Stopped in to Lowes the other day while waiting for my Bobcat tire to get fixed. Noticed rows and rows of white, food-grade 5 gallon buckets for sale. They also had 2 gallon buckets that looked pretty good too. The 5gal were $3.78 IIRC, and the lids were another $1.25 or so.
I love my LHBS dearly and try to support them as much as I can, but their buckets are like $15 each, and they’re an hour-and-a-half drive away.
5 gallon buckets are good for brewing 3 gallon batches. You brew many 3 gallon batches?
I do, actually. I like making 3 gallon batches when I don’t have time to brew outside, and I have to use my regular stove-top.
Also, depending on what yeast I use, I can get away with 15% headspace volume for most British and Belgian yeasts. For true top-croppers I need more like 25-30% headspace. Or you could use a blow-off tube. I also make a fair amount of 8-9 gallons batches that end up with a lot of headspace divided into two 6.5gallon buckets. So for me, 5 gallon buckets are great. YMMV and so forth.
I picked up one of the food-grade buckets at Lowes a couple of weeks ago. I’m in the high cost community of Carmel, so I paid almost $6 for just the bucket w/o lid. I just want the bucket for general brewery use, not fermenting. I think it work well for that.
Carmel California ?
Look at his sig, Martin’s in Indiana
The one in CA is “Carmel by the Sea”.
The one in Indiana was called “Carmel by the Interstate” by my Sister when she lived in the area.
You got that right! Its also one of the most red areas in the country. I have to go from conservative democrat to liberal republican (ps: I think they’re about the same) just to have any hope in this place. Its too bad the republican party doesn’t accept any view except “the word from on high”. Can you tell I don’t buy that crap.
I thought those were extinct. Maybe you’re just endangered.
I guess it doesn’t come in 5 gallon food grade plastic buckets from Lowes, huh?
Ha, quite right!
I brew 3 gallon batches also, perhaps I should look into these here buckets. I’d probably have to drill out the lid though for an airlock…hmmmmm.
My LHBS in Colorado had lids that were predrilled and grommeted. The LHBS here just drills a hole in the lid for you, and they have little rubber stoppers for it. Not quite as elegant as the grommet, but it works fine and is easy to clean.
Anyone know if they’re stocking them out west?
http://www.homebrewing.org/Rubber-Lid-Grommet-Replacement_p_1822.html
Rubber Grommets can also be found at HD, Lowes, large electrical supply places, etc.