# HDPE R2 container is it safe?



## Sirs (Aug 30, 2010)

From what I've found it's supposed to be safe but just checking to see if any of you know about this??


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## cpfan (Aug 30, 2010)

HDPE R2, afaik, does not mean food grade. It means the type of plastic that it is made from.

And, IMO, food grade does not mean alcohol grade.

Steve


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## Tom (Aug 30, 2010)

Steve is correct see below...

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) 

MOLECULAR FORMULA: 


(-CH2-CH2-)n

OR


The C=C double bond in an ethylene monomer is transformed into a C-C single bond in the polymer. Properties: toughness, strength, stiffness, ease of forming, ease of processing, resistance to moisture and chemicals, permeability to gas. Density: 0.94-0.96 g/cc
Statistic: In 1999 HDPE accounted for 47% of plastic bottle resin sales, making it the second most widely used resin in plastic bottles. HDPE and PETE together accounted for 95% of plastic bottle resin usage.


Description: Bottles made from HDPE come in both pigmented and unpigmented resins. The unpigmented resin is translucent. It also has good stiffness and barrier properties. Thus, it is ideal for packaging products having a short shelf-life such as milk. HDPE's good chemical resistance allows it to be used in containers holding household or inductrial chemicals. The pigmented resin has even better crack resistance and chemical resistance than the unpigmented resin.

Packaging applications: Milk containers, juice bottles, water bottles, bleach, detergent, and shampoo bottles, trash bags, grocery and retail carrying bags, motor oil bottles, butter and margarine tubs, household cleaner bottles, yogurt containers, and cereal box liners

Recycled products: Drainage pipe, liquid laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, benches, doghouses, recycling containers, floor tile, picnic tables, fencing, lumber, and mailbox posts


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## Sirs (Aug 30, 2010)

From what I've read any plastic container marked with the 2 in the triangle of arrows is supposed to be food safe, I mean if it can hold chemicals safely it should do fine wouldn't you think? It's a 10.6 gallon container, really hard to pass up that size of a container for a primary.


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## cpfan (Aug 30, 2010)

Sirs said:


> From what I've read any plastic container marked with the 2 in the triangle of arrows is supposed to be food safe, I mean if it can hold chemicals safely it should do fine wouldn't you think? It's a 10.6 gallon container, really hard to pass up that size of a container for a primary.


1. "supposed" to be. Not good enough for me.
2. if it can hold chemicals, it won't react with those chemicals. What does that have to do with food? Maybe the alcohol in wine will pull something out of the plastic, that the chemicals would not.
3. I have some 12 US gallon primaries manuf'd specifically for wine & beer making.

A few years ago, a winemaker on one of the forums contacted the manufacturer of some pails. The result was that one specific type of their HDPE pails was food grade in white, but not any other colour. I have some of those white pails. Apparently, some other pails were not food grade even in white (althugh I don't know for sure that they were HDPE). 

It sounds like you want to get this container to use as a primary. What was it's original intended use? Who is the manufacturer? Are there any other marks on the bottom of the pail? I can't condone a pail based solely on the type of plastic cause that means almost nothng. There are MANY MANY formulations of HDPE plastic. Some are food grade.

Steve


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## winemaker_3352 (Aug 30, 2010)

Most of my buckets i get from the Grocery Store Bakery department. So i know that the intended use of the bucket was made and manufactured for the use of food.


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## Sirs (Aug 30, 2010)

well from what I've found out it is supposed to be food grade from whats stamped on the bucket itself it has that it is HDPE and has the arrow triangle with a 2 in it which all the sites I've seen says that means it's food grade safe for liquidsand chemicals I may be wrong but don't think so either way I'll look into it more.


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## cpfan (Aug 30, 2010)

Sirs said:


> well from what I've found out it is supposed to be food grade from whats stamped on the bucket itself it has that it is HDPE and has the arrow triangle with a 2 in it which all the sites I've seen says that means it's food grade safe for liquidsand chemicals I may be wrong but don't think so either way I'll look into it more.


IMO, those sites are wrong. HDPE and recycling code 2 do not mean food grade. The pail might be food grade, might not.

Please look at the following page. Lots of good info. I don't say that it is 100% correct, but I like their thoughts. It's about brining not winemaking, but the concepts apply. Note the section "Not All HDPE Containers Are Food Grade".

http://virtualweberbullet.com/plastics.html

I have some 3 US gallon pails that I got from an ice cream shop. So like winemaker_3352, I understand their heritage. But even then, I try to watch the flavours that I get, nothing too strong or possibly annoying. 

Steve


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## Minnesotamaker (Aug 31, 2010)

cpfan said:


> ........I have some 3 US gallon pails that I got from an ice cream shop. So like winemaker_3352, I understand their heritage. But even then, I try to watch the flavours that I get, nothing too strong or possibly annoying.
> 
> Steve



No icecream could be strong or annoying. The fat is like a flavor pillow that makes it all taste GOOD!


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## Sirs (Aug 31, 2010)

Minnesotamaker said:


> No icecream could be strong or annoying. The fat is like a flavor pillow that makes it all taste GOOD!



Soooooo true LOL


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## cpfan (Aug 31, 2010)

Minnesotamaker said:


> No icecream could be strong or annoying. The fat is like a flavor pillow that makes it all taste GOOD!



Hmmmm "hint of chocolate ice cream" flavoured apple wine. Sorry doesn't work for me.

Although "hint of strawberry ice cream" flavoured berry wine would probably not even be noticed.

Steve


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## Sirs (Aug 31, 2010)

ok I've found a place to get some buckets that are food grade in fact had vinegar and cider and even icing in them so won't need to use the unsure one thanks for all the info.


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## cpfan (Aug 31, 2010)

Sirs said:


> ok I've found a place to get some buckets that are food grade in fact had vinegar and cider and even icing in them so won't need to use the unsure one thanks for all the info.



Icing fine, cider good, but I would avoid the vinegar one personally. It might be OK, but you'll never convince me.

Of course, if you're planning to make some wine vinegar.....

Steve


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## winemaker_3352 (Aug 31, 2010)

cpfan said:


> Icing fine, cider good, but I would avoid the vinegar one personally. It might be OK, but you'll never convince me.
> 
> Of course, if you're planning to make some wine vinegar.....
> 
> Steve



i agree - since a vinegar smell is wine is not good anyway.


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## Sirs (Aug 31, 2010)

I gotta agree the vinegar one would be my very last choice and even then I'd probly not care to much for it but hey who knows


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## juan_wine (Aug 19, 2017)

Hi, please look at this doc about characteristics of HDPE plastic. Thanks 

View attachment ineos-hdpe-chemical-resistance-guide.pdf


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## dralarms (Aug 19, 2017)

juan_wine said:


> Hi, please look at this doc about characteristics of HDPE plastic. Thanks



Well if you gotta dig up an old thread that's the way to do it. Thanks for the chart


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