when to replace a plastic primary fermenter

[flatfoot]

Hi

I've just gotten into making wine again after taking about ten years off. I started off a couple of Amarone kits in my older primary plastic fermenters and now I've racked them into some glass carboys. I cleaned my plastic primary fermenters with water/one-step solution/and then a strong solution of PM (Potassium Metabisulfate..9 tsp per gallon). I can't seem to get rid of the grape smell from the fermenters even after leaving the hot solution of PM sit in there overnight with the lid on....very strong fumes when I opened the lid.

Do these plastic primary fermenters have a definite lifespan or is that smell normal. If memory serves me correct, I don't think they ever smelled like this ten years ago when I cleaned them and they sure didn't smell when I took them out of storage. I 'pickle' all my stored items by, after cleaning and drying, spraying them with a solution of PM. I did replace my plastic siphon tubing and I did purchase a new auto-siphon before starting again on someone's advice.....oh, and there's no problem with the glass carboys, they're as clean as a whistle with no odors.

 

[Julie]

Did you have the kid snapped down? That would keep the odor lingering. I would fill it up with water and a scoop of OxyClean, leave it sit for thirty minutes and drain.

 

[flatfoot]

I've had the lid off just to air it out and still pretty smelly.....if I leave the lid on for a day or so it's really smelly. They only have about 5 batches run through them 10 years ago but I'm wondering if it has something to do with the age. I'm going to try the oxyclean tonight and see if it helps. I was also thinking of putting them outside and leaving them full of water for a week or so but it went down to 18 so they'd be frozen solid by morning....probably not a good idea.

 

[Runningwolf]

I would replace it if you cannot get rid of the odor. Mine are at least 7 years old and I am not having that issue.

 

[flatfoot]

Yeah I think for $20/each or so I'll just replace them if I can't get the smell out...I don't want to chance anything. I have a nice All-Juice Master's Edition Viognier waiting to go but I'm not going to start it unless I'm 100% sure about the fermenter.

 

[richmke]

When I first started out, I bought someone's old beer making equipment (I got 2 5 gallon carboys, and two pails for a song.

Well, I couldn't get the smell of beer out of the pails (carboy cleaner, oxy clean, etc.). I did some research, and basically, don't mix making beer and wine in the same pail. Flavors will transfer. Some people even said to have separate pails for white and red wines.

I would not be so worried about grape smell. I would be concerned when:

1) Scratches. That gives places for undesirables to survive the sanitation process.
2) Stains that don't come out with carboy cleaner or oxy clean.

 

[Arne]

Hasn't been posted about for a long time, but a few years ago folks were having trouble with the primary buckets breaking the bottoms out of them. The new ones must be better as nobody has been complaining about it. Think I would just change them out for new ones. Maybe one standard 7.5 gal. bucket and one brute trash can for your bigger batches. Arne.

 

[Tenbears]

Did you have the kid snapped down? That would keep the odor lingering. I would fill it up with water and a scoop of OxyClean, leave it sit for thirty minutes and drain.

Julie: Last time I snapped the kid down they tried to charge me with child neglect.