Home Depot Bucket Fermenter?

Northern Brewer General
1

has anyone tried using a home depot bucket to ferment in?
it doesn’t seem like it’d be any different than the plastic bucket fermenter… except the price.

thanks!

2

[quote=“dandrett”]has anyone tried using a home depot bucket to ferment in?
it doesn’t seem like it’d be any different than the plastic bucket fermenter… except the price.

thanks![/quote]

if you’re talking about the orange buckets they are NOT foodsafe. Do not use them to ferment. You need to get food grade buckets. They do have those at HD and other big box stores. They’ll be white and marked food grade.

3

If you mean the 5 gallon food grade buckets I don’t see why not. The matching lids even have a seal in the rim. Obviously only good for a 3 - 4 gallon batch though.

4

If that were the case, everyone would use them. They are not food grade, very simple. To get technical, the pores are much larger and they WILL be gassing off toxins…. But who is to say? Give her a try! No way would I trust all my effort and time to this approach… Just saying… Sneezles61 :roll:

5

I’d probably only use them for storing some dry grains since the lids they sell with them are pretty tight and should keep bugs and stuff out.

For an active reaction going on inside, probably not. I would suspect that type plastic would leech some sort of nasty stuff into it. Even if it isn’t too toxic, it probably won’t taste good.

6

NO NO NO. Unless you want a swampy mess that tastes like vinyl chloride, I’d avoid at all costs.

7

Food grade buckets don’t have dyes added that could be harmful. The orange color of Homer buckets would make me nervous. We all like saving a buck but in this case, go the extra and get food safe containers.

8

Check out this deal on buckets and gamma lids from Homebrew finds.

http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2015/05/gr ... w+Finds%29
9

Firehouse Subs --the chain-- at least in Fairfax sells their 5 gallon pickle buckets for $2.00 per with the lid. They are a god awful red but should work just fine. Not sure about the headspace.

10

[quote=“dannyboy58”]Check out this deal on buckets and gamma lids from Homebrew finds.

http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2015/05/gr ... w+Finds%29[/quote]

I’m not sure, off the top of my head, about cost, but in my neck of the woods Winco supermarket sells the five (and two) gallon buckets with the fancy lids and regular lids. At least no shipping.
I bought a two and a five gallon bucket last year. I used the two to ferment a cider and the five for a black imperial pale ale: both turned out good.

11

I always wondered…just because something says “food safe” on it; who can guarantee that it is? Does the FDA check them all and or enforce that?

12

Home depot site says that the Orange buckets are not food safe. But on the bottom of them the are stamped HDPE and 2 symbol. According to FDA and wiki this is a food safe container. So if you want to store grain in them they work great. Not sure would ferment in them the fermentation buckets are less poreless and you would risk infection and oxygenation.

13

I would spend a couple extra bucks and get some 8 gallon buckets.

14

thanks everyone.
i’ll check for the white food safe buckets.

i was wanting to upgrade to 5gal brews and love diy. figured i could “make” my own fermenting bucket instead of spending extra on one b/c it has a graphic of hops on the side.

thanks!

15

White food-grade buckets plus an omega-seal lid make great fermenters… just need to drill a hole for the airlock and find either a rubber stopper or grommet that fits the hole.

16

not sure what the Home Depot buckets cost, but my fermenter was $10. Minimal cost for starting up, and I expect it will last for years.