What do you ferment in?

[Fluxburn]

Do you just ferment in your still then after fermentation stain the mash and distill.

I wash thinking of just fermenting in my pressure cooker, then filtering the mash and distilling in my still.

Also it looks like 20% is the maxium alcohol content I can make in a wash. No way to make a 50% wash or 60%?

[LeftLaneCruiser]

I just ferment in buckets with lids on them. Those kind of buckets are used by restaurants, and the like, to hold sauces. Most of the time u can get them for free.

For washes (low alcohol content) almost anything that doesn't leak is fine. It sure helps if the material is "food grade"

Also it looks like 20% is the maxium alcohol content I can make in a wash. No way to make a 50% wash or 60%?

Sure, there is a simple trick for that, it's called "distilling"....

KJH

[pangea]

I have two beer kegs dedicated to mashing. When I am mashing more than two at a time, I use food grade buckets. WalMart sells their once used cake frosting buckets with lids for $1. My son works there. I have lots-o-buckets. In fact my indian name is Many Buckets.

[Pieterpost]

I use those plastic waterbottles you find in offices. Currently I have 4 of them (all in use ) They hold 18,9 liters and the hole in the lid is great for a rubber stopper with an air-lock!

[Billy Joe Jim Bob]

I brew in class carboys left over from the beer making days. Its kind of cool to watch the yeast do its thing.....BJJB

[Uncle Jesse]

Glass carboys are fine, but leave them in a dark place while fermenting.

[outlawokie]

I use astainless 5gal milkcan with a lid it has avalve in it for breathing perposes also 15 gal stainless keg that i keep a strainer bag on top forbreathing and to keep bugs out when iam working sour mash ill have to try my carboy good luck

[swpeddle]

[quote="Uncle Jesse"]Glass carboys are fine, but leave them in a dark place while fermenting.[/quote]

is darkness all THAT important? What's the result of too much light? (I ferment in a room with only a small north facing window so there's not alot of light, so I wouldn't think it makes that much difference, but I am curious.)

[amikkola]

so you can safely use plastic as long as the it only touches low proof liquids?

would like... this is a bad example... but plastic milk jugs work?

that would make things easyer...

[knuklehead]

Milk jugs will work fine for fermenting in, just a little small.

[Johnwalkingfox]

A 55 gal drum with plastic liner is hard to beat.

[Uncle Jesse]

it's important, you don't want light around during fermentation.

at least limit the amount of light allowed to get to your fermentations.

[michaelb]

i use a 55 gallon drum used for water, it is blue in color. Cost $65 Called open head. That means the lid comes off. I dont use an airlock, I just set the lid on top.