew smaller than 5 gallon batches, or use a foam control agent in your beer, because 5 gallon bucket+5 gallons wort+krausen=huge mess.

But, as I say, there are ways around it.

As far as selling them for profit, you would have to find people who would be willing to use them in the manner discussed. Or they could use them for other things, like carrying crushed grains, etc.

Let's face it, if the bakery wanted to find buyers for their used buckets and try to make a bit of money on them, they would be doing that. It costs money for them to do that. I'm sure they couldn't give a rat's teat what you did with them after you got them.

 

[Renoun]

My local grocery's bakery gets some products in 3gal buckets too. Pretty handy for small or split batches. I've got 2gal of ginger infused cooking wine going in one now.