ideas for what I can use as a fermenting vessel

[Welshgirl]

Hiya, have been making wine for a while...the wow is awesome. Mainly due to the wilko sale I have decided to try lager and cider.I bought the bits I thought id need...but now realise I need a sec8ndary fermenter. Duh!! I bought the fermenter with an airlock. I was wondering if anybody uses anything else, basically to save me spending more cash, as I have spent a bomb recently stocking up as it was an amazing sale. I know you guys find uses for other things. Cheers :drunk:

 

[wezil]

Hi save your money! As I'm sure a lot of people on here will tell you a secondary fermenter is just a luxury rather than an essential. Beer doesn't require quite the same clearing time as wine, so the need to get it off the yeast is reduced. Although you will have to take more care when racking to bottles/kegs so as not to disturb the thicker layer of sediment that you'll have by not moving the beer to secondary fermentation first. Happy brewing!!!

 

[RobWalker]

you don't outright need a secondary. you can brew it in a full size bucket and just gently stir in your finings after brewing, then bottle or keg from there. brew your lager first, if it's a kit it'll be ready to move into bottles etc in a week or two, cider takes a while longer.

for 1 gallon batches (well, slightly more,) buy 5L water bottles from Tesco etc (£1.20,) drill a hole in the top that fits an airlock nicely and use that! much cheaper than glass DJ's. also check freecycle/ebay as people sell demi johns for dead cheap in batches of 4 etc.

25L storage/bucket can be found here, delivered for £5 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/garden-outdoors/dp/B004478Q0G (click on 2 new from £4.99) - you can use that as a fermenter.

 

[Welshgirl]

Thanks guys. Really appreciate your advice. I have a few glass demi johns that my dad gave me to start off but now am using the water containers...hey they make more wine lol!!! It will be kits I make to start off, thinking of doing the wilko cider first. Think I will buy a bin for £5, theyre out of stock at mo but bargain price. One thing i havenoticed when cleaning them, is i can see a residue of the sugar content, or glycerine...am not sure. I make a lot of wow wine. Doesnt matter how hard i scrub, i can see the bristle marks. How do u get them really clean?? Cheers, really appreciate the advice, gonna start my kit now andbottle it straight. Yippee!!! :drink:

 

[Fil]

Id avoid scrubbing the inside of a FV as you can leave a scratch that a nasty could hide and grow in.

i use laundry oxy in warm water to soak of the hardest dried on yeast marks :)

 

[pittsy]

I always bleach my fv after using them , like mentioned those little scratches can harbour nasties and bleach killls em all .

 

[Welshgirl]

Many thanks guys for the advice. Much appreciated. Will try the bleach and the oxy...kill all the nasties!!! :electric:

 

[TRXnMe]

Where abouts in Wales are you?

I have access to some 50 litre plastic tubs, free if collected :)

I'm in Newport.