Good morning to all... in the last year I have made several of the Showcase reds. As a result of their large crushed grape packs, these kits are a bit much for your standard 23L "Biere et Vin" bucket. So, for these kits I purchased a 12gallon bucket down at the LHBS (food grade, intended for the purpose). These are a lighter grade plastic than the basic 23L jobs, and have a simple lid without a gasket, but with small nibs to keep the lid in place.
When I rack the reds from the 12gall bucket, for secondary ferm, I always immediately rinse the bucket, fill it with water, add a little detergent and let it sit outside for a few hours. Then I clean inside with a sponge, rinse it a few times, and let it sit empty for another week or two, in the sun/rain/wind/snow, then bring it onto the verandah, and leave the lid loosely on top. I am preparing to do a Red Mtn Cab, so yesterday I took the lid off, and sat the bucket over my head, and sssssniiiifffffed! Holy <bleep>... it reeked! Of slightly acrid fruity flavours, what you would expect from an unwashed vessel. This was two weeks after racking off an Amarone, and cleaning/rinsing as above. I have never noticed that with the 23L buckets.
Sorry to be long-winded, but here is the question:
Do plastic fermentation buckets have a limited useful lifetime? I am referring to possible deterioration or contamination of the plastic itself.
thanks in advance
Bob, Maple Vly, WA
PS - OAS, the Red Mtn kit that I just bought did *not* have labels =:O Not a problem, I will make my own.
When I rack the reds from the 12gall bucket, for secondary ferm, I always immediately rinse the bucket, fill it with water, add a little detergent and let it sit outside for a few hours. Then I clean inside with a sponge, rinse it a few times, and let it sit empty for another week or two, in the sun/rain/wind/snow, then bring it onto the verandah, and leave the lid loosely on top. I am preparing to do a Red Mtn Cab, so yesterday I took the lid off, and sat the bucket over my head, and sssssniiiifffffed! Holy <bleep>... it reeked! Of slightly acrid fruity flavours, what you would expect from an unwashed vessel. This was two weeks after racking off an Amarone, and cleaning/rinsing as above. I have never noticed that with the 23L buckets.
Sorry to be long-winded, but here is the question:
Do plastic fermentation buckets have a limited useful lifetime? I am referring to possible deterioration or contamination of the plastic itself.
thanks in advance
Bob, Maple Vly, WA
PS - OAS, the Red Mtn kit that I just bought did *not* have labels =:O Not a problem, I will make my own.
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