Pickle jar fermenter?

So. I’ve been searching for some gallon jugs to use as fermenters.

We have an abundant fruit crop at our new house (blueberries, grapes, crab-apples, raspberries, nectarines…) and I want to try some 1 gallon experimental brews. I have one (1) one gallon jug and three half-gallons in my homebrewery.

So, I set off to find some more. Damn! Those things are expensive. LHB store didn’t have any (I’m checking a few more places) and I can’t stomach Carlo Rossi. I even found a natural food store with apple cider in gallon glass jugs and bought one - $10!!!

I did spot some large pickle jars that would be awesome, at least in their size.

Problem is - the lids. Are they airtight? Could I trust it? Anyone try this? Maybe I can modify it, or try something to get this to work, because the size is great.

As fermenters you don’t need lids. Just use tin foil that you’ve ‘torched,’ wrap it over the opening, and put a rubber band around it. As the beer ferments it’ll off gas and the CO2 will protect the beer; at least for a couple weeks.

Ace hardware has gallon buckets in the paint department

You can get varying sizes of food storage containers from a restaurant supply store. Graduated sides, which may or may not be convenient, and last I checked a 6qt bucket with lid is only a few dollars. The lids stay on, but they aren’t airtight. Maybe think of it as a built-in makeshift airlock. :smiley:

I used 1/2 gal glass milk jugs for this exact thing a few months ago. They are inexpensive…you need the milk anyway probably…and you can return them and get a deposit back when you are done.

These ones accepted a standard bung and airlock assembly so it was totally perfect.

Here’s a pic of my 11 different 1/2 gallon batches (various fruit/hop/spice combinations).

Experimenting is awesome.

Awesome. Milk! Never thought of that.

Probably should have mentioned that I was looking for glass - I could find or buy some cheap 1-2 gallon plastic containers and be happy with them, but really need some glass fermenters. These might be in secondary for a long time, so it really should be glass.

How about growlers? They’re smaller than your intention (half gallon vs gallon) but I have TONS of them lying around. They take a standard bung as well. Great idea, by the way. I’m totally doing this. :slight_smile:

I’ve used a gallon pickel jar for creating starters, but that’s it. I have never been able to get the pickel-smell out of the lid but it is not an issue with the starter as i cover it with alum foil.

cheers.