Large Fermenter Question

[SBB]

Im thinking of a using a 220 liter barrel I have as a fermenter for TPWs. The barrel is of the grey plastic/poly type with a screw on lid. Ive owned the barrel for years and when I bought it I was assured that it was food grade quality and that it had only had bulk pickled onions in it. It had a very strong pickled onion smell when I first bought it which is completely gone now. The question is this.... Tonight I cleaned it up and discovered it doesnt appear to have any stamp or marking that indicates that it is made of food grade material. Should I go ahead and use it or forget the idea and find another more suitable container.
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[reknaw]

I know with plastic packaging made to Dangerous Goods standards (stamped with UN specs) they only have a life of 5 years and they are used for food grade Dangerous Goods eg food acids (the shit they put in softdrink) If a drum is getting to 5 years plus I would consider retiring it in regards to anything to do with food \ anything you are going to consume. That said you may use it for 10 years and it'ld still be in perfect condition :)

I'ld put this one down to whatever you feel comfortable with, another thing to consider you can get 135 L drums for $13.00 so is it worth taking the risk for $13.00?

[maheel]

don't know about that barrel but i like pickled onions :)

[SBB]

Thanks for that Spud. Its not easy to find big drums around here at that price. I might use this one once or twice while Im looking for a better and newer one at the right price.

[rumby]

Yeah its worth the drive up to brisie to get these drums, the recycling place is like walking into a candy store.

Spud, how much ingredients would you use to fill those 135l containers. (Neutral & Mollasses).

[SBB]

Knocked up a large Tomato paste wash to fill the big fermenter today.
Got some funny looks in the super market walking around with a trolly load of sugar
Total volume of wash should be around 170 Liters i think :?
Sugar at Coles at the moment for $1.99 for 2 KG

Ingredients
approx 150 litres water
34 kg sugar
3 x 550 gram Coles tomato paste
Juice of 6 lemons
420 grams of yeast
teaspoon of epsom salts.
Total cost $45.82 start SG 1.07

[reknaw]

Neutral go for the tomato paste wash or the bran that is on the recipie board and multiply the qty to take it to 120 L. For the rum there are heaps of recipies out there.

If you like a rummy rum :D go all mollasses with no added sugar. Mollasses is roughly 50% sugar so add twice the amount you would add for sugar (subsitute mollasses for sugar) Does that make sense? Pinto's rum recipie is supposed to be good......

[bradsgonetrekkin]

Holy crap SBB, I thought I was getting hardcore when I started doing 3 x 23 litre washes a go. :)

Hope you've got some storage vessels mate!!!

170 litres a go, how much can you still per run?

[SBB]

Brad I have 8 of the smaller 25 liter fermenters that I will use to store the wash once its racked off. Most are second hand and cost very little. I got sick of pissing around making 25 liter washes all the time. I can only distill a bit over 25litres at a time so it will keep me busy for a while. Some time soon I hope to have a go at building my first pot still so that I can use it for stripping which should make things easier.
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[MacStill]

Sounds like a good plan to me SBB, I've got 8 x 30L and it's a PITA at times when I want to do a 50L run.

[bradsgonetrekkin]

Your stilling times will definitely reduce once you get your keg boiler and new pot still up and running too...bigger capacity, faster strips an all that.