# Cheap fermentation buckets?



## Neviawen (Feb 26, 2012)

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone knew where to purchase cheap fermentation buckets with lids that already have the grommet inserted?
My Local brew store sells them for around ~$30 for the 6 gal. bucket and lid together. I would like to have more than 1 wine going at a time but I only have 1 big bucket at the moment and am looking to keep the costs of my hobby down. Any ideas of where to get some cheap or possibly free? (maybe used from somewhere but still food grade and safe to ferment in?)
Thanks for any ideas/help you can offer!
~Katie


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## Flem (Feb 26, 2012)

You can usually pick up buckets for free at local bakerys, grocery stores, Sams clubs and Costco. However, they do not have the holes or grommets in them. You can add them yourself.


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## Neviawen (Feb 26, 2012)

Thanks, Flem. Do I get the little grommet things from Lowes or do you think the brew store sells those, too? Do you think they are a standard size? I never thought to look at those places and put the grommet in myself.


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## Flem (Feb 26, 2012)

Katie, I don't know if Lowes carries them or not. I do know that one of our sponsors, Fine Vine Wines does carry them for .50 each. His banner occasionally appears at the top of the page. Good Luck!


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## Flem (Feb 26, 2012)

Katie. Actually, if you don't ferment to "dry" in the bucket, you really don't need an airlock and therefore a grommet.


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## Neviawen (Feb 26, 2012)

Please excuse my ignorance but what do you mean by ferment to "dry"? Does that mean to keep it in the fermentation bucket longer than like a week? I usually only keep the stuff in the primary for a week or 2, then siphon into a glass carboy. So I technically don't need an airlock and grommet?


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## Minnesotamaker (Feb 26, 2012)

If you rack your batch to a carboy before it goes below S.G. 1.000, you can get by without the lid and airlock.

If you'd prefer the airlock with lid, you can also cut a hole in the lid using a standard drill mounted hole saw and then insert the same rubber bungs you use in your carboys.

I always remind people that if you have small children or pets in the home, you may want to use a lid on the bucket.


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## Wade E (Feb 26, 2012)

Yep, I ferment to dry meaning that sg will not go any lower. When the sg gets to about 1.020 I snap the lid shut and dont open for about another week. If it has fruit or grape skins in there I slosh it around some to get it all wet so as though it doesnt dry out. You dont need the grommet, they usually leam anyway. What I usually do is drill a 7/8" hole in the lid with a Forstner bit and use a #6 or #6.5 bung and airlock and it donesnt leak like the stupid grommet.


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## Neviawen (Feb 26, 2012)

Awesome! Thanks for all the help today guys. 

I went to Sam's Club today and the guy at the bakery gave me ALL the buckets and lids he had. I now have (6) 5 gallon buckets and (6) 3 gallon buckets. Now I have to find stuff to fill them with. 

I do have 2 daughters- ages 6 and 3. They both know not to touch Mommy's wine stuff but you can never be too safe.


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## Wade E (Feb 26, 2012)

If you are making any kits you will have to split it into 2 buckets which youll still have to do with most fruit wine batches anyway. The buckets we use are 7.9 gallon and most kits are pretty tight on space with that!


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## Flem (Feb 26, 2012)

The buckets with the lids are also great for storing (sanitizing) corks and hoses with an open container of K-meta solution. Great score!!


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## Neviawen (Feb 26, 2012)

Good idea about storing stuff I already sanitized in one of the buckets. That will def. make it easier. 
I need to pick up some k-meta next time I visit the supply store. All I have is campden tablets left. Does anyone use bleach to sanitize their stuff? I've used that when I ran out of k-meta because I always have it around the house and it does the trick.


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## Flem (Feb 26, 2012)

Bleach is considered by most to be a No, No. Pick up some potassium metabisulphite and mix 3 tablespoons to a gallon of water for a good sanitizing solution.


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## Neviawen (Feb 27, 2012)

Wade E said:


> If you are making any kits you will have to split it into 2 buckets which youll still have to do with most fruit wine batches anyway. The buckets we use are 7.9 gallon and most kits are pretty tight on space with that!



So if I get a 6 gallon kit, do I split the ingredients (yeast, oak, etc.) in half and put half of the juice and ingredients in 1 bucket and 1/2 in another? Or should I buy a separate packet of yeast/ingredients for each bucket? (I don't want to short change either bucket by not getting the measurements right and 1 bucket receiving more than the other.) Have you ever made a batch where the 2 identical buckets of stuff don't taste the same?


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## seaguy (Mar 3, 2012)

Lowes sells gromets. Look in the drawers where the nuts and bolts are. take an air lock with you so you get a good fit.


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## JohnT (Mar 5, 2012)

Make a call to a local drywall guy. 


Spackle buckets will only cost you a little elbow grease and soap.


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## HillbillyTom (Mar 5, 2012)

Wade E said:


> If you are making any kits you will have to split it into 2 buckets which youll still have to do with most fruit wine batches anyway. The buckets we use are 7.9 gallon and most kits are pretty tight on space with that!



Split fruit wine batches? Can you explain this further? I have a 3-gal batch of raspberry going and wasn't aware I would have to do anything but rack into my glass carboy once the primary is over.


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## Neviawen (Mar 5, 2012)

HillbillyTom said:


> Split fruit wine batches? Can you explain this further? I have a 3-gal batch of raspberry going and wasn't aware I would have to do anything but rack into my glass carboy once the primary is over.



He was saying that if I made a batch larger than the size buckets that I had that I would have to split the batch in half because it would not fit in one of my buckets. 
(Like, if I made a 6 gallon batch of whatever but I only have 5 gallon buckets, I would have to split it between 2 buckets.)


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## jswordy (Mar 9, 2012)

I will only use food grade buckets. You can get them from 1 to 5 gallons in size at nearly any bakery. I get mine free.

For the bigger size batches, I highly recommend what others here are also using, the Rubbermaid Brute from Home Depot. A 20-gallon size is $20 and a 32-gallon size is $30. I love the 20s - perfect for my needs. Mine are gray, from the store. HD also has the 20 in WHITE onsite, last I looked with free shipping if you have a $45 or more order (not too hard to do if you buy 2 and also 2 packs of 5-gallon paint strainers).

The Brute containers and lids are imprinted as food contact safe. In this matter alone, I am a wine snob! I am fastidious about the type bucket (and carboy) I use. It is one of the benefits of making my own wine that I get to limit my exposure to plastinogens that alcohol leaches out of non-food-grade containers. 

I know of many commercial wineries that use non-food grade plastic in their primaries. It ain't for me.


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## Levi24 (Apr 10, 2013)

I spoke with Rubbermaid Commercial this afternoon and even though the Brute containers are food safe, they are not considered wine safe due the acidic nature.


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## jswordy (Apr 10, 2013)

I think their statement is a CYA deal, because then that would mean that no plastic container is wine safe, since the food safe stuff is all made from the same plastic. The buckets you buy from the wine shop are not safe, either, then. 

Let's be real about it: The alcohol will kill you long before the plastic does. But I'm not buying that Rubbermaid statement. I'll go back to the standards later when I have time, but I believe they have to withstand acids to legally be food safe.


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## Loner (Apr 12, 2013)

jswordy said:


> I think their statement is a CYA deal, because then that would mean that no plastic container is wine safe, since the food safe stuff is all made from the same plastic. The buckets you buy from the wine shop are not safe, either, then.
> 
> Let's be real about it: The alcohol will kill you long before the plastic does. But I'm not buying that Rubbermaid statement. I'll go back to the standards later when I have time, but I believe they have to withstand acids to legally be food safe.



I see where Austin Homebrew has free shipping for orders over $49 bucks for the next two days ... Buy glass if you are stressed about plastic.


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## jswordy (Apr 15, 2013)

I'm not stressed about plastic primaries at all. Like I say, when we ferment we are creating a hazardous material we're then putting voluntarily into our bodies. 

http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9923956

If there does happen to be a problem (which I don't think there is), then the alcohol will get ya before the plastic does.

Primary fermentation at a commercial winery in Oregon...





Now THAT's NAPA know-how.


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