Scratches in New Fermenter - AIH 8 Gallon Fermenting Bucket

[izaakd]

I just received a new 8 gallon fermenting bucket from Adventures in Homebrewing. When I opened it up I was very surprised to find it full of scratches and pits. I'm worried that this bucket is going to harbor bacteria. Customer service told me that while the inside of these buckets may not be as smooth as others, they have not had any issues with them at all. Do you guys think I'll be okay to use this as a fermentation bucket?

 

[augiedoggy]

If you just keep it clean and follow correct sanitizing procedures you should be totally fine. those pits are fairly wide and open and easy to clean. honestly things like weldless fitting are more of a possible issue for this.

 

[Queequeg]

Those a micro-scratches, its macro-scratches you have to worry about. If you are still concerned you can rub it over with wet and dry of increasingly fine grades followed by lapping paper, but that a lot of work.

 

[izaakd]

Thanks guys, hearing this makes me feel a little better but I still wish it was smooth. I guess I'll see after the first time using it how easy cleaning it is compared to my other fermentation vessels.

 

[Conan]

If you're really worried about scratches, don't use plastic. That said...I ferment in buckets exclusively and have never had an infection. Some of my buckets are pretty scratched up, too. I'm more concerned with micro scratches than macro- if you can't see the entirety of a scratch you can't be sure that sanitizer has killed any stray bacteria. Either way, I'd brew with your bucket. Maybe something that doesn't hide mistakes and off flavors, like a Kolsch. Kyle

 

[Bellybuster]

If I received that brand new it would go right back to the store, just sayin

 

[izaakd]

It's frustrating because the inside of the bucket is rough to the touch due to all these scratches and imperfections, whereas the outside is perfectly smooth. I was originally just going to send it back but with shipping cost it makes more sense to keep it...

 

[menerdari]

If I received that brand new it would go right back to the store, just sayin

I have to agree, I would be pretty unhappy with it myself.

 

[kevink]

It's frustrating because the inside of the bucket is rough to the touch due to all these scratches and imperfections, whereas the outside is perfectly smooth. I was originally just going to send it back but with shipping cost it makes more sense to keep it...

They should pay shipping since they sold you a crappy product. Fermenters should be smooth. It's 2015 for crying out loud. It's not impossible. I bought a Speidel fermenter from MoreBeer which went back on their dime due to scratches like those. They sent a replacement and it was exactly the same as the first one. It went back again on their dime. F that noise. How else are manufacturers and vendors going to know that they need to improve their products if we just buy them and keep them even though we are not happy with them? And FWIW, MoreBeer told me that all the Speidels look like the ones I sent back (which kind of pissed me off because all of the return shipping was a waste of my time). I decided to stick with carrboys for the time being and later went to a nice polished SS conical.

 

[WI_Wino]

That is strange looking. Especially since the standard ale pail or juice bucket pail is almost perfectly smooth on the inside.

 

[Esmitee]

I use glass or Better Bottles carboys for most of the fermenting I do normally , however, I do use buckets for some fermenting with fruits, major dry hopping , etc, where I need more head space.

I only carefully clean them with pbw and I use a soft sponge. They are the fastest and the most easy to clean outa all above.

I think a lot of small - large scratches come in a brand new bucket from the way they stack/cram the buckets inside each other for shipping? Just my 2 cents !

 

[Queequeg]

As others have said if your not happy send it back, your entitled.

 

[augiedoggy]

That is strange looking. Especially since the standard ale pail or juice bucket pail is almost perfectly smooth on the inside.

Buckets are made by the millions by many manufacturers ... These are are likely made in short runs by some company that specializes in plastic molding but due to the very small runs and market they likely dont have the equipment designed for them to be made as well as a bucket at a reasonable costpoint.the insides appear to be cleaned up with some sort of machining or tooling.... The reality of it is the cost would likely have to be much higher for perfection (different process) which would make them sell even slower... The distributor likely tried to balance function with price... if the imperfections arent an issue that whats the real problem? You cant see them when theres beer in it. plastic is the economy choice... Stainless is always an option for those that seek better. Just my 2 cents...

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Buckets are made by the millions by many manufacturers ... These are are likely made in short runs by some company that specializes in plastic molding but due to the very small runs and market they likely dont have the equipment designed for them to be made as well as a bucket at a reasonable costpoint.the insides appear to be cleaned up with some sort of machining or tooling.... The reality of it is the cost would likely have to be much higher for perfection (different process) which would make them sell even slower... The distributor likely tried to balance function with price... if the imperfections arent an issue that whats the real problem? You cant see them when theres beer in it. plastic is the economy choice... Stainless is always an option for those that seek better. Just my 2 cents...

Not in this case, these are AIH rebranding the same buckets that BrewCraft has been selling for years. Its what ive been using for years...

They are mass manufactured and people just throw their names on them. The scratches dont matter.

http://shop.brewcraftusa.com/en/bee...8-gallon-fermenter-lid-not-included--1377-1-1

I will say make sure you use ALOT of force to put the lid on with these buckets. There are a lot of people who just push the lids on like a homer bucket and think they are sealed then confused why the airlock does nothing..for a fresh bucket you literally have to put your entire weight down on it to get one edge of the seal started and then push around the edge to get the rest of it seated.

 

[menerdari]

This is my 8 gallon fermentation bucket (actually 7.9 gallons)
it is perfectly smooth inside.

 

[augiedoggy]

Not in this case, these are AIH rebranding the same buckets that BrewCraft has been selling for years. Its what ive been using for years...

They are mass manufactured and people just throw their names on them. The scratches dont matter.

http://shop.brewcraftusa.com/en/bee...8-gallon-fermenter-lid-not-included--1377-1-1

I will say make sure you use ALOT of force to put the lid on with these buckets. There are a lot of people who just push the lids on like a homer bucket and think they are sealed then confused why the airlock does nothing..for a fresh bucket you literally have to put your entire weight down on it to get one edge of the seal started and then push around the edge to get the rest of it seated.

I get that almosty all the home brwing product are rebranded.
But this is still a low volume product compared to something like a food grade bucket where the insides have no obstructions to work with so its likely a completely different process is used. since millions of regular buckets are made each year so highly specialized equipment has been developed to make them cheaply.. this is not the case with these brewing buckets were likely under a thousand are sold each year. they appear to me made of a different type of plastic as well though I'm not sure... they look to be made of the same stuff my funnels are made of. the pic of the round plug in the surface is an indication that they are made differently than a regular bucket.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

I get that almosty all the home brwing product are rebranded.
But this is still a low volume product compared to something like a food grade bucket where the insides have no obstructions to work with so its likely a completely different process is used. since millions of regular buckets are made each year so highly specialized equipment has been developed to make them cheaply.. this is not the case with these brewing buckets were likely under a thousand are sold each year. they appear to me made of a different type of plastic as well though I'm not sure... they look to be made of the same stuff my funnels are made of. the pic of the round plug in the surface is an indication that they are made differently than a regular bucket.

Its definately not a normal bucket, the plug is actually for a tap if you drill it out you can screw in a 1/2"(i think?) threaded spigot or valve which is nice.

 

[augiedoggy]

Its definately not a normal bucket, the plug is actually for a tap if you drill it out you can screw in a 1/2"(i think?) threaded spigot or valve which is nice.

I wondered what that was. How is that different from a bottling bucket? they have the same 1/2" hole for a spigot. You still have threads in your fermentor with the spigot right? That would be more of a concern to keep clean than the scratches I would think.