Ice Mountain Water Jugs = Better Bottles?

[Mirilis]

I went to walmart yesterday and i saw that they sell empty 5 gallon jugs in the water section (near the plumming stuff) for 6 bucks a pop. Problem is they are made with the material ( 3 ) on the recyclable.. PVC. How terrible would it be to use it?

 

[bensyverson]

I almost bought one of those PVC bottles, but noticed that it was molded in two parts and glued/fused together. I figured that huge seam could harbor tons of bacteria...

FWIW, PVC itself isn't harmful -- plenty of water pipes are PVC. All the safety data focuses on PVC heated to high temperatures, which is obviously not an issue for a fermenter.

 

[richab]

So, im sitting here at work and I walk by a stairwell and notcie what looks like a giant wine rack full of those 5 gallon Ice Mountain water bottles and I think to myself.. surely If i got my hands on 4-5 of those I could brew forever and not have to worry about 5 gal fermenters again... hell i may even be able to make a conical out of one as a project to see if it works..

Anyone ever use one of those bottles? If so how could i go about procuring an old one as i have never seen the ice mountain guy come to drop them off.

They will work fine, don't all the type 7 will kill you stuff scare you. Yes type 7 can give nasties that will cause the shrinky winky but only if you are a FETUS!! So don't give you beer to a fetus!! This info is from a PhD who works on hormone mimicking compounds so they know their stuff......

 

[dubbel dutch]

I've had one of these break on me after one use... I'm going to glass carboys. But they work fine, you can't really see into them as well though and they tend to retain smells. No good.

 

[richab]

I've had one of these break on me after one use... I'm going to glass carboys. But they work fine, you can't really see into them as well though and they tend to retain smells. No good.

how did you break a plastic carboy? run over it/

 

[Revvy]

how did you break a plastic carboy? run over it/

Maybe pouring hot wort in it?

 

[richab]

Maybe pouring hot wort in it?

err if so glass is not the way to go

 

[dubbel dutch]

how did you break a plastic carboy? run over it

To be honest my roommates probably knocked it around causing it to crack... but plastic is definitely limited in terms of durability... that shouldn't stop people on a budget from using these bottles, I use them, but if you're going to spend the money on a plastic bottle ($12.99 @ Lowe's) you might as well buy a glass one for $25 that's going to last forever (to give you an idea of my reasoning).

 

[Revvy]

To be honest my roommates probably knocked it around causing it to crack... but plastic is definitely limited in terms of durability... that shouldn't stop people on a budget from using these bottles, I use them, but if you're going to spend the money on a plastic bottle ($12.99 @ Lowe's) you might as well buy a glass one for $25 that's going to last forever (to give you an idea of my reasoning).

Until it breaks at the neck and you slice a vein...if you're spending 25 bucks go for the betterbottle...They rock.

 

[beergears]

Me three!

Me four..!

EDIT: just got the bottle, no cap on yet..)

 

[camiller]

... I think that you can find a problem with nearly anything these days, if you look hard enough, or use your imagination. ...

Yeah, don't even get me going on the perils of dihydrogen monoxide .

 

[lustreking]

I've had one of these break on me after one use... I'm going to glass carboys. But they work fine, you can't really see into them as well though and they tend to retain smells. No good.

Glass breaks too! The problem with glass carboys is that when they break, they break BIG.

http://brewing.lustreking.com/articles/brokencarboys.html

 

[dubbel dutch]

lustre... now you got me really scared! maybe better bottles are the better alternative. I still feel that glass is somehow more authentic than plastic and less likely to impart a flavor (i.e. not oxygen permeable), but I value my tendons and ligaments. something to think about... thanks!

 

[stever]

I was walking around in one of our warehouses and noticed they had Appalachian springs? or some brand that was using 5 gallon glass carboys. There were two pallets of them sitting there full. It appears there is only a 7 dollar deposit on them so looks like the water company is going be short a few 5 gallons water bottles next time around.


edit: it's Mountain Valley Spring Water that has glass carboys

 

[Revvy]

I'm looking for a couple of the 3 gallon sized....all of a sudden the big box stores don't seem to have them....I want to split a 6 gallon batch of mead and add fruit to half of it....

Just how many gallons of Ed's Apfelwein is REALLY being produced?

 

[dubbel dutch]

I was walking around in one of our warehouses and noticed they had Appalachian springs? or some brand that was using 5 gallon glass carboys. There were two pallets of them sitting there full. It appears there is only a 7 dollar deposit on them so looks like the water company is going be short a few 5 gallons water bottles next time around.

im so envious.

 

[Homercidal]

Yeah, don't even get me going on the perils of dihydrogen monoxide .

That stuff is everywhere too!

Bad news... I found out that not all of the bottles at work are PETE. Not until I got home with my second one, and saw that it was a number 7. I did notice that all of them with the hump in the bottom are PETE. I guess it pays to double check before stealing (er I mean taking home...)

 

[Mirilis]

LOL.. i guess ill stab at the PVC one at walmart .. 6 bucks may be worth it.. ill give it a test run

 

[shildebr]

Getting water at work today, just happened to glance at one of the 15 bottles sitting next to the dispenser........PETE! Asked the boss if I could take home 4 empties, he said Sure!! (I dont think he knows hes paying a deposit on them)

I need to get as many as possible before I move in a couple weeks!

 

[Revvy]

We may be seeing more PETE bottles now that it looks like the US may be following Canada's lead after their banning of bottles containing bisphenol A..... I called it a couple moths ago, didn't I?

http://health.usnews.com/articles/h...ttles-baby-bottles-and-other-health-news.html

That means we'll probably be seeing less <7>'s on the bottom of those 5 gallon culligan bottles......cheap, safe carboys here we come!!!

 

[dataz722]

Yeah, don't even get me going on the perils of dihydrogen monoxide .

Ok, I have got to find out who made that website. It freggin hilarious. It says "the company" is located in Newark, Delaware which is where i live. I need to buy this guy a beer.

 

[Eves]

Me three!

Excuse me but how do you figure out what cap is necessary for one of those 3 gallon or even 5 gallon PET bottles? Or are they just the same ones used for standard Better Bottles?

 

[morrighu]

Polycarbonate uses BPA (bisphenol-A) in it's production. BPA may mimic the natural female sex hormone estradiol. In animal research it has been linked to female reproductive disorders, breast and prostate cancer, and attention and developmental problems.

So, if you brew in that you'll be needing the manzier?

M.

 

[dubbel dutch]

Excuse me but how do you figure out what cap is necessary for one of those 3 gallon or even 5 gallon PET bottles? Or are they just the same ones used for standard Better Bottles?

Not a problem. It's the #10 rubber stopper same as the better bottles I believe...

 

[nugget]

LOL.. i guess ill stab at the PVC one at walmart .. 6 bucks may be worth it.. ill give it a test run

I seen ones at walmart too... I checked them out and they have #3 and #7 depending on which brand you get...

However in my ebay searches I did find Better Bottles with decent shipping and shipping discounts when you buy extra items. Might be pretty nice, lil bit more expensive bottle, but cheaper shipping.

 

[Eves]

Not a problem. It's the #10 rubber stopper same as the better bottles I believe...

Sadly I found out that the #1 plastic isn't a good idea for re-using. Great for single use but re-using results in DEHP leaking (or something like that). Turns out that Better Bottles, which are not #1, are free of the nasty stuff in #7 and #1. From what i can tell 2, 4, and maybe 5 are acceptable.

Thanks for getting back to me about the #10 stopper. I wasn't sure. Though it looks like I will just deal with a real Better Bottle as opposed to a 3 gal water bottle.

 

[camiller]

Sadly I found out that the #1 plastic isn't a good idea for re-using. Great for single use but re-using results in DEHP leaking (or something like that). Turns out that Better Bottles, which are not #1, are free of the nasty stuff in #7 and #1. From what i can tell 2, 4, and maybe 5 are acceptable.

I was under the impression the DEHP was used in #3 PVC not #1 PET.

PVC(with DEHP) is what the bags they store blood in is made of. If it is good enough for human blood...

and

#1 = PET
Better Bottles = PET per Better Bottles website
therefore Better Bottles are #1 type plastic.

 

[Eves]

Best not to listen to my babbling. I was wrong

 

[HenryHill]

I just got off the phone with Absopure (www.absopure.com 1-877-554-2276) and although they don't do home delivery of 5 gal. bottles in NC she said that they produce their own bottles and that I should be able to get 5 gal bottles of water at Lowes. The info for the 3 gal. follows:
Sales # 88108 http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=88108-45903-3GSPRINGU&lpage=none
and the number below the bar code is 46121 26005 (sku?)
anyway, hope that helps out.

Edit:

I talked to a guy from Absopure this afternoon and he told me that their 5 gal jugs (carboys) were #1 PET as well. Now to find a few...

I was leaving Home Depot a couple weeks back and right at the edge of the doorway were a stack of empty Absopure 5 gallon bottles. I don't know about any deposit on them; I just grabbed one on my way out because I wanted a grain mill hopper. I just looked and it's a '1' in the triangle, so I'm thinking now. Planning for 10 gallon batches, and was considering glass to get 6.5 gallons for two fermenters. So, it seems there needs to be three per batch. I have an abandoned 20# propane tank I found; thinking it's going back for a swap, filled, and getting some BB's.

Maybe there is, and maybe there ain't a deposit-if there is it's an amazingly small price to pay compared to the regular Better Bottle price + shipping..here comes the BETTER Better Bottle Acquisition Ethics Debate..

Oh, yeah, they're translucent BLUE.

 

[jay415]

The one I got from Lowes is PETE, not PET... It says 1 in the recycle thingie.

Not that I believe everything I read on the Internet... but this thread comcludes that PET == PETE

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070909145104AAqCarN

Just confirming that PET and PETE are the same.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_terephthalate