# 30 gallon brute fermenter question



## Pumpkinman (Oct 16, 2013)

I need to get a rubbermaid brute fermenter for grapes coming in tomorrow, I cannot find the white food grade brutes at Home Depot or Lowes.
I know what the answer is, but I'd does thought I'd ask anyway....does it have to be a food grade (white) or do you use the grey commercial brutes?
Thanks,
Tom


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## WI_Wino (Oct 16, 2013)

I believe the gray ones are food safe, they meet NSF standard 2.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubberma...ith-Lid-FG8620-20GRA/100211748#specifications

Also the rubbermaid site says the gray ones are compliant:

http://www.rubbermaidcommercial.com/rcp/products/detail.jsp?rcpNum=2620


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 16, 2013)

Perfect! Great info! Thanks! 

Tom


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## GreginND (Oct 16, 2013)

I use the grey ones. No white ones around here. But the white shore does look purty with red grapes in it.


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## LoveTheWine (Oct 16, 2013)

This is off the rubbermaid website
'Gray, White and Yellow are USDA Meat & Poultry Equipment Group Listed and assist in complying with HACCP guidelines'

http://www.rubbermaidcommercial.com...oryCode_rcpNum=waste_waste_brute_utility_2632


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 16, 2013)

Much appreciated! I was quoted about $70-$75 for 20-30 gallon fermenters at the LHBS what a rip off, I purchased a Brute, #2620 that WI Wino listed at Homer for $19.99!

Thanks!!!

Tom


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## WI_Wino (Oct 16, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> Much appreciated! I was quoted about $70-$75 for 20-30 gallon fermenters at the LHBS what a rip off, I purchased a Brute, #2620 that WI Wino listed at Homer for $19.99!
> 
> Thanks!!!
> 
> Tom



Picked one up myself tonight as well.


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## Runningwolf (Oct 16, 2013)

I actually have each size of the grey brutes from Home Depot. Tom just a hint; if you can set this brute up on blocks or something a bit higher before filling, it'll make it easier to siphon the wine out of it when you go to rack.


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 16, 2013)

Dan, sweet, thanks, I hadn't even thought about it, my mind is on the dreaded task of destemming by hand.... It's time to get a crusher/destemmer!
I cannot believe that I was going to spend so much dang money buying 20 or 30 gallon fermenters from the LHBS! I'm glad that I decided to post here.
I appreciate the quick reply WI Wino! You saved me at least $50.00!


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## Arne (Oct 16, 2013)

Ha ha ha, desteming by hand. Thats the way I have to do it too, last year was up til 1 in the morning for 3 nites to get em destemed. I feel your pain. No grapes this fall tho, guess I get my beauty sleep. To bad it don't work. Arne.


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## WI_Wino (Oct 16, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> Dan, sweet, thanks, I hadn't even thought about it, my mind is on the dreaded task of destemming by hand.... It's time to get a crusher/destemmer!
> I cannot believe that I was going to spend so much dang money buying 20 or 30 gallon fermenters from the LHBS! I'm glad that I decided to post here.
> I appreciate the quick reply WI Wino! You saved me at least $50.00!



PM me your address so I know where to send my invoice


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## LoveTheWine (Oct 17, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> Dan, sweet, thanks, I hadn't even thought about it, my mind is on the dreaded task of destemming by hand.... It's time to get a crusher/destemmer!
> I cannot believe that I was going to spend so much dang money buying 20 or 30 gallon fermenters from the LHBS! I'm glad that I decided to post here.
> I appreciate the quick reply WI Wino! You saved me at least $50.00!



I de-stemmed by hand last year and swore that method off forever.
This year I crushed onto a screen placed on top of my 32 gal brute.
After one fill/crush you lift off the crusher and simply rub any remaining grapes with a 2x4 or hands to make them fall through.
80-85% of the stems are left on the screen and then rest are picked out of the must before and during fermentation. 

View attachment crush.pdf


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 17, 2013)

Nice! Looks a lot easier than destemming them by hand!


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## Norske (Oct 17, 2013)

If they are stamped with NSF on the can they are food grade. We use the HD brute cans also. Another suggestion is to buy the roll away for them. That makes it a breeze to just wheel them about when you need to move them.


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## ibglowin (Oct 17, 2013)

The white Brutes are only available from Homeless Despot online. The Brute dollies are awesome indeed but they cost as much if not more than the Brute! A $7 moving dolly from Harbor Freight. Yea that's the ticket!


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## Scott (Oct 17, 2013)

I did see a white Brute at Tractor Suppy, 20 gal for $30. Looked heavy duty was marked for seed and feed. Didn't buy it though.


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 17, 2013)

God Bless ya Arne, I feel your pain, 5 lugs today.


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 17, 2013)

Mike, I have a harbor freight about 10 mins from my house, I'll be getting 2 sets of wheels tomorrow (had to pick up another 32 gallon brute).


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## jswordy (Oct 18, 2013)

H-D offers the white by mail order ONLY. Mine's gray. Glad you got-r-dun.

Sheesh. ibglowin answered this already. My timing is off today. Need wine!


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 18, 2013)

I ended up buying the 20 and 32 gallon brutes, I am glad that you guys came to my rescue!
Thanks again!!


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## ibglowin (Oct 18, 2013)

I love my Harbor Freight dollies. Moved a boat load of stuff around the house sometimes even furniture ...... 

I got my White Brutes from HD online. Would you believe they don't carry the matching white lids? I had to order those from US Plastics. I have (8) 20G White Brutes with white lids. Have used them 3 crushes in a row now and they are holding up well and clean up nicely each Fall with a little Oxyclean back to good as new condition.


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## geek (Oct 18, 2013)

Tom, Are you making wine from grapes this fall?


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 18, 2013)

2 small batches Varis, about 500 lbs, it had been so long since I had gotten my hands dirty with fresh grapes that I was apprehensive, besides one small brain fart, everything is going as planned, the Yakima Valley Cab Sav is cold soaking at about 50°, I plan on bringing it back up to temp naturally on Monday, and pitching the yeast.
I'm probably going to make much more from Grapes with a bucket or two of Italian juices that I cannot get here in the US.
Adding about 9-10 lbs of crushed grapes per bucket this season has really livened them up.
I cannot wait to start making a few kick *** blends, at least a Super Tuscan, and a Bordeaux blend, I plan on playing with a few second runs as well, thanks to a good buddy or 2 that suggested it.
Kinda feel like a little kid in a toy store...LOL


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## geek (Oct 18, 2013)

At the end I think grapes is the best way to make wine for a much better product.

Good luck, post pics...


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 18, 2013)

lol.....it isn't just the best way... it is the original way...LMFAO


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## geek (Oct 19, 2013)

I meant to say not the easiest way but for the product quality it is the best in my opinion.

I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job and be happy at the end, even though the starting process may be messy, LOL.

Pics...!!


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## geek (Oct 19, 2013)

BTW, the lug you crushed to keep in the freezer to use in buckets next time, did you wash the grapes at all or not?


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 19, 2013)

Varis, to be honest, this really isn't that difficult, you need to keep on top of things a bit more, but that is the fun part.
The lug that I split between the juice buckets was not rinsed, it was treated the same as the rest of the grapes with the exception of the enzymes, I destemmed, crushed, and split it between 3 juice buckets. 
One bucket had started to ferment so I decided that I wouldn't add any grapes to the bucket, I wasn't sure if the wine would have benefited from it with only a few days fermentation left. I am fermenting in a much cooler environment, on the lower end of the temperature tolerance in an attempt to extract more from the grapes in the juice buckets.
Non of the grapes were left to freeze for other batches, but I plan on pressing and saving a few bags of the skins for future batches...maybe...


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## geek (Oct 19, 2013)

my LHBS has Sangiovese but Lodi brand, not Lanza.
I plan to go and check it today.


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 19, 2013)

Varis,
Lodi is a lower quality unless you can get Lodi Gold. Make sure you check them out and get a decent price per lug, what are they charging per lug?


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## geek (Oct 19, 2013)

Need to call them now to see. I hope to have time to stop by today as I am hauling wood pellets from Farmington to Naugatuck in the van today, too much going on.... 
M&M doesn't have Lanza but other brands for $44 per log...too much of a trip for just 1 lug.

Will go to LHBS now and check what they have.


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## geek (Oct 19, 2013)

He just ran out of Sangiovese, it was $39 for Lodi Gold.
How much you paid for Lanza?


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 19, 2013)

In my opinion, that is a little high for Lodi, but who knows it may be spot on, Lanza was approx. $45.00


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## geek (Oct 19, 2013)

I think I am going to buy from local Big Y supermarket at $34, they will get it from M&M anyways but the brand is something else, not Lanza and not Lodi.


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 19, 2013)

Supermarket selling wine grapes? 
I'd go to the distributor, M&M why take any chances when M&M isn't that far from you? M&M will have the freshest grapes available, the local guys will have older grapes unless wine makers go to the supermarket for them, I'd be very apprehensive, remember, you only get what you pay for, and every time you have to use another middleman in the chain, they are all potential points of failure, and each one has to mark them up to make their percentage.

Go direct to M&M, Better quality, vast selection, knowledgeable, experienced wine makers that not only know the market, but know their products, and the product will be fresh and less expensive....this isn't one of those times to look to cut corners, you'll regret it in the end.....my father always said.."garbage in, garbage out"....


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## geek (Oct 19, 2013)

Thanks.
Big Y actually has no Sangiovese, the manager said he'd need to order from M&M and will get them in a couple days.
He said he needed to call M&M to know the brand as he didn't know. So it would be from M&M anyways, I am just intrigued and will find out the exact brand when M&M is open tomorrow.
At first he said price is $34 for the lug, wondering if he made a mistake on that price?


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## Pumpkinman (Oct 19, 2013)

Varis, excuse my curiosity, but why don't you go to M&M and cut out the middleman and their markups? If he is charging you $34 per lug, you could probably get the exact same grapes for $30 or less.
I believe that last time we spoke, you mentioned M&M being 30 mins from you.


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## petey (Oct 19, 2013)

ibglowin said:


> I love my Harbor Freight dollies. Moved a boat load of stuff around the house sometimes even furniture ......
> 
> I got my White Brutes from HD online. Would you believe they don't carry the matching white lids? I had to order those from US Plastics. I have (8) 20G White Brutes with white lids. Have used them 3 crushes in a row now and they are holding up well and clean up nicely each Fall with a little Oxyclean back to good as new condition.



Harbor freight just had dollies on sale, bought a few of them and they sure came in handy moving my demijohns around .and after pressing 100 liters of must a pinch of k-meta sure works to rid yourself of purple hands


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## geek (Oct 24, 2013)

I guess I am heading to Home Depot to get me a gray 20-gal brute for $19.97. I wish they had the white one in store but like Mike said only online....grrr

The white brute at Tractor Supply is $30 for the 20-gal like others said.


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## GreginND (Oct 24, 2013)

It's just a color. The grey ones work just as well!


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## geek (Oct 24, 2013)

sure they do, all about the color...


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## Boatboy24 (Oct 24, 2013)

I feel your pain. Wanted a white one too, but ten bucks savings and instant gratification got me over that fairly quickly.


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## ibglowin (Oct 24, 2013)

Its the color of purity when your fermenting a red. Worth every penny IMHO! 

Love my WHITE BRUTES! LOL



GreginND said:


> It's just a color. The grey ones work just as well!


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