Pales- Fermenters

[Jonez]

I have just gained access to as many pales (white buckets with lid) as I wish. Someone I know works for a food processing company where they trow these away regularly. I was hunting for a cheap fermenter to use for racking from my 25L drum I bought at BIGW

These are new and nice but don't have a tap. Also I think they are only 19L. I still have to measure this. I was thinking I could drill a whole and install a tap on them, but not sure I want to brew 19L when I could be getting 23L. Has anyone done something similar?

edit spell

 

[brettprevans]

yeah it been done. better for grain storage than brewing but useful none the less. maybe use them for small experimental batches.

where are you located? im sure there would be plenty of AHBr interested in getting a few buckets off you for grain storage in exxchange for a few bottles of their finest

 

[Pennywise]

I don't think you'll have any problems with drilling a hole in them, I've only done this myself on planter pots, if the plastic is on the thin side you might want to pack it with sand or something so it doesn't crack. I'd also line it with a bag or something first so the sand (or whatever you fill it with) doesn't scratch the crap out of it.

edit; If you can get enough of them and in the area I'd be up for a few for sure (with payment of a few beers of course )

 

[Adamt]

but not sure I want to brew 19L when I could be getting 23L.

Why brew 23L when you can brew 30L, 50L, etc. Don't be bogged down by batch size, it's easy to change recipes to suit and/or dilute before bottling.

Has anyone done something similar?

Yep, they work fine as long as they are well sanitised.

 

[beerbrewer76543]

Haha search "buckets of death"

 

[Jonez]

Ok!

I only have one at the moment but was promised more. I will post again when I have some to give away. ( I am in Brisbane)

Drilling the whole is not a problem, just finding the right tap with nut inside without leaks is what worries me. Remember the surface is curved. But I guess it can be done with some rubber washers...(food grade material)

 

[Jonez]

Haha search "buckets of death"

sorry search engine not working for me

 

[Jonez]

it's easy to change recipes to suit and/or dilute before bottling.

Never heard of this before, can u explain a bit more

 

[DJR]

I use one to mash in

Diluting before bottling is just a matter of adding some deoxygenated water (basically boiled) to the brew before you bottle it to dilute it out from say 19L to 23L with a 4L water addition. If you are bulk priming you can just use 4L of water to dissolve your sugar in (search bulk priming, use the google one as it's more reliable)

 

[brettprevans]

it's easy to change recipes to suit and/or dilute before bottling.

Never heard of this before, can u explain a bit more

which part? DJR has given some info now on diluting.

changing the recipe is just sclaing it up or down by a percentage to meet final volume requirement. so if a recipe give 20L and you wanted 25L you would increase everything by 25%. for 15L you'd decrease by 25%.

diluting is just making a higher gravity beer (a potentially higher %alc beer) lower gravity (lower potential %alc) by adding water.

 

[Jonez]

I use one to mash in

Diluting before bottling is just a matter of adding some deoxygenated water (basically boiled) to the brew before you bottle it to dilute it out from say 19L to 23L with a 4L water addition. If you are bulk priming you can just use 4L of water to dissolve your sugar in (search bulk priming, use the google one as it's more reliable)

I just had the idea that adding water like that (that amount) would alter the final flavour. At least it would need a longer conditioning? right?

But in any case I will need something bigger to add the 4 litres to the 19L

 

[DJR]

I just had the idea that adding water like that (that amount) would alter the final flavour. At least it would need a longer conditioning? right?

In most cases, no. Especially if you're working with a concentrated batch anyway - say at 23L it'd be a 1045 SG batch, 19L would then be ( 1000 + 23/19 * 45 ) 1054 OG, then at the end you are just diluting it back to what it would be. The yeast would still do the same job and you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two batches if you did it the normal way.

It would condition the same, it may take a day or two longer to ferment but not enough to notice.

The most important thing though is to avoid oxygen pickup which will cause staling and oxidation (sherry flavours) in the beer

Edit: you can fix the size problem by racking half the beer into 2 vessels and adding 2L of water to each

 

[brettprevans]

I just had the idea that adding water like that (that amount) would alter the final flavour. At least it would need a longer conditioning? right?

But in any case I will need something bigger to add the 4 litres to the 19L

yes it will change the taste. it will make is less concentrated. at those amounts it wont have a huge impact.
condittioning would be the same.. no reason why it would be differant. normally higher gravity beer require longer not lower gravity beers.

but yes it doesnt chnage your issue with 19L. either use the bucket and brew 19L (well less to accomadate headspace etc), or use it for a differant purpose.

 

[Jonez]

Edit: you can fix the size problem by racking half the beer into 2 vessels and adding 2L of water to each

that is what I do at the moment with 12L water containers (cubes)

Edit: i mean this what I do to bulk prime the 23L > (not to dilute)

 

[Jonez]

, if the plastic is on the thin side you might want to pack it with sand or something so it doesn't crack. I'd also line it with a bag or something first so the sand (or whatever you fill it with) doesn't scratch the crap out of it.

They are strong, they won't crack when I drill them. I am just not sure I could achieve a good seal with a standard fermenter tap ($3 ones) I may need something with a longer tread to go trough and nut in the inside, plus washer or something. All of it would need to be food grade I suppose.

 

[ausdb]

I have just gained access to as many pales (white buckets with lid) as I wish. Someone I know works for a food processing company where they trow these away regularly. I was hunting for a cheap fermenter to use for racking from my 25L drum I bought at BIGW
These are new and nice but don't have a tap. Also I think they are only 19L. I still have to measure this. I was thinking I could drill a whole and install a tap on them, but not sure I want to brew 19L when I could be getting 23L. Has anyone done something similar?
edit spell

Search for PAIL not PALE and you will find a lot more info about using these as fermenters. If they are the same as the "20L" ones that they sell at Bunnings and Supercheap they are actually about 22.5-23L full to the brim, I filled one in 2.5L increments last weekend and will take a photo tonight for you.
They work very well as fermenters especially for beers where you are using a top cropping yeast, as its really easy to just prise up the lids slightly and skim off a yeast crop. Don't worry about drilling holes in them to fit a tap as without any holes in them they are very easy to keep clean and sanitise, I often buy a new one when I am propogating a large yeast starter for these exact reasons. Just buy yourself a stainless racking cane and learn to syphon instead.

 

[Jonez]

Search for PAIL not PALE and you will find a lot more info about using these as fermenters. If they are the same as the "20L" ones that they sell at Bunnings and Supercheap they are actually about 22.5-23L full to the brim, I filled one in 2.5L increments last weekend and will take a photo tonight for you.
They work very well as fermenters especially for beers where you are using a top cropping yeast, as its really easy to just prise up the lids slightly and skim off a yeast crop. Don't worry about drilling holes in them to fit a tap as without any holes in them they are very easy to keep clean and sanitise, I often buy a new one when I am propogating a large yeast starter for these exact reasons. Just buy yourself a stainless racking cane and learn to syphon instead.

I don't think they sell these at bunnings. Last time I went they had some that were ideal size and shape with tap and everything, but smelled like petrol inside (i thought--uhm not food grade)

The ones I am talking about are white, thick . the lid snaps on the top ( no tread) . The one I have was for commercial mayonnaise

edit: syphoning is a good idea if the tap experiment doesn't work
edit2: pale - pail .. sounds the same to me....I am still mastering my english

 

[brettprevans]

look in the water section near eskys etc. they are sold as water containers. they are food grade

 

[ausdb]

I don't think they sell these at bunnings. Last time I went they had some that were ideal size and shape with tap and everything, but smelled like petrol inside (i thought--uhm not food grade)

The ones I am talking about are white, thick . the lid snaps on the top ( no tread) . The one I have was for commercial mayonnaise

edit: syphoning is a good idea if the tap experiment doesn't work
edit2: pale - pail .. sounds the same to me....I am still mastering my english

I will post a pic tonight I am sure we are talking about the same thing, a straight sided white bucket with a snap on lid. I think they are great and some of my fellow brewer mates often refer to me as "bucket boy" because of it.

 

[brettprevans]

sorry misunderstood your post.

no i dont think bunnings sell the mayo buckets. i was meaning in reference to ausdb's post about selling 25L fermentors in bunnings. those ones are sold as water containers and are about $15.