Do these barrels make good fermenters?

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BADS197

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http://www.bayteccontainers.com/5galpljuscca.html
baytec_2055_2008084



New 15 Gal Plastic Barrels Closed Top Great for a fresh water barrel or rain Barrel. Your Choice of Blue or Natural (white) - PLASTIC DRUMS CLOSED TOP
baytec_2055_13126175



hmmm Stainless....
baytec_2055_11668840

http://www.bayteccontainers.com/stainless-steel-wine-barrels.html
They have open top and closed top barrels.

FDA approved.

Was considering something plastic in leu of glass after reading a site full of glass carboy injuries.

My 4yr old helps me brew occasionally and I would hate to have a glass carboy shatter or explode and injur her in the process.

Makes cooling a little harder since I dont have a igloo large enough for this but I'll figure something out.

??
 
Yes they work great, but you can get the exact same thing from your LHBS for $5 or less (most likely). They are what LME comes in, and once they are empty, they have to do something with them. I picked mine up for $4.

FYI, I only use it if I'm doing 10g batches.
 
I wonder if the 5 gallon one would leave enough headroom for fermentation?

I was considering the 15 gallon one if the 5 gallon ones didnt have enough for a full 5 galllon batch.

Hell for 15$ I could afford to try one out.
 
I wonder if the 5 gallon one would leave enough headroom for fermentation?

I was considering the 15 gallon one if the 5 gallon ones didnt have enough for a full 5 galllon batch.

Hell for 15$ I could afford to try one out.

5 gallons wont cut it . Even if you ended up with 5 gallons after fermentation when you account for trub loss you will end up with less.
 
I have no LHBS so I got them at US Plastics they are a bit cheaper there than the site you listed Delex15gallon



Thanks for the link.

The US Plastics site has 6 gallon ones which would be perfect for a 5 gallon batch. I just realized that I'm not doing 10 or more gallon batches yet so 15 might be too much space up top for oxygen to rest.

The 6 gallon ones are 16.00 so I'll probably pick one up and give it a try.
 
A question - how do you clean these plastic fermenters? Seems like the krausen that forms on top of the wort would be difficult to remove.
 
I had the same question as desertbronze. They look like they'd be a PITA to clean out.
These are what I use. They have a nice gasket lid and theres a catch in the outer rim of the bucket that the lid locks into. The lid has a little trigger that you push in and unlatch the top.

Cheap and easy,
Life Latch® New Generation Tamper Evident Shipping Container - US Plastic Corporation
and they have different color lids :D

We have some of those locking ones here at work for collecting used batteries in for disposal.

I think the 8 gallon or the 15 gallon would be ideal.

There shouldn't be a problem fermenting 5 gallons in a 15gallon container.
 
I use these for primary. They are easy to clean. As soon as I rack I rinse, fill with OxyClean, let soak for a couple days. I rinse and I'm ready for the next batch. The last bit of water is hard to get out because they don't want to drain 100%. I love mine, but I do wish it had a larger opening. I can ferment 13.5 gallons at a time. :D
 
Go for the 15 gallon- even 5g would be okay b/c there's enough production going on to purge that o2 through your airlock. But space is an issue for me - only so much room in the ferment fridge, it's only used for larger batches. Easy to clean if you clean it right away.
 
How do you dump the trub and yeast without high angled sides like 60 degree conicals have? The price of those stainless barrels may be within the budget of a winery but no way close to this home brewer besides being useless without having a conical end for the dumps.
 
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