Plastic equipment

[WinoDon]

Years ago I heard that plastic equipment should be replaced regularly because it can absorb odors etc. that cannot be removed by sanitizing. I have followed this advise but would like to hear this forums input.

 

[Rembee]

I can only speak for myself but I think most here would agree. Plastic has it's place and for me that place is in primary fermentation only.
I do not age or bulk store any of my wines in plastic. Glass only!
I also take great care when cleaning the insides of my plastic fermentation containers with soft sponges and nothing abrasive in order to not rough up the surface or create any scratches that bacteria can harbor in. If in doubt about the integrity of any of my plastic containers they will be replaced.

 

[Rice_Guy]

First, , My point of view is food industry;
*I replace plastic equipment when showing age. This frequently is cracking as in gaskets on SS flanges which can trap organisms and prevent sanitation. Cracks leading to busting also happens in bulk containers/ trays/ tubs which have functions as collecting food which leaks through a SS belt and will be put back into the process stream or picking grapes.
*Equipment which is colonized by mold can not be cleaned so is tossed.
*Specific plastics have chemical resistance and basically hold a brine or acid all their life, ex a half inch wall polyethylene which I have had over twenty years.
*Plastic can pick up flavors, items with strong flavor as garlic are dedicated.
*Plastic can pick up chemical residue, chemical containers never get used for food.
*I use plastic in test fermentations, PET has excellent oxygen resistance so makes a good carboy, HDPE has low oxygen transmission so it lets me produce a sherry flavor without the angels share. Pouches as metalized film and EVOH and fumed silicate are excellent oxygen barriers so good for long term storage. You find many thing you eat in these and will have more because it is cheaper. PET is commercially available as food packaging in lots of different sizes and is used for two gallon and ten liter carboys which are hard to find in glass.
*tubes and hoses are the main concern for replacement on a routine basis. They are basically impossible to clean if one gets elderberry green gunk in them, cheap, readily available at the hardware store
*I use lots of silicone tubing as push connectors for the vinyl or polyethylene which is replaced at least every year. Silicone has minimal exposure so it is reused for years. I also use silicone as covers on Big Mouth Bubblers.

Plastics are here to stay since they work and are cheaper and perform better than glass, ,,,,, especially in retail stores.
I have yet to toss out a PET better bottle, / big mouth bubbler, carboy ,,,, but lose at least one glass a year

 

[winemaker81]

Plastics for winemaking have improved over the decades, but with the exception of Rubbermaid Brutes for fermentation, I use only plastics marketed for winemaking.

I have several ~7 gallon primaries that are 20+ years old, and there is no noticeable odor or other problems with them. I clean them well immediately after use, using a dedicated sponge that does not touch cleaning chemicals, and soak in Oxyclean.

Like @Rembee, I do not age in plastic, using glass and wood only. I'd use stainless steel if I had any, but not plastic. Some plastics may be ok, but I'm not comfortable with it.

I have a pair of 30+ yo filler tubes that are fine (soak them in Oxyclean as well, then run hot water through them). I probably should replace my tubing more often than I do, but I use Johnd's tip of pulling a cloth through them and siphon OneStep through them.

The biggest issue I see is what @Rice_Guy mentioned -- the plastic gets brittle with age. Pictured is a 30 yo fermenter I had -- I dropped it onto concrete and it literally shattered. The red line indicates the original height of the fermenter -- the darned thing near exploded. Note - the fermenter was empty when dropped.

The rim of one my 7 gallon primaries split last fall. I'm thinking I'll use the drop test on my old buckets, as I'll be much happier if they fail while empty instead of the alternative!

 

[balatonwine]

I have used some of the same Speidel HDPE wine tanks for primary and secondary fermentation and degassing for up to 20 years without odor issues forming in the tanks. And like @winemaker81, I use these as they are specifically made for wine making, and as long as they are properly cleaned between use they so far work fine in the long term.

 

[WinoDon]

Thanks for your replies. I will continue to replace my plastics regularly and I only use glass carboys.

 

[Snafflebit]

I have Better Bottles and have used them for secondary. I always read to replace them after “a few” years but never read why that is important.

 

[hounddawg]

First, , My point of view is food industry;
*I replace plastic equipment when showing age. This frequently is cracking as in gaskets on SS flanges which can trap organisms and prevent sanitation. Cracks leading to busting also happens in bulk containers/ trays/ tubs which have functions as collecting food which leaks through a SS belt and will be put back into the process stream or picking grapes.
*Equipment which is colonized by mold can not be cleaned so is tossed.
*Specific plastics have chemical resistance and basically hold a brine or acid all their life, ex a half inch wall polyethylene which I have had over twenty years.
*Plastic can pick up flavors, items with strong flavor as garlic are dedicated.
*Plastic can pick up chemical residue, chemical containers never get used for food.
*I use plastic in test fermentations, PET has excellent oxygen resistance so makes a good carboy, HDPE has low oxygen transmission so it lets me produce a sherry flavor without the angels share. Pouches as metalized film and EVOH and fumed silicate are excellent oxygen barriers so good for long term storage. You find many thing you eat in these and will have more because it is cheaper. PET is commercially available as food packaging in lots of different sizes and is used for two gallon and ten liter carboys which are hard to find in glass.
*tubes and hoses are the main concern for replacement on a routine basis. They are basically impossible to clean if one gets elderberry green gunk in them, cheap, readily available at the hardware store
*I use lots of silicone tubing as push connectors for the vinyl or polyethylene which is replaced at least every year. Silicone has minimal exposure so it is reused for years. I also use silicone as covers on Big Mouth Bubblers.

Plastics are here to stay since they work and are cheaper and perform better than glass, ,,,,, especially in retail stores.
I have yet to toss out a PET better bottle, / big mouth bubbler, carboy ,,,, but lose at least one glass a year

pretty much what you said,,, good comercial food grag ferment barrels, i use silicone on my racking and bottling hose, SS rack canes, and glass carboys and a few 5 gal SS keg barrels for long time bulk aging
Dawg

 

[Jonboy6692.ja]

Years ago I heard that plastic equipment should be replaced regularly because it can absorb odors etc. that cannot be removed by sanitizing. I have followed this advise but would like to hear this forums input.

I've never had a problem with long term use.