Plastic Buckets from Home Depot .....

[roostershooter7]

Today I was looking for a cheap source for plastic Food Grade / Safe buckets, and came across a few 'Homer' buckets that I picked up at Home Depot during my last visit.

Even though they are ORANGE HDPE plastic are they still food grade? Someone told me that only white and blue were food grade, but are they mistaken? From doing my research HDPE plastic is HDPE plastic regardless of its color.

What are your thoughts?

[Prairiepiss]

Let's see here. Searching! Ah yes it does work.

Here is a 2 page thread on home depot buckets.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... t#p6886724
Here OS another one.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... t#p6796042
I'm sure I could use the Google search and find even more for you.

[Rclark12]

SO to bring up an old thread, it is frowned upon to ferment from these, just curious if any one actually ferments in the orange buckets and has no problems? After reading this I will no longer be using mine I ordered food grade ones but curoius now if the shine I have around should be deemed un safe? Really appreciate the info here and a response thanks guys!

[Rclark12]

Also I did read the other threads, I actually ment to post this on the other one ^, but posted here by accident, sorry about that but thanks again

[Prairiepiss]

I probably have 25+ buckets around here. I have only bought two. They were from Sears. At $3 with lid. Oh and one 7.5 gal for fermenting beer. Forgot about that one. The rest I have picked up for free. Many places will give them away. Walmart bakery is a good place to check. I don't ferment in them. I mostly use them for storage and transfer from my big fermenters. All of the ones I have are white food grade. They are really easy to come by. If you ask around.

[Rclark12]

I ordered 3 from amazon so I know they are definietly food grade, any advice if I have 5 quarts of shine ready for apple pie flavoring or if it should be fire starter? Also thanks for the tips Ill definetely check around

[NcMoonLight]

Like Mr P said theres alottt of places that just give them away, at first I loved my 5 gal buckets and now I have 3 15 Gal fermenters and toying around with the idea of using the 1 of the 55 gal barrels I have. But just go to your local grociery store that has a bakery and ask them, most will give away there buckets and some will sell them for $1...

If your dead set on buying them,

Lowes sells them for $3 and some change for brand new food grade with a lid (lids are seperate but total price is like $3.40 for bucket n lid)
Tractor supply sells them
Sams club use to sell them (havent checked in a long time)

The list goes on, and all of which are alot cheaper than using amazon, and I use amazon for alotttttt of things. Speaking of which im looking foward to my order from amazon coming in tomorrow, im getting a new 291GPH pump and a new stainless steel funnel -Sorry for offtopic

[Rclark12]

55 gallon would be nice but it would take me a long time to run that all threw, I do plan on getting 1 15 gallon fermentor down the road too though.

I have almost 3/4 of a gallon of shine, the mash was fermented in oragne home depot buckets, drank a little before I realized the dye could possibly have messed with the mash and havent touched it since. Should I be worried? Would double distilling it cleanse any issue? Or would you personally just use it for fire sarter or something?

[edwatters]

Home depot does actually sell white buckets that are actually food grade. Believe it or not they are in the paint department. They say right on the bucket food safe.

[Rclark12]

Yea I now ferment in food grade buckets but when I originally bought the orange buckets I didnt even think that the dye could potentially be an issue

[Mick0311]

Lowes now sells 5 gal food safe (white) buckets with lids. I bought a few for storing grains etc.

[oliver90owner]

The colour of the bucket may have little to do with it being food grade or not.

Food grade plastics have to pass leaching tests before that material is passed for use.

An awful lot of white buckets (especially for paint) are not food grade because they contain all sorts of minor inclusions which may not be plastic - they are made from a percentage of reclaimed plastic, often rejects from the injection moulding line, or a little even after labels have been printed. Some may contain a small amount of cardboard and floor sweepings. I know this for a fact - paint cans are a much cheaper product than food grade items.

[Mick0311]

These buckets are HDPE 2. Same material, make, construction as the buckets you'd use for fermenting.

[edwatters]

If you go the paint department you will find white buckets that say right on them ( food safe). The orange ones are probably OK but the white ones definitely are

[Rclark12]

Just maks me nervous, maybe Ill jusr double distil it. I did drink some with no side effect I just then worried when I seen people questioning dyed buckets

[Stillatryin]

I'm using the orange ones Rc, I ain't worried. They're food grade. Just wash em good. If they were losing their "sheen" inside, then you'd have worries.

[Rclark12]

Good to know, because I have a gallon or more that I dont know if I should double distill or not since the fermentor but glad to hear some one else is drinking shine from those. Thanks boss!

[hotshotz2]

Been using the orange buckets for some time now ass well as a 5gal. carboy and there's no tell tell difference in my shine that i taste smell or see.

[Rclark12]

Thats good to hear again thanks guys, damn now I know this shine should be fine

[rbw65]

Look on bottom of bucket there is a triangle, the number in it will tell if it is food grade, you can search on google for the link to ck the numbers as I have crs disease.

[rbw65]

http://www.wikihow.com/Identify-Food-Grade-Buckets" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Found the link