I had been thinking about this for a while and was glad to see someone here had done it. I just tried the uline liners on 3 different batches.
I was already fermenting in plastic buckets due to the lower cost and easier cleanup. This was hopefully a way to make cleanup even easier and to open up possibilities for alternative fermentation vessels. I'm looking to experiment with a 10 gallon plastic trash can for larger batches. The choices for a fermentation vessel are now opened up dramatically.
I got the next size up liners too (S-13572):
http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-13572/Trash-Liners/24-x-33-12-16-Gallon-15-Mil-Clear-Trash-Liners
Results:
Munich Helles
One would think if there was leaching of anything into the beer, it would show up in this one. I kegged a few weeks ago and it tastes great.
Tried on two other ales (for secondary only), no problems there either.
I double bagged for this first round of testing to be safe, but there was no leaking to be found. The lids for the buckets sealed just fine, even over two layers of bag.
The best part is the cleanup. Just siphon the beer, pull the liner out, tie it shut and throw it in the trash. No bucket to clean, just a lid.
I also wanted to decrease the permanent modification of any equipment, so I skipped the vent hole in the side of the bucket and everything went just fine. As of now, I think this will be my new method. Bulk cost puts them at about $0.20 / bag. Completely worth it in my opinion. 250 bags will last me a long time, but I suppose one could go in with a few people and split a package.
