Mash container safe?

[develin]

I have gotten my hands on a few 15 gallon plastic containers. They are capped and have handles, almost perfect for my needs but... is this plastic safe from leeching bad things into my wash while its fermenting. From the information wiki provided below I believe this is exactly what I need but better safe than sorry.

The recycle triangle has the number 2 in it and here's the info from wiki.

HDPE
High-density polyethylene. Used in Bottles, grocery bags, milk jugs, recycling bins, agricultural pipe, base cups, car stops, playground equipment, and plastic lumber . HDPE is resistant to many different solvents and has a wide variety of applications, including:

Arena Board (puck board)
Backpacking frames
Ballistic plates
Bottle caps
Chemical resistant piping systems
Coax cable inner insulator
Food storage containers
Bottles, suitable for re-use
Fuel tanks for vehicles
Laundry detergent bottles
Milk jugs

Etc.etc. etc...

[Boda Getta]

New HDPE should be safe to ferment low ABV washes but I would be concerned what a used HDPE barrel held prior to my getting it.

BG

[Durace11]

+1 Find out what it held originally, I have found them cheap but they previously held automatic car wash chemicals, they had a very slight soapy/chemical smell & the seller told me it was from him cleaning/washing it out. I found out, by asking one of his workers, he was getting most of his barrels from a guy who runs a bunch of autowash places. Never did buy any and never went back.

[Prairiepiss]

+1 Find out what it held originally, I have found them cheap but they previously held automatic car wash chemicals, they had a very slight soapy/chemical smell & the seller told me it was from him cleaning/washing it out. I found out, by asking one of his workers, he was getting most of his barrels from a guy who runs a bunch of autowash places. Never did buy any and never went back.

+1 unless you know for sure what they held originally. Don't assume just because they are the right kind of material that they are safe. Because you never know what was in it before you got it. All of mine came from food processing plants where I do work. I know what they held. And that they are safe for my use.

[develin]

Thanks for the input peeps. Although I have been able to rinse these tubs well leaving no noticeable smell or residue I don't think I will chance it. They come clearly marked as laundry detergent and from what has been said everyone is clearly worried about things leeching into and then back out of the plastic itself. No sense in taking a chance with these containers when other cheap options are available.

[Burks]

Do a search for "pickle barrels". They are normally 55 balloons and can be had for cheap. I used them all the time for my aquarium water storage for my coral tanks.

[ipee7ABV]

you could try and line them. i rember reading some where people putting some kind of liner in trash cans. or you can use them to store your grains and keep the critters out of them.

[Prairiepiss]

Do a search for "pickle barrels". They are normally 55 balloons and can be had for cheap. I used them all the time for my aquarium water storage for my coral tanks.

Mmmm Mmmm pickle flavored vodka.

[thecroweater]

I use 21 Gal (80 ltr) olive drums ,Very cheap they seal air tight and oily residue can be rinsed out easily with dishwashing liquid, quick squirt out with the garden hose and ya on ya way. Oh did I mention very cheap

[squeezins]

I use 21 Gal (80 ltr) olive drums ,Very cheap they seal air tight and oily residue can be rinsed out easily with dishwashing liquid, quick squirt out with the garden hose and ya on ya way. Oh did I mention very cheap

I've used the same type olive barrels except they were 50 gal. A little big but worked great.

[acfixer69]

Those containers are a great size ferment for a 1/2 barrel keg boiler I have four of them. Got mine from a dairy farm they contained teat dip. Moooo

[thecroweater]

I use 21 Gal (80 ltr) olive drums ,Very cheap they seal air tight and oily residue can be rinsed out easily with dishwashing liquid, quick squirt out with the garden hose and ya on ya way. Oh did I mention very cheap

I've used the same type olive barrels except they were 50 gal. A little big but worked great.

yeah I can get them for round the same money and for a sugarhead they would be swell but for my mash they'd be hell. My mash tun is only around 13 gals plus my main boiler is only 13 US gallons as well I do have an 18 gal storage keg that could be made into a boiler or storage vat with a minimum amount of work and a 100 gal copper boiler but that is being alter to suit a 6" bubbler, things might change on the fermenter and mash tun front when thats all up and running but yeah I know there good as I have mates that use them

[demodenny]

My local bakery has stacks of 4 gallon barrels with lids that held jelly they toss outside the door, probably packaged warm so I am assuming if they are HDPE 2 I can use for ferment.. they use the top one in most of the piles for an ash tray, the rest are clean as a whistle..
I would bet many bakery's have the same thing if your looking..

[Durace11]

Yeah those are safe, they probably need a good cleaning, unless you like cake frosting sour mash, but they are food grade so great for fermenting.