Cubes...whats The Drum

[simpletotoro]

i recently lagered a pilsner for the first time and noticed the hugh differnce in clarity that resulted...
and have decided that i should also give cc a go for my ales ...heres the rub though i can only fit 1 fermenter into my beer fridge hence i want to buy some cubes but have a couple of question
[1] whats the best type of cube to get (tall and skinny?...fat and squat? are all cubes created equal ? ...how do i know if its food grade plastic?
[2]given that you can't just bung your hand inside a cube (like you do a fermenter) how the hell do you keep them clean ...?
[3] where the best place in brisbane to buy some for a reasonable price ? and while i'm at it how much is a reasonable price?
cheers simpletotoro

 

[matt white]

Big W blue 25 litre cubes have worked a treat for me. $18ish each plus $1.50 taps. Just soak in homebrand napisan overnight as per directions on the pack. You can also bend a bottlebrush up a bit to reach those pesky bits but mostly the napisan cleans up all the scum you can throw at it. You can use a normal airlock at an angle for racking or do as I do and drill a hole in the lid and use clear plastic tubing into a glass of iodophor or other sanitiser. I actually use these cubes for 1st ferment as I can do two at once in my fridge with a mashmaster temp controller and heatpad.

 

[andreic]

i recently lagered a pilsner for the first time and noticed the hugh differnce in clarity that resulted...
and have decided that i should also give cc a go for my ales ...heres the rub though i can only fit 1 fermenter into my beer fridge hence i want to buy some cubes but have a couple of question
[1] whats the best type of cube to get (tall and skinny?...fat and squat? are all cubes created equal ? ...how do i know if its food grade plastic?
[2]given that you can't just bung your hand inside a cube (like you do a fermenter) how the hell do you keep them clean ...?
[3] where the best place in brisbane to buy some for a reasonable price ? and while i'm at it how much is a reasonable price?
cheers simpletotoro

I bought my "cubes" from Kmart. They are 20L light blue jerry cans which can hold about 23L. I think the size is important - you don't want much headspace when lagering or cc'ing. My jerrycans accommodate batch sizes from 18-23L. Just squeeze 'em with your knees to get excess air out before storing in the fridge. So...

[1] In my opinion the popular 20L jerrycan shape. I could fit 3 next to each other nicely in my last fridge.

[2] I think the main thing is always give them a good rinse after use to and then just fill them with nappy san solution to soak overnight (or a week if you fill them and then get lazy like me sometimes). Haven't had a problem so far this way.

[3] Not sure about Brisbane but I'm sure you could try a Kmart, BigW or similar. They were usually around $20 at Kmart when I bought them but they have sales every now and then so I bought my 3 for $39. Next sale I see I will get some more...

cheers Andrei

 

[simpletotoro]

thanks guys ...i live about 1 km away from all the major retailers ...will give them a browse sometime this week...
sorry don't quite understand this gilbrew ?

You can use a normal airlock at an angle for racking

cheers simpletotoro

 

[tangent]

shop around, try cheap camping stores as well
just picked up a ~27L cube for about $10

 

[simpletotoro]

shop around, try cheap camping stores as well
just picked up a ~27L cube for about $10

beauty ...will do ...might even give the old clark rubber a burl while i'm at it

cheers

 

[Jazman]

super auto cheap sell 20 litre willow cubes for about $15 bucks

 

[hockadays]

Just got a 20l cube from downunder camping on pickering street for $13. They had a few different types as well.

 

[barfridge]

I got mine from my work. Used to contain de-ionised water for the forklifts, got about half a dozen for free.

 

[Screwtop]

Have both types, prefer the 25L squat Jerrys as they fit my fridge/freezers better, pretty hard to get. The 25L Cubes are good to. Buy the foodgrade/water type for camping, was in K mart today and I see they have 25% off camping gear $17.99 for a 25L cube with tap, pretty good buying!

Pic:

 

[AndrewQLD]

For those in Brissy try here Malcolm Paul sales. They carry a large range of buckets, cubes, jerry' ect.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[oldbugman]

Other option is to try home brew shops that sell fresh wort packs.

Often they give customers a small refund for returning the empty cubes. All you then need to do is offer them more money than they get off the supplier of the fresh worts.

 

[tangent]

i've also noticed the volume stated on the container is a load of crap, thankfully on the upside. My ~27L cube said 25L. I certainly don't mind the extra room for free

 

[blackbock]

Has anyone measured the real volume of a 20L cube?

I just bought a 25L one at a camping store for $17, which I thought was expensive, but looking at what others here are saying I didn't do too badly!

 

[user 1153]

Has anyone measured the real volume of a 20L cube?

My "20L"'s always hold my 23L brews with a bit of head room left over so I'd say they are close to 25L.
(Got mine from Bunnings a while back)

 

[Kingy]

same here my 20 litre fits 23 litres plus a bit of room. Its good for no chilling bcoz there aint much air to squeeze out.

cheers kingy