Plastic Pail from lowes

[Cammyg]

I bought a plastic Pail from lowes, I'm not sure what type of plastic it is, but is it okay to ferment in? Is there any types of buckets that you CANT use as fermenters?

 

[Peruvian802]

It has to be food grade plastic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_safe_symbol

 

[Cammyg]

Ah okay thanks!

 

[Pyg]

I bought a white bucket from home depot to use as a bottling bucket.
My understanding was if it had HDPE or symbol #2 it was food grade

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-density_polyethylene

 

[dmcman73]

Hope depot sells 5 gallon pails that are food safe and have a large sticker on them stating that, they are white pails.

If you're fermenting 5 gallon batches then the 5 gallon pails are not going to cut it, no room for the krausen to go except all of the blow tube.

 

[Erik_Mog]

I got two clear-ish white 5 gal buckets from Lowes. One has StarSan it now, and the other is a grain bucket. They are food grade HDPE. I plan to get another to use as a secondary for when I want to rack on to fruit.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I used to secondary in HD homer buckets and I'm still alive,As previously stated there useless for 5 gallon fementers,to small. 6.5 buckets are what you want. They sell at LHBS for around $15 with the lid..

 

[Curtis2010]

Related thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=585842

 

[kh54s10]

There was a thread a few years ago where someone contacted Leaktite who make the buckets Home Depot sells. They said that the plastic in the orange buckets still qualifies for #2 grading but the orange dye makes it questionable for food safe. I wouldn't worry too much about grain contact etc. but I would not ferment in one. The white ones are supposed to be OK.

5 gallon is not very useful for liquid in my set up. It is not enough room to ferment a 5 gallon batch. Great for grain with a Gamma Lid.

I get my buckets for $1.50 with the lid at my local dairy. They used to hold syrups.

 

[brewbama]

I mill my grain into a homer bucket. But I ferment in stainless.