Old plastic bucket fermenters - keep or throw away?

[RIT_Warrior]

So I haven't homebrewed in a few years, but I'm looking to start up again. I got a rather nasty infection on my last brew and I opted to dump it (smelled of unleaded and probably tasted the same). Since my equipment has basically been sitting in a closet for that time, is my plastic stuff still OK to use? I've been scrubbing some light pink stuff which I assume to be mold off of the buckets, but I'm debating replacing them entirely. I've already replaced all the tubes save the autosiphon.

Knowing this what would you guys keep/replace out of these:

1. Airlocks (2 three piece/2 one piece)
2. Rubber stopper for carboy
3. Bottling bucket with spigot and rubber grommets
4. Regular fermenting bucket
5. Autosiphon

Another question as well, on my pot. I have a 5 gallon aluminum pot (no lid), but when testing it out on my stove it took about an hour to reach boil while almost full of tap water. As I've selected an extract 90 minute IPA clone for my triumphant return to beer, I'm a bit worried that my stove will have trouble bringing the wort to a boil come brew day. Anyone have any tips on how to help the boil on a gas stove with open flames licking up the side of the pot (assuming I straddle 2 burners)? I'm worried the towel/insulation trick won't work since the burners would just light it on fire.

 

[92greenyj]

the airlocks should be fine. stopper as well.

I recently did the same thing. when I came back I cleaned the snot out of everything with PBW and some good old elbow grease. then i filled and soaked everything with sanitizer for a good hour (even though my sanitizer works in 60 seconds).

I've brewed several batches since coming back and haven't had an issue with any of them yet

 

[shamrockdoc]

Find a kettle lid that will fit that way you can use one burner and not burn the towels. As far as your equipment...it really sounds like it was put away dirty so my suggestion is a chlorine bath then a Oxy-Clean scrub proper hot water rinse then some star san acid wash. Replace the bottling bucket spigot and rubber grommets, airlocks should be ok replace rubber stoppers and go ahead and replace the autosiphon. Welcome back

 

[RIT_Warrior]

the airlocks should be fine. stopper as well.

I recently did the same thing. when I came back I cleaned the snot out of everything with PBW and some good old elbow grease. then i filled and soaked everything with sanitizer for a good hour (even though my sanitizer works in 60 seconds).

I've brewed several batches since coming back and haven't had an issue with any of them yet

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, I've read a few posts on here that say an infection in a bucket means don't use the bucket again. And I'm not entirely sure which bucket had the brew in it when it was infected. So I think I'll toss them both, even though one of them might be OK with a good scrubbing.

Find a kettle lid that will fit that way you can use one burner and not burn the towels. As far as your equipment...it really sounds like it was put away dirty so my suggestion is a chlorine bath then a Oxy-Clean scrub proper hot water rinse then some star san acid wash. Replace the bottling bucket spigot and rubber grommets, airlocks should be ok replace rubber stoppers and go ahead and replace the autosiphon. Welcome back

I would like to find a kettle lid, but I haven't been able to find one in a brick and mortar store that I know will fit yet (it is a very wide pot). I'll look around some more and see if I can find one.

Thanks for the help though, guys!

 

[JonK331]

Yeah I'd toss the buckets. Also keep in mind that scrubbing plastic buckets can scatch them and the scratches can more easily harbor bacteria than smooth plastic.

 

[david_42]

Read up on late addition for extract and do a 3 gallon boil.

 

[tunoffun]

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, I've read a few posts on here that say an infection in a bucket means don't use the bucket again. And I'm not entirely sure which bucket had the brew in it when it was infected. So I think I'll toss them both, even though one of them might be OK with a good scrubbing.

So... why did you ask?

 

[RIT_Warrior]

So... why did you ask?

Because I read the advice on chucking plastic fermenters after an infection after I posted. Searched for it before I posted but couldn't find anything, but the "similar topics" picked it up after I posted.

Read up on late addition for extract and do a 3 gallon boil.

The late addition extract I was already planning on doing. I'm worried that the extract addition would stop the boil in its tracks, though, and it would take a while to get going again. And 3 gallons would boil fine, but wouldn't that get my hops out of whack? Because the AA wouldn't absorb as well? I'm already a little off because I can't do a full boil.