Can i use my scratched bucket for sparging?

[Mathias1993]

Hey guys!

Maybe its a silly question, but I scratched my fermenting bucket with my metal strainer during the sparge process. Its not that bad but still its there. (I only use it for sparging not for fermenting my beers)

Can i use it in the future for the same sparging purpose?

I guess yes, because during the hop boiling everything dies which shouldnt be in the beer. However a conformation on this would be really helpfull for me : D.

Thanks for the help! : )

 

[doug293cz]

I can't think of any reason that using a scratched bucket for sparging would cause problems.

Brew on

 

[madscientist451]

A few scratches in your bucket doesn’t mean you can’t use it for fermentation, you just need to be careful when you clean it. Anyway it’s probably a good time to quit using buckets and move up to a carboy or other fermenter.

 

[fluketamer]

preboil - dont worry - flies dust cat hair (see my other posts) , coughing sneezing, the occasional dropped spoon, that empty packet of hops you cant find anywhere on the brewstand?, its all good.

post boil - starsan spray bottle is your friend.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Anyway it’s probably a good time to quit using buckets and move up to a carboy or other fermenter.

Funny. I quit using carboys and moved up to buckets.

 

[IslandLizard]

[...] and move up to a carboy or other fermenter.

But do not use glass vessels (larger than 1-2 gallon). They can cause serious injuries when they break due to poor manufacturing standards or get dropped. The bigger, the worse the risk (and mess).

Only use plastic or stainless steel, there's a large variety.

 

[Mathias1993]

Thanks guys : D!

I only use it for sparging and i will do soo seeing your answers. Its too big for me for fermentation (30L bucket) while i brew 8-9l and i have 4-5 pieces of 10L buckets.

Switching from buckets atm is too costy for me sadly : (.

 

[IslandLizard]

Switching from buckets atm is too costy for me sadly : (.

Buckets are very fine for fermentations.
Make sure that:

• Lids seal well (enough), to reduce (or prevent) air (oxygen) ingress.
• By using the right size bucket for the job, aim at keeping headspaces reasonable. Enough to hold the krausen, say about 20-30% of the batch size in headspace. Unless you expect mega-krausen, then go bigger.

i brew 8-9l and i have 4-5 pieces of 10L buckets.

8 liters is about the maximum batch size for a 10 liter bucket, unless you control the vigor of the fermentation by keeping fermentation temperatures toward the low side of the yeast strain's range.
Or use a blow-off hose instead of an airlock. You may lose some beer, though...

 

[MaxStout]

Nothing wrong with fermenting in plastic if you treat them with care. Never use anything abrasive to clean them, sanitize them well, etc.

When they do get scratches, you can re-purpose them. You should have no issues using it for sparging. If your scratched bucket harbors anything it will be killed later in the boil.