what should i use as a fermentor?

[wkcrawler]

needs to hold 10L of mash plus head space.
needs to be able to have air lock
i cant think of anything sterile to use.
needs to be chaepo as well ha
thanks guys!

[olddog]

If your in OZ go along to Bunnings and get a 20lt plastic bucket with lid, drill a hole in the top for your airlock.
I use them for storing grain.



OD

[wkcrawler]

thanks for the speedy reply mate!
yeah will do that then how much are the ones you get?
how should i sterilize it first and can i use silicone to seal the airlock?

[olddog]

About $12 each, if you drill a hole the correct size, it just a push fit for the airlock.


OD

[airhill]

If you want it even cheaper go to a local donut shop and see if they sell the buckets they get the ingredients in.

[The Baker]

If you want it even cheaper go to a local donut shop and see if they sell the buckets they get the ingredients in.

Or to the donut shop, a pub, a bakery, butcher or similar and get (free?) the (usually) 20 litre containers they get liquids in.
Vinegar, etc. Or some cooking oils.
Or bleach or detergents but avoid like the plague the ones with a strong perfumy smell.
The strong dishwasher liquid ones are okay but rinse thoroughly several times with vinegar to neutralise and remove the dangerous alkali (same for the bleach ones).

Drill a hole in the lid (get some spare lids if you can) and push through some plastic tube (make it a really tight fit, countersinking a bit helps, use a rat-tail file if the drill does not give you good control).

Stand eight of these in a square and put a five litre bucket of water on top of an upside down ten litre bucket in the middle. Put the ends of your tubes in the water.

Probably your only cost is the plastic tube, and this won't deteriorate and break like a flimsy airlock.
Don't keep the containers too many years as they eventually deteriorate, especially in sunlight. The year of manufacture is stamped on the bottom.