Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

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goinbroke2
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Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by goinbroke2 »

So I went to buy another hdpd garbage can to ferment in and can't find one now! :evil:
Buckets yes, but nothing bigger than 20 or 30 litre size. So, as long as I don't dump boiling liquid in it, can I use ld as opposed to HD?
Far as I can find it has to do with temp handling.

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Numerous 57L kegs, some propane, one 220v electric with stilldragon controller. Keggle for all-Grain, two pot still tops for whisky, a 3" reflux with deflag for vodka. Coming up, a 4" perf plate column. Life is short, make whisky and drag race!
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Re: Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by Bushman »

I am no expert but I think you mean LDPE vs HDPE. Along with what you have said about high temperatures I think the LDPE is prone to loss of strength when exposured to light and oxygen thus more prone to deform in shape.
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Still Life
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Re: Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by Still Life »

Most of the links I found say keep with the white LDPE buckets to prevent dye leaching, and only for low alcohol (ferments).
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Re: Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by ShineRunner »

I use a brute 20 gallon garbage can as my fermenter. I used to use it for mashing at high temps until I found out that LDPE is no good above 176 or so. It would get soft but not too bad. I now use the can as a fermenter for cold sugar washes and masehes done in my cooler (off grain ferments). I wouldn't worry about dumping boiling water in it as long as it was going to be tempered down with cold water (boiled inverted sugar). Make sure there's some water in the bucket beforehand and it'll be fine.

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Re: Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by goinbroke2 »

Lol, yeah ldpe I guess that's why I couldn't find anything when I used the search. Lol.

I keep it at 155 when doing all grain so I guess it should be ok then. Saw those 170 litre ones on sale the other day but didn't get one, now I'll go back and see if they're still on sale.

Thanks for the responses guys.
Numerous 57L kegs, some propane, one 220v electric with stilldragon controller. Keggle for all-Grain, two pot still tops for whisky, a 3" reflux with deflag for vodka. Coming up, a 4" perf plate column. Life is short, make whisky and drag race!
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Re: Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by hotmaildotcom1 »

ShineRunner wrote:I use a brute 20 gallon garbage can as my fermenter.
SR
I know this might be an off question but I was thinking of moving to a garbage can myself here pretty soon. I was wondering if anyone has experience with the wheeled cans? I think it would be real slick even if it helped move it only a couple feet. I can image the things aren't rated to that kinda weight but I don't know how far one could push the issue. The can's probably weren't made to contain liquid so I don't know if the ones with the wheels would even hold liquid.

I've got some food safe drums that used to be used for hop seed oil that I've been using for a while now. Got them directly from a local brewery after they had used it all up. They work fine and I'm pretty sure they're safe but I would like to move to food grade plastic in the future just to be sure. The lining on the inside is painted on and then baked so attempts to clean that hop seed oil out sometimes results in the lining breaking away from the drum, as quite a bit of elbow grease is needed to get that stuff out. Plus I'd like to get away from the whole Breaking Bad look that my garage currently has with the steel drums. Plus the residual hop oil leaves some flavors in there that are interesting to say the least and I'd like to move away from that as well.
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Re: Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by ShineRunner »

If it's flaking the liner off, I definitely wouldn't use it!

As for the wheeled cans, what kind are you talking about? Most trash cans are not certified for food service. Brutes are, but like I said, only below boiling temps.

As for wheels, I use a wheeled plant pot cart on the brute. It's like 12x12 and probably over its weight rating, but it hasn't failed yet. Figure it'll have 150 pounds when full. For my 55 gallon barrel, I built a very crude dolly/platform out of pallet wood. Bought wheels from lowes and done. Overall investment was under $10.
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Re: Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by hotmaildotcom1 »

The flaking is limited and only seems to happen in large chunks. The drums go to other uses after the first sign of flaking. I got a whole lot of em so it's no bigy up till now since I only use one. Still I want to move away from them because of the afore mentioned reasons.

I've got a dolly for fridge sized items and such but I was looking into less effort intensive options so I can leave the dolly where it lays now. The cans I was talking about is just the ones with the wheels built into the side to replicate a dolly.
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Re: Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by ShineRunner »

http://m.harborfreight.com/material-han ... 63097.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

$10
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Re: Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by ShineRunner »

This is pretty much exactly what I use for the 20 gallon brute: https://m.lowes.com/pd/Garden-Treasures ... y/50328215" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

$13. Done.

I wouldn't use a trash can that wasn't good grade, even if it is HDPE. Could still have non food safe coloring or something else. I also wouldn't reuse any steel can that had a liner that even hinted at peeling off. Up to you, but I won't be trying any of your hooch...

SR
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Re: Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by cranky »

Just a word of caution with that. They say they have a 1,000 pound capacity but when I put an 800 pound engine on mine it bent the wheels :roll: but 50 gallons of water only weighs 417 pounds so it should be good for that :D
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Re: Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by ShineRunner »

cranky wrote:
Just a word of caution with that. They say they have a 1,000 pound capacity but when I put an 800 pound engine on mine it bent the wheels :roll: but 50 gallons of water only weighs 417 pounds so it should be good for that :D

Definitely. I usually take any rating from harbor freight and cut it in half to get a realistic rating..

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Re: Ldpd vs hdpd buckets

Post by hotmaildotcom1 »

cranky wrote:
Just a word of caution with that. They say they have a 1,000 pound capacity but when I put an 800 pound engine on mine it bent the wheels :roll: but 50 gallons of water only weighs 417 pounds so it should be good for that :D
This has definitely been a confirmed result with my loaded down deep freeze. However I slapped some tube steel together with some castor wheels I salvaged from a couple 18' scaffolding sets that have been long beyond repair. I don't have any large scale ferments running right now but I was having so much fun with the MIG I made 5 of them just like the wooden one shown. Welded a support plate to four of them and stuck em under the tires of my farm truck and I've now got a two car garage. I would image it'll hold a garbage can just fine.
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