Home Distiller

Just picked up five 30 gallon curtec wide mouth drums for 25 bucks each locally. They used to contain powdered probiotics. I figure a thorough session with a tilex spray bottle will sanitize them well enough. Pretty much a perfect fermenter for a large batch.

I'm thoroughly impressed with these HDPE drums, they're super-sturdy, the plastic is thick and according to the specs they'll take up to 462lbs stacked on top. The lids screw on and off and have an air/water tight sealing gasket.

Having said that, are there any potential problems with them? How well do they stand up to mashing temps?

The lady selling them has 13 more if there is anybody else in/near Gig Harbor who wants one. I'm thinking of picking up a few more myself just for general prepping storage.

Well the hdpe sheet that i make doesn't start to soften up until about 90°c if that helps?

It does actually, thanks. From what I'm reading the vicat softening point (where a 1mm round flat needle will penetrate 1mm into the plastic) is 125C.

I'm hoping since these are pharma/haz chem grade the plastic is a better grade than the standard blue poly drum.

Glad to help...also there are members that use hdpe buckets, so those should be good for you.

Don't sanatized with tilex. You can use diluted bleach. Or even vinegar. But tilex is chemical that's not ment for food surfaces.

Yak

Edit... even if you're only making fuel the chemicals that are in it wouldn't be befificial for yeast.

+1 yak...I missed that

Fair enough, a soak with diluted bleach it is - thanks!

Then just to be sure after a rinse I'll hit it with citric acid too. They contained acidophilus and lacto bacteria so I REALLY want to make sure everything's dead in them.

Check your local restoration supply or home brew shop for starsan. It's a food safe disinfectant. Small bottle will last you a long time.

Good for anything non porous.

Yak

I have two 15 gallon fermenters just like that, they are really good. watch the area where the handles are to keep them clean, it's an easy place for bacteria to hide. I haven't had any problems, but it was pointed out to me by Corene1 when I got mine. also we pick mine up by the handles when full, but 15 gallons seems like the threshold for the handles, maybe yours are different.

Diluted bleech or starsan. Personally I hate the smell and slipperyness of bleech and never use it. The barrels are prolly already clean and sterile from carrying food grade stuff, but sterilize with starsan or iodophor. Dont use scratch pads, scotch brite anything like that, you scratch the plastic and the scratches will harbor bacteria. Soft washcloths only. Be careful with mash paddles, hard stirring implements etc.

I use barrels like that in 55 gallon size for bourbon. Never had a problem putting 100C boiling water in them and stirring in corn meal. They dont get soft or wonky or anything.

Sounds like a great find. I have two smaller drums like those--~13 gallons I think. The only drawback that I have found is that the tops are concave. Because of the shape the condensation tends to go towards my airlock which I put in the middle of the top. Not a big deal, but sometime the airlock doesn't work so well. Also if you spill something it pools in the middle top. Not a big drawback, but not how I would design a fermetor from scratch. That said, still a great deal.

I've never had any problems disinfecting with Starsan. But for bourbon and rum, I'm relatively indifferent to minor co-fermentations. Never mashed them the drums though.

One other thing, I did a birdwatchers wash in one once and the tomato paste stained a ring in the drum at the top of the wash. Somehow the red color really got into the plastic and I could not get it off. But just a superficial issue.

Best, JW

FuelMaker wrote:Just picked up five 30 gallon curtec wide mouth drums for 25 bucks each locally. They used to contain powdered probiotics. I figure a thorough session with a tilex spray bottle will sanitize them well enough. Pretty much a perfect fermenter for a large batch.

I'm thoroughly impressed with these HDPE drums, they're super-sturdy, the plastic is thick and according to the specs they'll take up to 462lbs stacked on top. The lids screw on and off and have an air/water tight sealing gasket.

Having said that, are there any potential problems with them? How well do they stand up to mashing temps?

The lady selling them has 13 more if there is anybody else in/near Gig Harbor who wants one. I'm thinking of picking up a few more myself just for general prepping storage.

Wish I had seen this in January. Did you happen to pick up an extra one you can part with? PM me

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

I mash in a 30 gallon hdpe barrel with steam injection. Boils for an hour minumum , still good.

I got two that were full of liquid malt.. From a local home brew shop for 20 bucks...total. Great for the big batches
GG

Has anyone seen the Seed and Feed Brute 20 gallon cans with screw on lids? Saw them listed on Home Depot website but they will not deliver them to my store. Go figure. Can and lid were $30.

http://www.homedepot.com/s/brute%20seed ... eed?NCNI-5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Down_Home52 wrote:Has anyone seen the Seed and Feed Brute 20 gallon cans with screw on lids? Saw them listed on Home Depot website but they will not deliver them to my store. Go figure. Can and lid were $30.

Buy a cheaper trash can and paint "Feed - Seed" on it if you must... Most all trash cans and totes have what they are made of embossed on them, or have it on the label... A lot of members here use Brute trash cans...

rad14701 wrote:

Down_Home52 wrote:Has anyone seen the Seed and Feed Brute 20 gallon cans with screw on lids? Saw them listed on Home Depot website but they will not deliver them to my store. Go figure. Can and lid were $30.

Buy a cheaper trash can and paint "Feed - Seed" on it if you must... Most all trash cans and totes have what they are made of embossed on them, or have it on the label... A lot of members here use Brute trash cans...

The Feed and Seed ones are a little translucent. I have one and a white one. I much prefer the F&S. Plus, there is a convenient line on the bottom that is just about the perfect level to fill one with sweet feed or corn for a nice sugar head. Funny how that fill line is right there.... you think they planned it or something

They are made by Rubbermaid / Brute.