Need help turning these into fermenters

[desabat]

These water containers I found at a local hardware shop are $10 and the ideal size for the batches I want to start making. I need your help/advice in how to make an air lock and maybe a spigot at the bottom to bottle directly. Never done anything like this before but should be easy enough with the right tools since their plastic. it comes with a screw top that I could drill a hole for the air lock but would like to save the cap to seal the jug while I oxyginate (agitate it with the lid on and use it for that purpose) and maybe then put a rubber bung? Would this work

 

[Auger]

If you have the screw-on cap, just drill a hole and insert a rubber grommet of the appropriate size, stick in an airlock or blow-off tube and you're good to go.

 

[flars]

Plastic spigots are less than $3, usually require a 1 inch diameter hole. You will need to make a wrench, for holding the inside nut, to install the spigot. Plywood would work as the material for the wrench since the nut is not more than finger tight.

Check out the plastic type for air permeability.

 

[jbob7171]

How big is the opening in the jug? You can get drilled stoppers close to 3" in diameter.

Just curious about bottling directly from primary... if the spigot is too low, you might bottle a lot of trub.

 

[FourSeasonAngler]

I would get a spigot and install that in the cap. Size your bung/drilled stopper to match the hole you drilled in the cap for the spigot.

To aerate, install the spigot into the cap and secure the cap.

While fermenting, stand the jug upright and use the drilled stopper instead of the spigot in the hole in the cap for your airlock or blow-off tube.

After fermenting, put the spigot back in the cap and tip the jug to rack to bottling bucket/secondary/keg/bottles/etc...


*If I could find these in 5.5 to 6 gallon size I would use these

 

[broadbill]

Depending on the plastic type they may be unsuitable for fermentation because of oxygen permeability. There has been plenty of discussing about this on this forum. I will let you do the research instead of listing it here.

If they are the correct type of plastic, and if they are able to handle hot liquids, these would be good no-chill containers. Again, plenty of discussion about this on this forum.

 

[GHBWNY]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but this looks it might be harder to clean than a glass carboy or plastic bucket. Especially if you get a crusty krausen/hop ring around the inside.

 

[desabat]

Its hdpe food grade plastic. Doing a quick search i found that only pet plastic is less permeable.

 

[kh54s10]

Personally I would forget about trying to bottle straight from the fermenter. You will get too much debris into the bottles. I know many do it but I look at all the debris that is in the last 1/16th inch left in my bottling bucket. I don't want that in my bottles.

If they have caps, drill a hole and use rubber grommets and an airlock. You can probably get the grommets at any hardware store.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but this looks it might be harder to clean than a glass carboy or plastic bucket. Especially if you get a crusty krausen/hop ring around the inside.

Better science through chemistry. If you have to scrub, you're chemicals are wrong or aren't hot enough.

 

[FourSeasonAngler]

Better science through chemistry. If you have to scrub, you're chemicals are wrong or aren't hot enough.

THIS.


I would never scrub a plastic vessel or piece of equipment that comes in contact with cool wort.

NEVER. EVER.