five gallon frosting buckets

[tnterryt]

i have a niece that works in the bakery at the local food lion she has brought me a few five and two gallon buckets the top lid a rubber sealing gasket on the bottom of the bucket in the "triangle' it has the number five and under the triangle there are two small p's will these buckets be ok for primary containers?

 

[ibglowin]

Should work fine. Make sure to wash it up first and sanitize with KMeta before use.

 

[Rocky]

The "PP' stands for polypropylene. Most of the plastics associated with wine making are HDPE (High Density Polyethylene). Because your buckets were used for frosting, they are "food grade" but the problem with PP is that it is subject to degradation from sun or UV light and heat. Because frosting came in those buckets, I would think they were refrigerated. Exposure to heat and UV rays will cause crazing and cracks to form and could be a hiding place for bacteria. I would be very careful in using them and only as a last resort.

 

[keena]

I've used frosting buckets many times. I got mine from a similar scenario. The buckets do seem softer but with proper washing and sanitizing I don't see a problem and I continue to use them. I power washed mine and the frosting came off no problem

 

[BeerAlchemist]

This scenario has come up with brewers and have been used successfully. But, remember these buckets are made for one time use not regular service so treat them as disposable, the second you have any indication there is an issue or they start looking scratched at all, its time for them to go into the recycle bin. And, as Rocky made good mention of, this is a different type of plastic. Its oxygen permeability is likely far too high for the micro oxygenation requirements of something like wine so use for bulk aging would be out of the question and you will likely deal with issues of flavor scalping so I would keep them separated by styles.

 

[BobF]

I wouldn't use them. IIRC, frosting has a much lower ABV than wine

 

[winemaker_3352]

I use the frosting buckets from bakeries as well.

And to what Rocky pointed out - as long as you don't store these outside in the sun or in extreme heat - they will be fine.

I have had mine for 6 years - stored inside under my workbench out of the sun - i have no crazing or cracks...

 

[keena]

Out of curiosity, its there anywhere that anyone knows of to get cheap 5 gal plastic bags you could just line your bucket with?

 

[robie]

Out of curiosity, its there anywhere that anyone knows of to get cheap 5 gal plastic bags you could just line your bucket with?

The plastic bags, in most cases, would be more of a problem than the food grade bucket. They can give your wine a plastic taste. The exception are the plastic bags in which kit juice comes and the wine-on-tap bags for dispensing wine. Even they can eventually allow too much oxygen to penetrate their surface. The wine-on-tap bags are only rated for 6 months.

Since you don't store your wine for long periods in the buckets, as long as they are food grade, you should be OK.

Even the orange paint buckets as Home Depot have the proper markings on them. Just don't use them after the inside surface gets scratched up a lot.

 

[BobF]

Out of curiosity, its there anywhere that anyone knows of to get cheap 5 gal plastic bags you could just line your bucket with?

I have NOT tried these yet, but I'm tempted when doing elderberry ...

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23606&catid=455

 

[robie]

I have NOT tried these yet, but I'm tempted when doing elderberry ...

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23606&catid=455

Wow! Those are very different and just might be worth trying. I get concerned about the Rubbermaid trashcans. I have heard that all they have is a thin coating that gives them a food grade rating. Seems that would be easy to scratch through during stirring and especially punch downs. Problem is, I really don't know if that is true or not.

Wonder if these plastic bag inserts will stand up to stirring and punch downs without ripping? That could cause a real headache for sure.

 

[BobF]

The description says they're 4mil. That should be plenty strong, but I would use care

 

[jswordy]

Wow! Those are very different and just might be worth trying. I get concerned about the Rubbermaid trashcans. I have heard that all they have is a thin coating that gives them a food grade rating. Seems that would be easy to scratch through during stirring and especially punch downs. Problem is, I really don't know if that is true or not.

Wonder if these plastic bag inserts will stand up to stirring and punch downs without ripping? That could cause a real headache for sure.

Brute round can conforms to NSF/ANSI 2, a standard that sets rules for construction to prevent contamination and ease cleanability. It conforms to NSF/ANSI 21, a standard governing refuse containers.

All-plastic, professional-grade construction will not rust, chip or peel; resists dents. Strong, snap-on lids are available for secure, stable stacking. Reinforced rims add strength and durability. Built-in handles allow easy, non-slip lifting and anti-jam nesting. Double-ribbed base increases stability and dragging capacity. Gray, White and Yellow are USDA Meat & Poultry Equipment Group Listed and assist in complying with HACCP guidelines. Easy twist on, twist off dolly provides safe mobility. Certified to NSF International Std. #2 (gray, white and yellow) and Std. #21. 2632/2637-88, 2643/2647-88, 2655/2657-88 are California State Fire Marshal (CSFM) approved when used as container/lid combo.

They are made of HDPE (high density polyethylene) plastic, which is food grade. FWIW, I don't see any evidence of a coating on mine, after a bunch of uses. Nor does it easily scratch.

Also FWIW, my original wine kit 6-gallon pail is scratched and scored all the way around inside, and I still use it regularly. Sanitize and use. No worries. Your mileage may vary.

 

[robie]

Thanks, Jim. That pretty much explains things.

 

[southlake333]

I wouldn't use them. IIRC, frosting has a much lower ABV than wine

All it needs is a little yeast. There's more than enough sugar available to raise the ABV.

 

[jswordy]

All it needs is a little yeast. There's more than enough sugar available to raise the ABV.

And a new WMT recipe is born...

 

[jswordy]

Thanks, Jim. That pretty much explains things.

No, it doesn't. It doesn't explain why mine is EMPTY right now. Hmmm ... maybe I can change that starting this weekend!