Cubes From Cleaning Products

[kjparker]

Hello,

The company I work for (FMCG) has at the manufacturing side of the business a ready supply of 20 and 25 litre cubes that regularly come available.

I have asked them, and they have no problems with supplying me with as many as I want / need, as they throw them out, however not all of them contained food products. 25 litre ones are easy. there are plenty of those available that contained food products, however the only ones that are available in 20 litre contained cleanig products, and are marked as poisonous on the outside.

If I were to clean these properly, with bleech, napisan, and sanitiser, is it likely that these would be suitable for no chilling?

They also have 20l food grade buckets that come available as well, which I have asked them to keep for me!

If these are suitable, once I have gotten enough for myself, would anybody else (in Sydney) be interested in a couple? Saves them going to landfill!

 

[jonocarroll]

marked as poisonous on the outside.

If I were to clean these properly, with bleech, napisan, and sanitiser, is it likely that these would be suitable for no chilling?

How many times would you personally clean them before you would call them definitely non-poisonous, not going to hurt/kill you?

My limit would be somewhere in the vicinity of infinity before I was 100% sure.

25L is a good size for no-chill if you can squeeze some of the air out before sealing.

 

[kjparker]

How many times would you personally clean them before you would call them definitely non-poisonous, not going to hurt/kill you?

My limit would be somewhere in the vicinity of infinity before I was 100% sure.

25L is a good size for no-chill if you can squeeze some of the air out before sealing.

That was my thinking as well, however bleach for example is also marked as poisonous, and it is often used to clean with. I've also heard of chlorine buckets being used....

I'm sure I have read somewhere here, but couldnt find the thread, that someone here uses cubes obtained from cleaners.

Edit: I re-read what i wrote there, and it sounded like I was dismissing your advice. My Apologies, I wasnt.

I am just trying to work this through!

 

[jonocarroll]

Dilute bleach is used to clean with. I'm not sure I'd love finding out that I missed a concentrated spot while cleaning and the beer ended up contaminated.

It is of course possible - you can physically do it, and many have, but the fact that they haven't been killed by it isn't necessarily proof that it's safe. Personally I would not be able to convince myself that any amount of cleaning will render them safe (and new, clean cubes aren't terribly expensive), but each to their own.

 

[mckenry]

Hello,

The company I work for (FMCG) has at the manufacturing side of the business a ready supply of 20 and 25 litre cubes that regularly come available.

I have asked them, and they have no problems with supplying me with as many as I want / need, as they throw them out, however not all of them contained food products. 25 litre ones are easy. there are plenty of those available that contained food products, however the only ones that are available in 20 litre contained cleanig products, and are marked as poisonous on the outside.

If I were to clean these properly, with bleech, napisan, and sanitiser, is it likely that these would be suitable for no chilling?

They also have 20l food grade buckets that come available as well, which I have asked them to keep for me!

If these are suitable, once I have gotten enough for myself, would anybody else (in Sydney) be interested in a couple? Saves them going to landfill!

Hey Clueless,
I work in Sydney and would love to get the 25L food ones. I'll pm you my details.
cheers,
mckenry

 

[Greg Lawrence]

I have a couple of 20L cubes that had cleaning products in them.

Ive soaked them with boiling water, boiling water & PSR, left them out in the sun for weeks full of water, in the pool for weeks, but nothing gets rid of the smell. Buggered if I know exactly what was in there, but they came from a chef in a commercial kitchen.

The smell has got less noticeable after 2 years of trying different methods and having them lying around open in the garage, but not enough to chance putting a brew in them. I probably should just chuck them or use them to make chicken manure tea for the vege garden.




Gregor

 

[DU99]

i get the distilled water containers from work..saves a few $$$'s...

 

[kjparker]

Thanks Guys,

I might stick to the 25 litre ones then.

With a 23ish litre batch, is nochilling in a 25l cube ok, or is there likely to be too much headspace?

 

[ekul]

The 25 litre ones are great, better to have too much then not enough. The plastic softens when the hot wort goes in so they are quite easy to push the sides in.

What kind of cleaning products are in the 20L ones?

 

[kjparker]

The 25 litre ones are great, better to have too much then not enough. The plastic softens when the hot wort goes in so they are quite easy to push the sides in.

What kind of cleaning products are in the 20L ones?

Disinfectant I think, but not sure. Didnt take a close look. I might take a couple anyway, I'm sure they can be used for something.

 

[funkydiscochicken]

I would take a few of the buckets if they're spare.

 

[kjparker]

I would take a few of the buckets if they're spare.

Sorry, buckets are mine!

 

[DU99]

They also have 20l food grade buckets that come available as well, which I have asked them to keep for me!
If these are suitable, once I have gotten enough for myself, would anybody else (in Sydney) be interested in a couple? Saves them going to landfill!

Remember this

 

[Brewjohno]

I contacted my local pool shop and asked them if they could get me some 20L chlorine cubes that hadn't ever been used. It wasn't a problem and I got 6 for $60. They came with the lid and were actually sealed over with a sticker over the mouth of the cube so that nothing got in during transport. They are the white ones as I specified that I didn't want black.

brewjohno.

 

[kjparker]

Sorry, was referring to cubes!

Remember this

 

[outbreak]

I find the 25l cubes great as the wort has expanded from being so hot anyway so I have very little headspace to squeeze the air out and the next morning the cube is usually concave on the top because of the wort cooling and retracting.

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

i get the distilled water containers from work..saves a few $$$'s...

Du what size containers and where do u work that uses distilled water?

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Stick with the 25 ltr ones as it is a better size for brewing

As far as the cleaning products cubes... some will smell forever, generally with scents use to make your bathroom, but the ones that contain alkaline or caustic cleaners are go as the will rinse out well, especially if you use nappi-san


I have found that if you take a smelly cube and hit it with caustic soda and leave. it will clean it

 

[smilinggilroy]

Get the M.S.D.S. data of what was in the cubes and see what sort of "poisonous" substance was in the cubes.
This will help you to valuate the what to do with the cubes,... clean and use or not to.
The M.S.D.S. MUST be available to all who want to see them.
I have used cubes that had sanitiser in them and were marked poisonous (ONLY BECAUSE OF THE CONCENTRATION OF THE PRODUCT)
This stuff was used in the food industry.
After a thorough clean out the have been fine.
Cheers.

 

[krusty_oz]

Get the M.S.D.S. data of what was in the cubes and see what sort of "poisonous" substance was in the cubes.
This will help you to valuate the what to do with the cubes,... clean and use or not to.
The M.S.D.S. MUST be available to all who want to see them.
I have used cubes that had sanitiser in them and were marked poisonous (ONLY BECAUSE OF THE CONCENTRATION OF THE PRODUCT)
This stuff was used in the food industry.
After a thorough clean out the have been fine.
Cheers.

Excellent point, some examples are phosphoric acid (Coca cola concentrate is full of the stuff and labelled poisonous), acetic acid (vinegar), sodium nitrite (in most processed meats) and testosterone.