plastic fermenter Bucket Problem

[leonarsi]

Yesterday the basement smelled like a dice bar. I checked my kegerator, no problem, my beer fridge no problem As i slid my plastic primary fermenter off teh heat pad out came 2 gallons of American IPA. Fortunately i had another bucket at hand and to capture the rest.

The bucket had cracked between the side wall and the bottom and is less than a year old and probably been used 7-10 times.

Has anyone had the same problem? Is it the pad? I am using this one

http://www.homebrewing.org/Heat-Pad-for-Beer-and-Wine-Making_p_2509.html

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[ChuckO]

There are a couple of threads mentioning this problem. I have a relatively new bucket that does not have any little gussets on the bottom at the edge, but does have a small crack right where the bottom joins the lip down from the edge. Fortunately, this bucket has been used to hold other things less precious than my beer. Several of my older buckets, not only fermenting buckets, have the gussets spaced around the edge and have never cracked.

I get the feeling that a cost reduction in the making of the bucket molds has led to this problem by eliminating the gussets. Of course a lot of buckets are designed for one use applications, not meant for re-use over time.

 

[mattd2]

...I get the feeling that a cost reduction in the making of the bucket molds has led to this problem by eliminating the gussets. Of course a lot of buckets are designed for one use applications, not meant for re-use over time.

Cost reduction... or something more sinister like trying to make a one use only bucket

 

[ChuckO]

Cost reduction... or something more sinister like trying to make a one use only bucket

No, probably like trying to get us to buy MANY more buckets

 

[leonarsi]

so i should just be replacing more frequently or ferment in a carboy with a blow off tube