# Fresh juice bucket shelf life



## slurve (Oct 19, 2009)

Hello

First time poster and first time user of fresh juice buckets. I have used 'hot packed juice' before which was said to have as as much as a year of shelf life as long as it remained sealed. I have just received a shipment of 5 6 gallon buckets that were shipped and stored cold from a local Italian importer. Somehow i neglected to prepare for starting all 5 batches at once, as at best I currently only have the ability to primary/secondary two or three at one time. I am assuming that the juice had been blanced and treated with some sulfite prior to shipping, but my question is how long I can wait to open and start fermentation?

Thank you in advance


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## mmadmikes1 (Oct 19, 2009)

Not all fresh juice is treated and sometimes fermentaion will have alreay started when it comes. All fresh juice I have used have come with that as a discloser.You could open it and treat it yourself


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## Tom (Oct 19, 2009)

If its true fresh juice it will start fermenting as soon as it gets room temp. Better get more carboys FAST


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## mmadmikes1 (Oct 19, 2009)

Tom said:


> If its true fresh juice it will start fermenting as soon as it gets room temp. Better get more carboys FAST


Sounds like you hit it on the button, more carboys is always a good answerLOLOLOL


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## Wade E (Oct 19, 2009)

Same here even if sulfited that they usually will start up by them selves even if cold stored just at a much slower pace. I had bought one of these that was 4 months old and stored at 38* and when i brought it home and opened it the sg was at 1.025 and once it warmed up it started fermenting faster. I woud call the place you bought it and ask if you can bring bac and store it for a little while back in the cool room.


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## slurve (Oct 20, 2009)

Thank you guys i suspected as much,more carboys it is. Unfortunately there is no accompanying measurements and indication of treatment, and I'm afraid the importer know next to nothing about the juice. I am currently brining them up to room temp where I will add a small amount of KMS just in case there has been no addition.

If you don't mind could i change the subject to my next issue. The buckets themselves have a small blowoff stopper and suggest that they can be used for primary by removing some of the juice to allow some headroom and then loosely re attaching the lid. I have seen other documentation that this quasi open fermentation is safe, but coming from the world of beer brewing, this is scaring me, is this truly safe during primary and then going to more traditional sealed and air locked secondaries?


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## Wade E (Oct 20, 2009)

That will work well and is actually the better way to ferment cause yeast need 02 to form good colonies.


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## Tom (Oct 20, 2009)

Slurve,
Thats what I do just lay the lid on top. I wait till gravity is about 1.010 then racy to a carboy and add airlock.


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## slurve (Oct 21, 2009)

Awesome guys, thank you very much for your guidance. 

If anyone checks in one more time, with the lid on loosely would you recommend leaving the small rubber lid stopper(prob half inch) in or out?


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## Tom (Oct 21, 2009)

Makes no difference. Just lay the lid on top. There is enough spece for the air to get in.


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