Plastic Fermenter

[Crusader-Rob]

Hi All,

Interested to know how long the plastic barrel type fermenters should last? Provided they are kept in good nick, without scratches, is there a rough guideline?

The other question I have is, when cleanikng and sanitising your femrneters, what does you use to wipe and scrub? Sponge? Cloh? Paper towel?

Trying to tidy up my sanitation process, possibly get a glass carboy as well.

[Paul Fraser]

Hey Rob, I use a soft cloth with fragrance free dishwash soap. Give it a good rinse out. I then take the tap off and use a wee mini brush to clean the threads and inside tap. Rinse that out and re-assemble. Then I soak in sodium percarbonate solution. Rinse that off. Then sanitise with star San for the next brew. I'm sure if you looked after it well enough it should last quite a while.

[Liam Callaghan]

I have some that are over 10 years old and still going strong.

Basic oxi cleaner to soak, the stuff that feels slick between your fingers as it melts the protiens in your skin

Soft cloth to wipe it clean and rinced with water and a spray with starsan.  I use disposable jay cloths, nothing abrasive.  If you have to scrub it your not soaking for long enough.  No scrubbing and you'll get years out of them.

Spray with starsan before I use it

Good as gold

Glass carbouys are the same but soaking with oxi action is a must or you'll be at it with a bottle brush for an age, if you've never used glass your in for a treat, its amazing to watch the yeast at work, almost looks like its boiling!

Oh and don't use bleach in plastic, chlorine is absorbed into plastic and then slowly released into what ever liquids you then fill it with later.

[Crusader-Rob]

yeah i think they're ok, might invest in a glass one soon as well. the plastic one are just much easier to work with, and they have the plastic tap/spigot to transfer, rather than the siphon for a carboy.

I will be giving them a good soak with percarbonate, and leaving for a few days.

whats the go with leaving sanitiser in the fermenters for maybe 1-2weeks at a time?

[Liam Callaghan]

The plastic ones are bulletproof I reckon, wet hands and glass are not a good mix but I still like em, just to see the yeast barrelling around.

I don't usually leave any liquids in them, even sanitiser.  Let them drip dry and put them on the shelf with the lid mostly on.  Mine can sit for a few months between being used and I found that liquids tend go all slimey in there.

I sometimes soak with oxi action for a week though, not that it needs it, just convenient.  Never had any issues with that.

Just give em a wash out with fresh water before use and spray with sanitiser (starsans for me)

[Peter Smith]

the pails are great the non stick surface makes cleaning easy and if your volumes are wrong there is plenty of spare headspace (good for top croppers).    BUT I still love my carboys....

[Nick Good]

Hi guys,

what brand of percarbonate do you use that doesnt have a scent?

[Crusader-Rob]

use the proper stuff, normally a group buy with the christchurch brew peeps.

works out around $3-4 per kilo? i think

[Matthew Vincent]

My mate has been 'borrowing' my 60 litre plastic barrel for the last 3 or 4 months (ish). He's been using it to make double batches of spirits.

I don't really know what the process is with making spirits but does anyone have any thoughts/comments on weather or not this may have made this barrel unadvisable to brew beer in now? 

[Richard Jack]

You'll be fine unless he is at an advanced level and starting to do dirty ferments of all grain spirits (scotch / bourbon) or rum (with soured dunder added). If he's just putting sugar and turbo yeast in and adding cordials to the finished product you have nothing to worry about.

[Grant R Baker]

My last plastic pal (bucket with lid) lastest 4 years before the hairline cracks, around the tap hole and lid blow hole, could not be ignored any more.

Started using two plastic barrels (along with my plastic conical)....I think these will last a bit better (unless I snap the handle on the lid).

I use paper towels only for all my brew cleaning.... you always know where it has been.