HDPE milk containers.

[wildfruity]

I have 5 demijohns [carboys] and have 4 filled with wine now. There is plenty of wild fruit about still and new demijohns are quite expensive. I'm thinking of sterilising well some old 3 and 2 litre used milk containers to transfer the wine into, which has already been racked twice. This will free up my demijohns for more wine. My experience with the milk containers is that the type of plastic seems pretty robust, able to cope with any methanol, oil or spirit based woodworking finishes, whereas yogurt pots and others disolve. Anyone feel like disuading me before I do it? Thinking of storing for 2 years before bottling. Elderberry and Crabapple wines.
Thanks, Al.

 

[LanMan]

Don't tell anyone but I have fermented in 1 gal milk jugs.

 

[wildfruity]

Thanks LanMan

It can take a while for changes to become accepted, but just look at the transition to screw lid wine bottles lately! As far as I can tell, the important thing is as little contamination as possible with oxygen, so best to fill to within a quarter of an inch of the top, and an advantage of plastic is a little expansion can be coped with without the need to compress that little bit between the wine and the lid. I might melt some candle wax around the top for good measure. Also reduce light contamination, I have a cupboard that will do on the north side of the house.

 

[grapeman]

I would not endanger my wine putting it in those. Maybe in the UK you have a better milk jug than here, but I would not want my wine in those. SOme of us have had them leak or break with just a potassium metabisulfite solution in them for a few months.

 

[LanMan]

Not arguing the point but they are #2HDPE The same as primary buckets and they have to be food safe. I would use them as a primary in a pinch

 

[Flem]

They may be food safe but I don't think they would suffice as primary fermenters due tho the fact that they wouldn't provide enough oxygen for the yeast. I believe he's talking about milk jugs with a 1 1/8 inch opening.

 

[LanMan]

They may be food safe but I don't think they would suffice as primary fermenters due tho the fact that they wouldn't provide enough oxygen for the yeast. I believe he's talking about milk jugs with a 1 1/8 inch opening.

You will have to excuse my ignorance as I primarily brew beer and shaking the fermenter for a little while after boiling and cooling is sufficent to introduce enough oxygen for healthy fermentation.
I was refering to your standard 1 gal milk jug we get here in the states.
How much oxygen does wine yeast require?

 

[Flem]

No need to apologize. You are not ignorant by any means. You were just trying to help based on your experience. I was just trying to help based on what I know. That's what's so good about this forum. Everyone helps everyone.

 

[grapeman]

Wildfruity is talking about using them for two years of storage. I do not believe that would be prudent or safe. They may be food safe, but very well could degrade in that time and allow too much oxygen into the wine and ruin it. I stand by my original advice not to use them.

 

[Flem]

+1 to what grapeman said. The general consensus of the forum is that plastic is not appropriate for long term storage/aging.

 

[LanMan]

I agree about the long term storage. But in my other post #5 I said I would use as a primary if I didn't have anything else. I must have missed the storing for 2 years but I see it now.

 

[wildfruity]

Thanks everyone

Oh dear, looks like I may not be able to do another batch this year after all. Next year maybe if some demijohns become available.

 

[ronberntson]

Do you have something like Kijiji or Craig's list in the Mother Country (me being a colonial and all)? I've been finding 23 litre carboys for $CDN10 which appears to be just over 6 pounds UK currency. It's a real buyer's market here - a lot of people thought making their own wine would be a good idea - turned around after a couple of years and decided to get rid of their equipment.

Be careful that they are reasonably clean or else you're in for a lot of frustration. I'll likely buy some of the new plastic carboys as the funds are available - I'm a bit of a klutz. However, glass will do - especially for long term bulk storage.

Being a reticent Canadian, I haven't bargained, but I suspect you could go 5 UK pounds. What's the cost of a pint these days? Might be an investment.