Wine bucket question
- Thread starter Cornelia
- Start date
Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:
Scooter68
Fruit "Wine" Maker
1) Is this a food grade bucket?
2) Did you buy it from a wine making/brew shop. (Vs a store like Lowe's/Home Depot?
If the answer to both is Yes -Then Yes by all means use it for the primary fermentation. (Until you rack to a carboy when SG reaches 1.010 or there abouts.)
If you bought the bucket someplace else and it is labled as a food grade bucket it may still be fine but there is no guarantee that it was made to be in contact with liquids containing alcohol. Personally as long as it is clearly labeled as "Food Grade" I would go ahead and use it that's just my personal choice in that situation.
Remember that a 6 gallon bucket is just large enough for a 5 gallon batch of wine. Even then some very active/foaming ferments will be likely to run over the top.
DON'T bother to use the lid with an airlock for the primary fermentation. Just get a tight weave cloth and tie it down around the top of the bucket. That way even if the foam hits the cloth there's a good chance that the foam will break down against the cloth rather than running over the sides. Some folks just use the lid to hold the cloth in place and that should work too. Just don't waste time using an airlock and snapping downt the lid. You will be stirring the must at least once a day for the first part fermentation. (3-5 days at least.)
2) Did you buy it from a wine making/brew shop. (Vs a store like Lowe's/Home Depot?
If the answer to both is Yes -Then Yes by all means use it for the primary fermentation. (Until you rack to a carboy when SG reaches 1.010 or there abouts.)
If you bought the bucket someplace else and it is labled as a food grade bucket it may still be fine but there is no guarantee that it was made to be in contact with liquids containing alcohol. Personally as long as it is clearly labeled as "Food Grade" I would go ahead and use it that's just my personal choice in that situation.
Remember that a 6 gallon bucket is just large enough for a 5 gallon batch of wine. Even then some very active/foaming ferments will be likely to run over the top.
DON'T bother to use the lid with an airlock for the primary fermentation. Just get a tight weave cloth and tie it down around the top of the bucket. That way even if the foam hits the cloth there's a good chance that the foam will break down against the cloth rather than running over the sides. Some folks just use the lid to hold the cloth in place and that should work too. Just don't waste time using an airlock and snapping downt the lid. You will be stirring the must at least once a day for the first part fermentation. (3-5 days at least.)
Last edited:
100%. there's just enough space they leave in the bucket for foaming. Very rare it foams over but can happen. Just don't snap the lid tight or or keep the bucket on top of new white carpet. 
Ron0126
30 batches my first year, still learning
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2017
- Messages
- 266
- Reaction score
- 268
It wouldn't be enough for the five gallon wines I've made. I have both a 6.5 and a 7.8 gallon bucket (and three five gallon buckets for my 3 gallon wines) for primary fermentations. My 6.5 regularly foams up to the top (and more) with a little 5 gallon Fontana kit. The 7.9 was barely deep enough. Some yeasts are lower foaming than others but if you plan to use Red Star Premier Rouge, get ready for some massive foaming action. It makes reds taste great but good grief it foams up a lot.
It might be a good idea to investigate which yeasts tend to foam up and under what conditions.
It might be a good idea to investigate which yeasts tend to foam up and under what conditions.
Scooter68
Fruit "Wine" Maker
If the fermentation goes crazy (happened to me, one bucket out of ten). Just pull out a gallon & put in its own bucket or glass carboy i.e. Gallon jug. Roy
