What Can I Use To Ferment In?

[kbe]

I just bought a 15 litre carboy from my LHBS, $19. Had a tap to suit at home. Was going to use an air lock with it, but the drill cracked the top, so I am using the gasket and glad wrap. I am making a 13 litre batch in it now.

 

[Silo Ted]

Empty 10l pails that are used for storing bodybuilding supplements are great buckets for the brewery. I had access to a lot of these at one stage, and they are good for mini-ferments, measuring buckets, as well as the perfect size to store 5.5kg of grain if you want to make up a recipe the night before. They seal very tightly. Bunnings would be the last place to go, there are plastics wholesalers that sell to the public if you needed to pay for stuff like this.

 

[crozdog]

Empty 10l pails that are used for storing bodybuilding supplements are great buckets for the brewery. I had access to a lot of these at one stage, and they are good for mini-ferments, measuring buckets, as well as the perfect size to store 5.5kg of grain if you want to make up a recipe the night before. They seal very tightly. Bunnings would be the last place to go, there are plastics wholesalers that sell to the public if you needed to pay for stuff like this.

I use the smaller protien containers to store spec grains - don't see why they couldn't also be use to ferment in....

 

[praxis178]

what about bladders from wine casks?

Which come in 1L though to 1000L versions.... Mater of fact I think I still have one or two 1000l ones left over from when the olds shut down the family winery five years back....

 

[NickB]

Check out your local restaurants and especially chicken takeaway type shops - they often give away or sell the 20L pails the mayo and pickles etc come in. One place here I can get them for $5 each. Great for grain storage as well, plus very handy to have around on brew days.

Cheers

 

[ianh]

You can basically use any container for fermenting a brew. In the 60-70'S plastic dustbins with lids used to be the standard fermenter for 5 gallon batches in the UK. Just put the brew in with yeast, put the hydrometer and let it ferment.

To check the SG just remove lid and read hydrometer easy.

Never had any problems using this method , OK you had to siphon, but this was standard practice.

 

[dago001]

For smaller batches of around 7 - 8 litres, I use a 10 litre cube, with most of the lid top cut off. Glad wrap and a some elastic to hold it in place. Tap in the bottom, so no worry about syphon. Easy to clean and about $10 at supercheap/bunnings.
Cheers
David