# Plastic water bottles



## Cincincy (Mar 7, 2017)

A friend gave me 2 5 gal bottles used for home drinking water. 

Does anyone use plastic or is it safe? I am very skeptical. 

Thanks 

Hw


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## Stevelaz (Mar 7, 2017)

Yes, it is fine. Look on the bottle and try to find the code for the type of plastic is is (probably on bottom). If it says PET 1 or PETE 1 you are good to go. I have several 6 gallon from vintage shop and better bottle and that is the code on them as well. I also just brought home a new 5 gallon water bottle i purchased from walmart that was only 5 bucks. The code on that is also PETE 1. I really like the plastic carboys as they are much lighter than glass and easier to move around especially when full. When they are empty they are so light that you can juggle them...lol.


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## danr (Mar 7, 2017)

I have ,safe? I think so but I`m no expert.I dont use for ageing-senior members care to comment???


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## wildhair (Mar 8, 2017)

I'm not a senior member yet, but I have bought and used several of the Arrow plastic juice containers. They are BPA free, designed and manufactured to hold liquid food and made to be washed & re-used. They also come in 1.25 gal, 2 gal. 2.5 gal. and 3 gal sizes. They come with a spigot and a large opening on top makes them easy to clean & sanitize. I use them for secondary fermentation - I remove the spigot and insert a #7 rubber stopper w/ an airlock and stand them on end. When siphoning, you can remove the airlock and it's easy to see when you are getting to the lees. Then use them for aging after stabilization, too.


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## salcoco (Mar 8, 2017)

long term aging is plastic carboys is usually not recommended. possible air osmosis through the plastic. although the sellers of new PET carboys advertise as this is not a problem . I would question water bottles.


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## wildhair (Mar 8, 2017)

salcoco said:


> long term aging is plastic carboys is usually not recommended. possible air osmosis through the plastic. although the sellers of new PET carboys advertise as this is not a problem . I would question water bottles.



I've read that, too. But my batches of wine are too small to fill a 5 or 6 gal. carboy, and 2 gal. of wine in a 3 gal carboy leaves a lot of air space. I figure if I can fill one of these 99% full - they'll be exposed to a LOT less air than if I have a partially filled 3 gal. glass carboy. How much O2 can actually migrate thru the plastic? Enough to oxidize the wine in the couple months before I bottle it?


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## salcoco (Mar 8, 2017)

I think for a few months you should be okay any long term aging say 6-12 months might be problem. since they are food safe I would think any oxygen would also render the food unusable. where did you purchase your 2 gallon containers.


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## kevinlfifer (Mar 8, 2017)

This topic has popped-up several times recently. I use the 4 gal PET 1 water bottles (30 of them, free is good) The key is the composition of the bottle. The older 5 gal water bottles may be polypropylene or polyethylene, both can be O2 permeable. If the symbol is PET 1 or PETE 1 as stevelaz says you should be good. PETE is a much tighter molecular composition. 

These are 4 gal bottles on the shelves and 6 gal better bottles on the floor. I age in these for 8-12 months, never have had an issue.


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## wildhair (Mar 8, 2017)

I got the first ones from Amazon - then I found them at my local Menards for even less. Walmart might have them, too. I made some black raspberry wine and some cranberry in them - washes clean w/ no staining of the plastic at all. 

They also work good when you are backsweetening - I take out the airlock & put the spigot in and put the jug in the "normal" position. Then you can use the spigot for the taste tests & with the big top off - add the syrup and gently stir it in.


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