10 litre no-chill cubes?

[jimmyfozzers]

I'm hoping to have my first attempt at all-grain this weekend, with a half-batch of All-Amarillo APA using BIAB. I'll need to no-chill as my brew fridge won't be free until next weekend, so need to pick up a 10 litre no-chill cube. Can anyone suggest where to get something appropriate? I live pretty near Bunn-Bunns - does anyone know if they sell something suitable? Thanks!

 

[bum]

If Bunnings don't have anything that size then try any of the big camping/outdoor/disposals shops - one of them will have something for sure.

 

[mkstalen]

As per Bum. Bunnings might have something, but you're probably better off trying a camping store. Ray Outdoors, Kangaroo Tent City, BCF etc etc.

 

[fletcher]

you could use a 10L camping jerry can - the little white/transparent-y ones. i use one as a FV as it comes with a tap, and am considering doing the same thing. no chilling with it, then pitching when it's ready straight into the same vessel. it fits 10L really snug with minimal head space too.

EDIT:

http://www.thebrewshop.com.au/plastic-jerry-can-1.html

this is the style i mean. i got mine from a camping shop.

 

[JDW81]

Big W also have various sizes of the blue willow water jerries. They are a bit more exxy but are good and strong.

 

[Logman]

I've got a couple from Bunnings, same as their 20's...

 

[jimmyfozzers]

Good stuff guys - thanks for that. Bunnings will be easiest for me as is closer than the camping stores.

Does the type of plastic matter, or is all food grade plastic OK at boiling wort temps?

 

[jimmyfozzers]

I've got a couple from Bunnings, same as their 20's...

Are they the jerry-can type with moulded handles and black lids?

 

[drsmurto]

I bought 10L water jerrycans from Rays Outdoors in Adelaide (TTG). Made from HDPE and food grade. I use them to cc in and they come with a hole ready for a tap.

 

[jaypes]

The ones that are at my local Bunnings store are HDPE / Food Grade with a hole drilled for a tap

Made by BMW Plastics, they also make the 20L Water Jerry's which I prefer as they store about 23L and I can fit 2 of them in my fermenting/barfridge if I need to ferment in them

 

[MaltyHops]

Good stuff guys - thanks for that. Bunnings will be easiest for me as is closer than the camping stores.

Does the type of plastic matter, or is all food grade plastic OK at boiling wort temps?

Hey, since you're in Adelaide, go to Gaganis Brothers in Mile End - they have 10L HDPE cubes for about $9. The cubes don't come with taps but Gaganis also sell the taps for about $1.50 or so.

Yes, HDPE is the go.

 

[Logman]

Are they the jerry-can type with moulded handles and black lids?

Large lid size with a spare bung underneath and a hole for a tap.

 

[Florian]

Kmart and supercheap auto haven't been mentioned yet, both stock jerry cans in various sizes.

 

[Bribie G]

I have two 10L jerries from Bunnings and they are ideal as no chillers. As per usual they hold a bit over 10, but two of them will give you an excellent batch to fill a keg.

Because of surface to volume geometry they cool down more quickly overnight to pitching temperatures (plus a bit of a tickle-up in the fridge) whereas the big single cube would still be at 33 degrees or whatever in the morning.

Also much more handle-able if you are doing a full batch. Been using them for about a year.

 

[thedragon]

I have one of these for when I do smaller batches:

http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_product_water-storage-jerry-can-bmw-10l-camp-wtap-6400_P3243463.aspx?search=Jerry+can&searchType=any&searchSubType=products

HDPE from the green shed

 

[jaypes]

I got these ones but in clear/white - http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_product_water-storage-jerry-can-bmw-20l-hvy-dty-grn-wpourerbung_P3240381.aspx?search=water+storage+jerry+can&searchType=any&searchSubType=products

 

[jimmyfozzers]

Thanks again for all the replies - some great advice there. In the end I went for the 10litre BMW Bunnings (with the black lid). $10 - can't go wrong!

Hopefully will get to use it in anger this evening. Can't wait

 

[technobabble66]

I'm still learning some of this basic stuff, so please forgive the simple question:

Do you ferment in these cubes also? or do you just use them for the no-chill cooling stage over a few days, then transfer the wort to the fermenter?

If you ferment in them, aren't they hard to clean?

 

[hsb]

I'd say most use them for no chill then dump it into a.n.other fermenter. That allows you to oxygenate the wort as you tip it from one to the other, plus you want some headspace in the fermenter.

But lots of people use them to ferment as well, you can fit more in the fridge. Just rinse well with Napisan etc. to clean, I prefer ones with a wide enough neck to get your arm in but no reason you can't just use chemicals to clean them out. Good soak, shake, rinse, repeat etc until clean enough to sterilise.

Any HDPE container will do, so long as its watertight and you can get the wort/beer in/out, you're only limited by your imagination/retail skills.

 

[Bribie G]

The 10L are really too small to ferment in, unless you are doing a toy batch.
If you did decide to ferment say 7 litres to allow headspace, then it might be dodgy to use it for a no chill cube later on.

No matter how well you sanitised it, there's always the possibility of yeast cells carrying over which could start a runaway fermentation in the cube.

For the price, keep them corralled for no chill use only.

Some people ferment in larger jerry can type cubes and cleaning is fairly simple, fill with a solution of Sodium Percarbonate (Napisan is 30% Perc) and leave overnight then wash out a few times and add a few drops of Starsan and shake well to coat the interior with the foam.

If the cubes get a bit stained with use, you can clean them with a cup of rice and Perc and give them a good shaking.

 

[black_labb]

I've just NCed in 2 BMW 10L (bunnings) and the lid on one of them skipped over the threads because the plastic became too soft meaning I couldn't get a proper seal. It sucked air but hopefully while it was hot enough to steam any bacteria. I expect it to be properly sealed now that it is cold and retightened. I've had this happen before on a 20L cube. Oddly enough they both use red lids, could it be that the ingredients to dye the plastic red make the plastic soft under heat, or maybe I just get angry when I see red like a bull. Either way I want to get a more reliable jerrycan.

 

[Bribie G]

Mine are the red lid version, but I don't store wort in them - always gets pitched the next day. If I were storing wort long term I'd get back into the Bacchus FWK style cubes. I've got a RIS wort in one of those that's been there since October 2011 - maybe I should get round to fermenting it sometime soon

 

[felten]

My 10L BMW jerries had sealing problems as well (black lids, blue lids), fixed it with a few wraps of teflon tape and/ or keg lube. I use them for NC and fermenting.

 

[Adam Howard]

I had that lid issue with one of the 10L ones. I found that it's very easy to cross-thread and that once I got it threaded right I could tighten it down fully. These little jerry's are great because you can lean them back and basically purge ALL air out.

 

[fletcher]

i got a $4, 10L springwater cube with tap from coles the other day, and once drunk, was considering using it for no chilling - seems thinner than the normal jerrys though so i'm concerned about it bending too badly/lid not sealing. anyone had luck with one of these guys?

 

[felten]

Is it HDPE?

 

[Bribie G]

It will probably melt. Make sure you wear rubber boots and no toddlers or small animals in the vicinity.

 

[fletcher]

Is it HDPE?

i was gonna test it very carefully with boiling water but i'm not sure if it's HDPE. had a quick wiki and saw that it should show a number 2 if it is. i'll look for that tonight.

 

[technobabble66]

FWIW:
Bought 2 of the 10L cubes ($10 each) from bunnings last week plus an open-top 30L cube ($19?) for fermenting. I found the caps were all fine, but the taps could easily pop loose in the 10L cubes.
So I pulled the tap out of my original 33L fermenter and tried that - sealed perfectly.
I also found the lid on the 30L open-top wouldn't seal airtight because of the join-mark; so I had to carve/file it back a bit.

I brewed 10L on Sunday & no-chilled in a cube for 2 days. All good. It's currently fermenting in the new fermenter. Also all good.
I'll have to try the plumbing tape on the tap thread - see if that'll solve the problem.

 

[fletcher]

my coles 10L one has the 2 and actually states HDPE - i'm guessing that's okay then felten? seems thinner than the jerry cans from bunnings and the like but i might test with water now