Crushed grape / juice bucket questions

[Rtrent2002]

Newbie here at crushed grape / juice buckets

Looks like it took my buckets a week to be delivered according to UPS tracking. When they got here, the juice was almost completely fermented and they were in a Home Depot "all purpose" bucket.

Is this normal? Shouldn't the grapes be in food grade plastic buckets?

I dropped the buckets in ice, added met bisulfate and will pitch yeast tomorrow.

 

[Smok1]

Sounds like an echo in here. Theres a few guys who got there juice bucket already fermenting already this year, sounds like theres a shortage on sulfite at the factory or something, i dont know about the buckets but it doesnt have to say "food grade" on the bucket, i get mine from a local compounding pharmacy, cant remeber the exact number but theres a triangle with a number underneath the bucket that represents what grade of plastic it is, you can find what those number represent online and figure out if its suitable for food grade.

I just googled it
Plastic #2: High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

HDPE, which is considered a low-hazard plastic, is often used for milk, water and juice bottles, as well as bottles for cleaning supplies and shampoo. It's also used to make grocery bags and cereal box liners. HDPE (like most plastics) has been found to release estrogenic chemicals.

To be honest i just read the info on all 7 plastics and none of them are perfect, but some more suitable than others.

 

[Smok1]

Heres a pic of a food grade symbol.

 

[Rtrent2002]

Thanks Smok1. I'm assuming the bucket is fine, but I'm disappointed that the grapes were allowed to ferment mostly on wild yeast. I wanted to be able to measure the brix and control the alcohol level. Oh well. Still excited about my first juice bucket! I live in Alabama so can't grow the good stuff here.

 

[Cibb]

Thanks Smok1. I'm assuming the bucket is fine, but I'm disappointed that the grapes were allowed to ferment mostly on wild yeast. I wanted to be able to measure the brix and control the alcohol level. Oh well. Still excited about my first juice bucket! I live in Alabama so can't grow the good stuff here.

I wouldn't worry about the buckets. Virtually every bucket made is good safe just cheaper to make tons of them out of the same material.

My buckets arrived and we're supposed to be sulfited and they were fermenting once the temp was warm so that bugged me but overall I'm happy so far hope you are as well.

 

[Rtrent2002]

One other question, mine had quit a few stems in the mix. That normal? I pulled as many out as I could. Don't want my pinot noir to tannic.

 

[Cibb]

One other question, mine had quit a few stems in the mix. That normal? I pulled as many out as I could. Don't want my pinot noir to tannic.

Yours was juice correct? I'm not familiar with any of them shipping juice with stems. Maybe is is a Pinot specific item or maybe your vendor but not that I'm familiar with thus far. my juice pails arrived and were just juice nothing more.

 

[Rtrent2002]

It was pre-crushed grapes.