Get Food Grade Buckets for Cheap – or FREE – use for fermenters and grain storage
Bucket photo courtesy of MoreBeer – Search MoreBeer for “Bucket” – For illustrative purposes, I’m not suggesting that you buy this. Read the tip below.
Why Buckets?
Buckets are super handy around your home brewery and beyond. Potential Uses: Convert to a Fermenter, Convert to a Mash Tun, Grain Storage, lugging around stuff on brew day, general storage, use to help with cleaning and sanitation.
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Grain Storage Capacity Estimation
How much grain can you store in a 5 gallon bucket? My rule of thumb for grain storage capacity is 5 lbs per gallon. With that estimate a 50 lb sack of grain fits in (2) 5 gallon buckets. That’s an estimate and will vary.
Be Friendly = Get Cheap (or FREE) Buckets for Homebrew
For years, I have suggested to homebrewers that bottle – make friends with your local craft beer bartenders. Especially beer spots that carry heavy glass, refillable German and Belgian types of bottles. These bottles are beautiful and well made and the labels generally come off very easily. If you make friends with your local purveyor of quality craft beers you can usually grab these bottles for free or for the cost of bottle deposit. You’ve saved some beautiful bottles for re-use, helped your homebrew standout by using awesome bottles and saved some money.
How about making friends with your local baker or donut shop? The reason you may want to do that is, first you could eat a donut and those are pretty tasty. Second, bakeries and donut shops sometimes purchase icing in 5 or 6 gallon buckets. Those buckets should be food safe, since they… already have food in them. The trash to treasure principal applies here. Bakeries that use these have an abundance of them with no great place to send them other than the trash or possibly recycling. Make friends with your local baker and you may just score some free or near free food safe buckets for fermenting, grain storage and general around the brewery use.
More Options
- Search Food Safe Bucket on Amazon
- Buckets at MoreBeer
- Search Silicone Airlock Grommet on Amazon – helps you adapt a bucket lid to receive an airlock
Hot Fill Buckets!
Hot fill buckets are designed to handle warmer temperatures and may be handy for no chill brewing. Make sure to look for a food grade option that works at your intended temperatures and always be careful when handling hot liquids.
Search Amazon for hot fill food grade buckets
An Easy Upgrade for Buckets!
Gamma Seal Lids (Hands on Review) are a great upgrade to standard buckets. You attach the base of the unit to the bucket and leave that intact. The lid screws on and off easily. No more prying lids off. These are also airtight. I use buckets with Gamma Seal Lids as my primary storage for bulk grain and recipe kits.
Gamma2 Seal Lid – affiliate link, note that multiple variations of this product may be available, as such a different version may appear at this link
Gamma Seal Lids are available in a variety of colors and quantity offerings – Search Gamma Seal Lids on Amazon
Vittles Vault for Grain Storage!
Homebrew Storage Options!
Get a Deal on Bulk Grain
A Deal on All Grain Kits
Adventures in Homebrewing discounts seasonal homebrew beer recipe kits by 20%. Selections include both all grain and extract options.
20% Off Seasonal All Grain Kits
More About Buckets and Storage!
- Also Consider: Hands on Review: Vittles Vault Stackable Storage Bins for Homebrew Grain Storage!
- Storage Options! – Base Grain, Specialty Grain and DME
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greatdealsMake sure the components you use are compatible and rated for your intended application. Contact manufacturer with questions about suitability or a specific application. Always read and follow manufacturer directions. tag:lnksfxd toppost:icingbuckets tag:tpr