Newbie Question

[BigJim810]

Hello Everyone! I am very new to brewing and am still getting my equipment together. I have a question about using 5gal pickle buckets ( the ones you can get at Firehouse Subs) for fermentation. Is there anyway to get that pickle stink out of them and if not would that stink effect the end product? I would be very grateful with any help you guys could give me.
Cheers!
Jim

 

[Oginme]

My personal take on buckets like these (and I have had a few, not pickle, but other odoriferous ingredients), is that the effort of removing the odor, even if it could be done, is greater than the cost of purchasing new food grade buckets.

 

[BOB357]

I recall seeing more than one post where people have tried and failed. If you plan on doing 5 gallon batches you'll need fermenters that hold about 6.5 gallons to be safe. If you're planning smaller batches, I saw 5 gallon HDPE buckets at Walmart for just under $3. Lids are extra, I think under $2.

 

[brewfun]

I think it's near impossible to remove pickle flavor from buckets. Something about the acidity and salt... just stays in the plastic.

Try asking restaurants that use a lot of dairy for buckets they get their sour cream in. Steakhouses seem to have a lot of these.

 

[dtapke]

Spend the $10 on a new bucket/lid. a homebrewstore should have a nice quality bucket with a lid and an airlock for 10-15 tops.

I couldn't imagine spending a half a day, $30 in ingredients, and then have it all ruined because i didn't spend an extra $10 on a bucket. your time is worth WAY more than that. You'd end up throwing out the cost of ingredients, the cost of your 4-6 hours of brewing, and the free bucket.

Even better yet, spend an extra few bucks and get an even nicer fermenting vessel like a fast ferment, or a Fermonster/big mouth bubbler.