Display posts from previous
Sort by

Bucket breakdown and cloudy beer.

Post #1 made 13 years ago
by 2trout
Ive got a fairly old HDPE bucket fermenter. Ive noticed a bit of a rough spot on the inside for some time now. I never gave it much thought except for some extra cleaning with a rag before sanitizing. Well, my last two brews (particularly yesterdays) have gone into the bottle cloudy :argh: . Taste was still good, but I must say that yesterdays bottling was maybe a bit tart :dunno:. Its become evident I have an infection.

Cleaning up my bucket fermenter I notice that the "rough" spot had become much larger, AND that it was possible to scrape away the roughness with a finger nail :? . I have always cleaned with a rag or sponge to avoid scratching.

I see two possibilities here:
1. Hard water scale deposits. We have very hard and alkaline water where I am. Is this possible with wort?
2. Bucket breakdown. Could the HDPE plastic be breaking down?

Ill be replacing my fermenter and adding an additional 1 or 2, but was curious if any of you have experienced a similar problem with plastic frementers.
Last edited by 2trout on 19 Jan 2012, 23:33, edited 3 times in total.
"All I know is that the beer is good and people clamor for it. OK, it's free and that has something to do with it."
Bobbrews
    • BME Brewer With Over 5 Brews From United States of America

Post #2 made 13 years ago
by thughes
Sorry to hear about your misfortune, I never used one long enough to develop the described symptoms. I just demote then to storage buckets and replace with new ones if there is any evidence of scratches/damage. The cost of a bucket vs the cost of time/ingredients to brew a batch just isn't worth losing good beer over.
WWBBD?
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #3 made 13 years ago
by joshua
Good Day, from 30 years experience, "Plastic is the state of matter, between solid, and liquid." All Plastics "dry out", that is become more solid. To me "soft" plastic dry out faster than "Hard" plastics.
That said..I recently dropped an older HDPE bucket that was near 32F/0C off a table, and it cracked. The bucket was scratched, and might have messed up some of my beers. I now will have to get a new HDPE fermenter every couple of years, and I hope it stops the problems I have had.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #4 made 13 years ago
by BrickBrewHaus
Bummer on the beer.

My guess is that your bucket isn't "breaking down". When plastic (polymers) "break down", its most often in the form of becoming brittle (i.e., the vinyl on the dash of your car losing its luster and rubbery feel, old rubber-bands no longer able to stretch without breaking, etc.). UV light expedites this process, and I assume these are stored indoors so I doubt you're seeing any such effects.

Might be water scale, but seems like that would coat the entire inside of the bucket... :scratch:

Post #5 made 13 years ago
by stux
I had to toss a 15 year old HDPE fermented a few years ago. Nasty plastic Tupperware type flavour in my beer

More recently I started using a now 10 year old HDPE bucket and it seems fine...

Anyway, toss it and get a new one :)
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #6 made 13 years ago
by 2trout
Thanks for all the replies.

One could say Ive been polishing a turd. I just realized when I received my first beer kit, Christmas 1993 or 1994. This bucket frementer is about 17 years old. :idiot: Ive been making do when I should have replaced it looooooong ago.

I never was the sharpest tool in the shed.
"All I know is that the beer is good and people clamor for it. OK, it's free and that has something to do with it."
Bobbrews
    • BME Brewer With Over 5 Brews From United States of America

Post #8 made 13 years ago
by stux
2trout wrote:Thanks for all the replies.

One could say Ive been polishing a turd. I just realized when I received my first beer kit, Christmas 1993 or 1994. This bucket frementer is about 17 years old. :idiot: Ive been making do when I should have replaced it looooooong ago.

I never was the sharpest tool in the shed.
Which is the same time I got mine that I replaced a couple of years ago now ;)

Wasn't by chance a coopers style 30L eurotainer was it ? ;)
Last edited by stux on 21 Jan 2012, 11:28, edited 3 times in total.
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #9 made 13 years ago
by 2trout
Stux,
stux wrote:Wasn't by chance a coopers style 30L eurotainer was it ? ;)
It was a run-of-the-mill HDPE 6 gal bucket. Im picking up 2 new ones today, I should be brewing again by Wednesday. :P
Last edited by 2trout on 21 Jan 2012, 22:57, edited 3 times in total.
"All I know is that the beer is good and people clamor for it. OK, it's free and that has something to do with it."
Bobbrews
    • BME Brewer With Over 5 Brews From United States of America
Post Reply

Return to “Intermediate Brewing”

Brewers Online

Brewers browsing this forum: No members and 8 guests