Using An Esky As A Fv, Possible?

[mwd]

when I was in the Middle East we brewed in those round barrel type eskies no bother. They hold thirty litres IIRC.

Everybody else using them just filled them up with ice and water and drank water from the tap as normal.

The tap makes for easy bottling we used empty PET soft drinks bottles and kept them in a dark cupboard.

 

[Wolfy]

Trying to be helpful for a dude in the desert,

Will Coopers mail the big box of starter kit? the mail everything else

won't be cheap freight, but you'll be better off in the long run.

The Coopers kit is quite obviously a home-brewing setup, it even has big pictures of beer on the box.
I could imagine that shipping such a thing into an alcohol-restricted country might not be a sane or sensible or safe thing to do (even if many of the Westerners do brew-their-own, I'm not sure that they all flaunt that fact to the locals).

 

[thecentennial]

I have all the ingredients for an extract brew, managed to bring them in over a few trips. All I need now is a FV, but I have spent so much time, and risk, bringing it together that I do not want to stuff it all up by choosing an inadequate FV.

If I have to wait until I find it, so be it...I want to get it right the first time. if the esky is not good enough, I'll keep looking.

 

[thylacine]

"Re: Fermenting in plastic rubbish bins" user comment in thread: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=21507


"...i saw some pics a while back of using HDPE plastic bags inside "normal" garbage bins
the bag was tied at the top with a blow out tube to a small bottle.
once the brew was done they rack the liquid out of the bag and dump the yeast cake

what you save in time, water and cleaning products you spend on the bags

if i find some of those clear bags they use for bin liners i might try it..."

 

[Wolfy]

I have all the ingredients for an extract brew, managed to bring them in over a few trips. All I need now is a FV, but I have spent so much time, and risk, bringing it together that I do not want to stuff it all up by choosing an inadequate FV.

If I have to wait until I find it, so be it...I want to get it right the first time. if the esky is not good enough, I'll keep looking.

Leave the top off the cooler, cover it with a cotton tea-towel (or something similar) and the cooler will not insulate the wort enough so that it warms up more than you have to worry about - it appears it might be the best option for you after all.

 

[Nick JD]

"Re: Fermenting in plastic rubbish bins" user comment in thread: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=21507


"...i saw some pics a while back of using HDPE plastic bags inside "normal" garbage bins
the bag was tied at the top with a blow out tube to a small bottle.
once the brew was done they rack the liquid out of the bag and dump the yeast cake

what you save in time, water and cleaning products you spend on the bags

if i find some of those clear bags they use for bin liners i might try it..."

Craftbrewer use this method. I've seen them setting the FVs up (lining them with new bags).

 

[mwd]

Leave the top off the cooler, cover it with a cotton tea-towel (or something similar) and the cooler will not insulate the wort enough so that it warms up more than you have to worry about - it appears it might be the best option for you after all.

If it is the same cooler I am thinking of with a push on lid then you can safely leave the lid on during fermentation the gas will escape.

This is the type of ESKY used and makes a very good fermenter. Link to BCF Cooler
I am pretty sure they are food grade plastic as they are used for drink dispensing. I have seen this style all over the Middle East and are ready available but much cheaper than here.

 

[dougsbrew]

It was the heat issue I was worried about, and ensuring heat could escape. Anyone know if this issue is just an urban myth, or has it been proven to impact the fermentation process?

Aren't eskys designed (amongst other things) to hold liquids for drinking i.e gatorade, water etc? Would think they would have to be foodsafe for this?

i cant see a problem in using the rubbermaid, 98% of us brewers ferment in plastic. if you get food poisoning, their a wealthy company, sue them for millions.
you can watch temp with a thermometer, if heat isnt escaping enough(will you be fermenting in a fridge? room air temp which would be?),
then just cut the insulation away from the vessel, or submerge esky in temperate water say 3/4 way up .

 

[thecentennial]

If it is the same cooler I am thinking of with a push on lid then you can safely leave the lid on during fermentation the gas will escape.

This is the type of ESKY used and makes a very good fermenter. Link to BCF Cooler
I am pretty sure they are food grade plastic as they are used for drink dispensing. I have seen this style all over the Middle East and are ready available but much cheaper than here.

Funny, I was just looking at those exact models this morning
I think I will grab one.

Will probably store in a cool room, around 22-24 C (its cool for where we are).

Would I be best making bitters and ales, rather than lagers?

 

[Helles]

Ales only at that temp
Still a bit on the hot side try 18'c-20'c

 

[pk.sax]

If you can use that friggin esky for 1-2 Hours as a Mash tun @60-70C grist, then why the feck won't you use it as a fermenter @18-20 as long as you can let the heat out, Its not exactly an oven in there and like you said, keeping it in an aircon room...
Even better, get some saison yeast

 

[MaltyHops]

I don't think anyone's suggested it yet but what about using a
stock pot or two? They must be rasonably easy to get - tall
narrow ones would probably be easier to seal with plastic food
wrap.

 

[thecentennial]

I don't think anyone's suggested it yet but what about using a
stock pot or two? They must be rasonably easy to get - tall
narrow ones would probably be easier to seal with plastic food
wrap.

So I got hold of a 30l plastic bin, with lid. It says hdpe 2 on the base. I thought, this is the bizness. When I got home and checked, it appears not all hdpe 2's are the same... <_<

 

[Helles]

Seems the No. denotes what they will be recycled into
No.2 Milk bottles,Water pipes ,Grocery bags,Recycling bins
Got any recycling bins around Mate
Could do 240lt batch all at once

 

[yum beer]

So I got hold of a 30l plastic bin, with lid. It says hdpe 2 on the base. I thought, this is the bizness. When I got home and checked, it appears not all hdpe 2's are the same... <_<

What had the bin been used for...if it was some kind of food your good to go....
No. 2 is HDPE..High Density Polyethylene, I dont see how you would have a problem, fairly inert, stable material. Not all fermenters are the same...

Your gonna die of thirst before you die of any type of poisoning..get into it.

 

[Bizier]

I second the call of food grade bags BOP styles. Then you could ferment in basically any kind of box. They are great for cleaning. I worked in a BOP for a bit and they make life really easy... that is unless they decide to break, but that is why you ensure the vessel is sanitary anyway.

I can tell you if I were in your shoes, I would already be drinking date lambic fermented in the bathtub

 

[thecentennial]

Would the bags be sterile, or would you still have to sanitize? I can imagine it being a bit tricky. Will keep an eye out though, seems like a very good idea.

 

[Bizier]

If it were me, I would sanitise, but I am sure they are pretty sanitary anyway, I made many non-infected beers without sanitising them. It shouldn't be too hard to sanitise them with a spray bottle. Do you have sanitiser? You could use an acid of some kind if available, citric or phosphoric.