Large batch in food safe barrels

[klemsontigers7]

I have some 55 gal plastic barrels that were used in a previous life for food storage. They ARE food safe. What do you guys think about doing a large batch of wine in them? I was going to make 1 a primary and the other my secondary.

 

[Rocky]

In the past, I used 55 gallon barrels that were shipping containers for lime juice from South America and they worked fine for a primary. I cut the top off with a saber saw so I could just lay it on top for primary fermentation and I added a SS spigot at the bottom for transferring the wine. I am not sure what you have in mind for a secondary fermenter. You will need some way to install an airlock and have the barrel airtight. I have seen large food grade barrels with tops that screw on and off. Is that what you have?

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

Some of the plastic barrels have 2 and 3" bung holes with a screw out plug. you can drill a hole in the top and add a rubber grommet to use an airlock for a secondary fermenter.
Oh to answer your question... yes.

 

[klemsontigers7]

These have locking lids as well as large screw plugs. For my secondary I was going to just install the airlock in the top through one of the holes. With my 5 gal carboys I just use gravity and siphoning to transfer from carboy to carboy since I can lift those up to a higher shelf... that obviously won't be the case with these bad boys. I'm going to need some sort of pump to transfer for racking. Both will act as secondaries when I get to the racking stage.

 

[Rocky]

Klemson, When I used those large barrels that I spoke of above, I had them on a stand (built out of 2x6's) so that a carboy or a barrel on a dolly would fit underneath the spigot. I found that worked well. I positioned the barrels on the stand, crushed my grapes directly into the barrel and fermented. When time came for secondary, I moved the wine to barrels (I had a 20 gallon and two 15 gallons at the time) and I did secondary in the barrel. When secondary was finished, I applied the bung to the barrel. I had wooden spigots on the barrels to remove the finished wine. It was all gravity until I bought a pump/filter set up.