# Primary Buckets



## Julie (Feb 25, 2011)

Ok, I want to know if anyone else has ever had this problem, I am totally ticked. 

I had 5 gallons of blueberry/promegrante fermenting away in a 7 gallon bucket that I had bought some years ago. Fermentation went down to 1.008 last night so I tell Mike we need to rack that tomorrow night into a carboy. I have the bucket sitting in the laundry room because that is the warmest part of the basement, 70 degrees. Fermentation was rough to start so I placed my heating pad around it (I know I need a brew belt, to be honest, I have never really needed one before) Anyway, Mike carries the bucket to the back room of the basement where we have everything else and tells me that there is wine spilled all over the heating pad and I should be more careful in stirring my wines. Well I knew I didn't to that and before I could defend myself wine starts to pour out of the bottom of the bucket. I run and grab a towel and we hurry up and rack. I lost about a gallon and a half of wine.  When we were done we checked out the bucket and there is a crack all around the bottom part of the bucket. 

I have never had this happen before and don't recall anyone posting that this happened to them. So I'm asking has this ever happen to anyone else? Is this a common thing? The primary bucket was bought at a wine store and I am now thinking I need to check my buckets before I use them.


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## Flem (Feb 25, 2011)

Julie,
While it has never happened to me, I have heard of it happening. There was a post either on this forum or the FVW forum. I believe the plastic just dries out over time and finally gets small fractures in the support ribbing.
I guess you're lucky you only lost a gallon. It could have been much, much worse. Sorry it had to happen to you.


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## Boyd (Feb 25, 2011)

Have read about that happening so I check my buckets before using,

When using bottled juice I use Minnesota Makers trick for Skeeter Pee and whip the crap out of it before pitching yeast. 70 degrees shoud have been wrm enough without adddding heat. I wonder if the localized heat caused stess on the bucket.

Also works for dried fruits that hve preservativrs added.


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## Julie (Feb 25, 2011)

Boyd said:


> Have read about that happening so I check my buckets before using,
> 
> When using bottled juice I use Minnesota Makers trick for Skeeter Pee and whip the crap out of it before pitching yeast. 70 degrees shoud have been wrm enough without adddding heat. I wonder if the localized heat caused stess on the bucket.
> 
> Also works for dried fruits that hve preservativrs added.



Aaaaah Boyd, that is good advice. I don't back a lot of wine from bottled juice but I do here and there, I will remember to just whip it up.

I guess from this point I am going to write the date on the outside of my buckets so I have an idea on how old they are. I will then start to keep and closer eye on them.


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## xanxer82 (Feb 25, 2011)

Just go for stainless steel tanks  I'm sure Mike can build one for you.


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## Wade E (Feb 25, 2011)

Dan knows all about this, there was a recall on a bunch of these buckets due to this and I believe Dan brought back a few and they just handed over new ones even though his werent even broken.


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## xanxer82 (Feb 25, 2011)

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7384

Check out the thread on Ropak buckets...


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## Runningwolf (Feb 25, 2011)

Julie sorry to hear this happened. We can always say it could have been a lot worse by losing the entire bucket of something you worked very hard at or paid a lot money for but it just plain sucks. I have been hearing about this over the last year or two. I had three buckets with small dark lines along the bottom edge and my dealer said to just bring them in. He looked at them and said yup go get three more. He even went as far as giving me the three back. Those are my corkidores now. He told me thats all LD Carlson required and they compensate him. If you need any more information let me know and I can look up the code date of the bad batch.


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## Julie (Feb 25, 2011)

If you can look up the code date, I would appreciate that. I had read your post on this but didn't think I had any of those buckets, this bucket was bought probably 4 years ago.


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## Wade E (Feb 25, 2011)

Thats about the time these were being recalled!


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## Runningwolf (Feb 25, 2011)

Julie this is the post i made back in May and it has the date listed...

Here you go...

http://www.grapestompers.com/fermenting-bucket-failure.asp

Ropak Fermenting Bucket Failure
grapestompers has recently been made aware of what appears to be a manufacturing defect in the fermenting buckets used by home winemakers across the USA and Canada, and we wanted to alert all of our customers about it.

The buckets we are referring to are the 7.8 US gallon size that are typically used for primary fermentation. Evidently, Ropak Can-Am Ltd., the manufacturer of the buckets, has recently changed their design of the bucket which causes the bucket to crack or split along the bottom seam.



We do not know when exactly the design change occurred, only that it drastically affects the ability of the bucket to stay together! The photo above shows what can happen when the bottom drops off.

Please understand - only some of the most recently made buckets have this flaw*. Earlier versions of the fermenting bucket had supporting ribs around the perimeter of the bottom to help hold the bottom together. The photo below shows a comparison of the two buckets side by side.



It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which bucket is more sturdily built!

*The buckets in question were manufactured in July 2008. You can tell the date of manufacture by turning over the bucket and looking for the date "2008" stamped or printed inside a clock-like looking circle, with a line pointing towards the "7" on the clock.

What we discovered is that the bucket usually develops small cracks along the bottom seam, that get longer and wider as time (and use) go by.



grapestompers recommends that you check the bottoms of your buckets to see which kind you have. If you have one of these buckets described above, and you purchased it from us, you can get a replacement if you follow the 2 steps below:

1.Document that you have an affected bucket by taking a digital photo or two of the bottom
2.Send the photos to Tom and Pam at [email protected] along with your name and shipping address. If you know your order or invoice number, that would be a big help.
We'll verify your purchase, and follow up as soon as possible with a replacement bucket.

We would like to thank our distributor for helping us support our customers through this ordeal, even though the bucket was not manufactured by them and is not their responsibility.


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## Julie (Feb 25, 2011)

well I just look at another one I have that I had racked the skeeter pee out of and it looks like it is starting to crack. I have one more that my peach wine is fermenting in, so I'm pulling that out tomorrow and will go ahead and rack into a carboy. It is at 1.020, which is a little earlier than I normally rack but it's going in a carboy.


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## Runningwolf (Feb 25, 2011)

Take a look at the link in my last post. The picture that shows the cracks is exactly what mine looked liked. some were 2" long and some only 1/2" but they replaced them anyways. I don't know where you got yours at but I would go backand see if they'll replace them for you. If they don't I would tell them LD Carlson is aware of it and they should check with them.


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## Julie (Feb 25, 2011)

We bought ours at Country Wines, I have a total of 4, including the one that leaked. I need to look at the one that leaked for a date but the other three do not have 2008 on them. One has 2007, the other says 09 and the other says 10.


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## Runningwolf (Feb 25, 2011)

My supplier knew nothing about the dates just that threre was a problem with the buckets. I would either call or ride over there and see what they'll do. If they do not do anything then i would email LD Carlson and CC Ropak.


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## djrockinsteve (Feb 25, 2011)

Julie I can give you some Regina buckets less than a year old to use. We'll have to see if they are a heavier guage. I'll have another batch coming in September anyway.

I have thought about that everytime I pick up the bucket with it full, will the bottom bust, how about the handle. I spill enough let alone a disaster like that.


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## Wade E (Feb 25, 2011)

The Regina's are only 6 -6.5 though right?


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## Julie (Feb 26, 2011)

Thanks, Steve, I have a couple of the regina as well. Yes Wade those are 6 - 6.5. I liked the 7 gallon cuz you don't have to worry about boil overs.


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## almargita (Feb 26, 2011)

Checked mine...I have the old style with the ridges, still looking solid. Dated 2005, guess they should have never changed styles.
Al


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