Plastic Carboy and Apfelwein

[zachstanley]

Hello all, newbie here!

I bought a 5 gallon plastic carboy from someone the other day who claimed it was PET, and being the overly trusting person I am, I believed him. It turns out the carboy is #7, which I understand to typically be a polycarbonate containing BPA.

The problem is I already have all my ingredients, yeast included, added to this plastic carboy. Should I transfer it to a 6.5 gallon PET bucket, or will I be safe doing primary in this plastic carboy? I just don't want to be drinking poison or anything.

Thanks,
Zach

 

[ArcaneXor]

Well, don't sue me if your wine tastes like cardboard, your testicles shrivel up, you get erectile dysfunction or cancer, but I think you'll be ok leaving it in there for now instead of transferring, which always comes at a slight risk of (additional) oxidation and/or infection.

For future batches, brewing-grade equipment is probably the way to go (I use a Mr. Beer "keg" to ferment Apfelwein continuously, i.e. I keep re-using the yeast from the previous batch. I use Better Bottles for my regular beers, glass jugs for my 1-gallon experimental brews and a bucket/ale pail for my sour beers).

Good luck!

And don't be afraid to play with your Apfelwein - different yeasts and different amounts of sugars produce hugely different results.

 

[Nurmey]

What is done is done. It's not ideal but I don't think you will grow a third eye if you keep it in there a few weeks. I know you are not the first person to use those as a carboy and no one has mentioned that their testicles shriveled up.

Welcome to HBT!

 

[smee44]

I have done the same. I went ahead and brewed it anyway. I will be converting the 2nd one of these water bottles into a bottling bucket. Should be no problem using them for that since the little time involved in the bottling process.