Using Plastic Buckets For Home Brew
January 10, 2013 at 5:55 PM
There are a number of good reasons why many home brewers find it's better to use plastic buckets over alternatives such as glass carboys and even water bottles.
Compare to the glass alternatives, plastic buckets are far cheaper and very easy to get hold of. However, any old bucket won't do and you must ensure that you purchase one made from food grade plastic.
Obviously, purchasing one from a specialist home brew store means that it will be designed for the job but mainly this just means fit has a hole in place for the airlock. Using a sturdy or heavy duty plastic bucket instead is fine and it's fairly simple to modify it for the job.
One advantage that plastic buckets have over their more expensive, glamorous cousins, carboys, is that they won’t allow light to hit the beer and this prevents your beer from 'skunking up' on you. Of course, some would wrap a towel around the carboy to prevent this happening but at least it's something to forget about and should make your brewing life that bit easier.
Another advantage is that, compared to glass carboys, plastic buckets are far lighter. This means much easier to move around and manoeuvre and less cumbersome to bring back from the shop.
However, arguably the best reason to use plastic buckets UK homebrewers find, is that it’s very easy to clean and of make sanitary. And as this is a vital part of the home brew regime, it makes the whole process that little bit more pleasurable. Having said tha, it is vital that you stay on top of the sanitisation and cleaning as plastic can be prone to smelling if not. After each use, give it a good scrub and rinse with bleach to completely remove any trace of the previous contents.
One other minor thing to look out for is that plastic can scratch over time and this can potentially encourage bacterial growth. But with plastic buckets being so much cheaper to purchase in the first place, it's no problem to go out an buy a replacement.
Add Pingback
RL Plastics Ltd | Britannia House | Dock Road | Birkenhead | CH41 1DF
T: 0151 639 0002 | F: 0151 639 0006 | E: sales@ho-plastics.co.uk
