Stainless Steel Fermenters

[Clint]

I wonder how these experts who produce all this evidence live their lives? Do they have wooden cars? Only write on velum with a pencil? Drink only from the Perrier source? Wear air filter hoods..no,they're made of..plastic.
I bet its Pot Noodles every night! With a plastic fork...

 

[Deadhead]

The food grade buckets are either HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and PET - Polyethylene terephthalate.
Both materials are FDA approved for use in food storage.

HDPE and PET are not manufactured with any BPA. (which is often in polycarbonate and listed in those articles above). Many polycarbonates (Nalgene type bottles, Camelback bottles) are now not being made with BPA either.

There are some catalyst agents like Antimony that may exist in the finished product of PET, in trace amounts.
The studies that do exist often just show that there may be chemicals present, but don't actually go into the full on health effects. Many studies are flawed, biased, and with limited statistical support evident. Here's one link. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653520319275

I could pull more.

I spent most of last year at work solving an issue with polyamines hydrolysing polycarbonate causing BPA to leach from the material. This had nothing to do with food grade material but on medical grade material. I successfully solved and resolved the issue.
I'm not remotely worried about my plastic buckets.

 

[hoppyscotty]

So how many of us drink out of plastic glasses. Some I know don't even like thier beer out of a can, preferring glass.

The inside of a can is lined with plastic to protect the aluminium from acid attack, so those claiming a 'metallic' taste to their beer when drinking form a can are just imagining it.

 

[Deadhead]

I've decided to try and move away from plastic completely, but it's going to take me a while.

Most people will disagree and that's fine, but that is my preference.

That's what is nice about homebrewing. There are equipment, processes, methods, and price points for everyone.

 

[Weizenberg]

Since you asked about bucket replacements, these are not too bad, given that they have a cone at the bottom and a dump valve (which the SS Brewtech bucket is missing)

https://www.klarstein.co.uk/Home-Ap...4-Stainless-Steel-With-yeast-drain-valve.html
these are also interesting

https://www.brewtools.com/miniuni/7713097/miniuni-30-tank-with-basic-accessories
in Germany, this guy sells domed (conical) kettles. They can be used as fermenters as well

https://www.crafthardware.de/en
There are plenty of other options out there...

 

[Weizenberg]

The food grade buckets are either HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and PET - Polyethylene terephthalate.
Both materials are FDA approved for use in food storage.

HDPE and PET are not manufactured with any BPA. (which is often in polycarbonate and listed in those articles above). Many polycarbonates (Nalgene type bottles, Camelback bottles) are now not being made with BPA either.

There are some catalyst agents like Antimony that may exist in the finished product of PET, in trace amounts.
The studies that do exist often just show that there may be chemicals present, but don't actually go into the full on health effects. Many studies are flawed, biased, and with limited statistical support evident. Here's one link. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653520319275

I could pull more.

I spent most of last year at work solving an issue with polyamines hydrolysing polycarbonate causing BPA to leach from the material. This had nothing to do with food grade material but on medical grade material. I successfully solved and resolved the issue.
I'm not remotely worried about my plastic buckets.

Cheeers for the link. That's great to hear.

I may revise my views given this info.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Since you asked about bucket replacements, these are not too bad, given that they have a cone at the bottom and a dump valve (which the SS Brewtech bucket is missing)

https://www.klarstein.co.uk/Home-Ap...4-Stainless-Steel-With-yeast-drain-valve.html
these are also interesting

https://www.brewtools.com/miniuni/7713097/miniuni-30-tank-with-basic-accessories
in Germany, this guy sells domed (conical) kettles. They can be used as fermenters as well

https://www.crafthardware.de/en
There are plenty of other options out there...

Thanks WB. The first link you shared sounds like something I'd be interested in. Just hope the lid seal doesn't fall out like my 'Bucket Buddy'

 

[Weizenberg]

fingers crossed

 

[Sadfield]

I'd be more worried about the amounts of ethanol and Acetaldehyde in beer.*

*Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor.

 

[Clint]

The food grade buckets are either HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and PET - Polyethylene terephthalate.
Both materials are FDA approved for use in food storage.

HDPE and PET are not manufactured with any BPA. (which is often in polycarbonate and listed in those articles above). Many polycarbonates (Nalgene type bottles, Camelback bottles) are now not being made with BPA either.

There are some catalyst agents like Antimony that may exist in the finished product of PET, in trace amounts.
The studies that do exist often just show that there may be chemicals present, but don't actually go into the full on health effects. Many studies are flawed, biased, and with limited statistical support evident. Here's one link. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653520319275

I could pull more.

I spent most of last year at work solving an issue with polyamines hydrolysing polycarbonate causing BPA to leach from the material. This had nothing to do with food grade material but on medical grade material. I successfully solved and resolved the issue.
I'm not remotely worried about my plastic buckets.

Interestingly you mention medical..my work is in the production/construction of medical devices. Wound dressings and bags mainly but some other stuff I don't see...anyway,they're all made from chemical mixtures,non of which you'd drink and all of which we're very well kitted up with ppe before handling...sometimes like those chaps in the alien invasion or green monkey disease films.

 

[foxy]

The food grade buckets are either HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and PET - Polyethylene terephthalate.
Both materials are FDA approved for use in food storage.

HDPE and PET are not manufactured with any BPA. (which is often in polycarbonate and listed in those articles above). Many polycarbonates (Nalgene type bottles, Camelback bottles) are now not being made with BPA either.

There are some catalyst agents like Antimony that may exist in the finished product of PET, in trace amounts.
The studies that do exist often just show that there may be chemicals present, but don't actually go into the full on health effects. Many studies are flawed, biased, and with limited statistical support evident. Here's one link. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653520319275

I could pull more.

I spent most of last year at work solving an issue with polyamines hydrolysing polycarbonate causing BPA to leach from the material. This had nothing to do with food grade material but on medical grade material. I successfully solved and resolved the issue.
I'm not remotely worried about my plastic buckets.

HDPE or PET doesn't bother me, we all have to die of something. But from what I read some time ago is that BPA was replaced by BPS and is now being found to be just as toxic as BPA.

 

[Clint]

Chemicals are continually being tested and reclassed. This can depend on the country so a product may become banned in Europe but may be OK for use in America.

 

[Deadhead]

HDPE or PET doesn't bother me, we all have to die of something. But from what I read some time ago is that BPA was replaced by BPS and is now being found to be just as toxic as BPA.

Yes, more studies needed on this for sure. But industry jumps to customer demand and sometimes it’s better the devil you know!

 

[hoppyscotty]

Billions of people have been exposed to plastics all their lives for many decades now...If there was any real strong link between significant health impacts to people and plastics then the data will be there by now and would be utterly dominating any other causal link and impossible to ignore. The fact that science is still 'looking very hard' to find a causal link suggest that it is a very minor contributor, if it is a contributor at all, and there are probably many other things that are far more harmful to people than exposure to plastics...like living nearby to a main road for example. Obviously these things have to be continually assessed and tested to ensure safety, but if anyone or body has to resort to scare tactics or anything where the word 'emergency' is used then you know there is something fishy going on and quite possibly an alternate agenda is being pushed for some other nefarious reason.

Every day we're bombarded by these medical apocalyptic predictions and basically all of them either turn out to be false or based on some random correlation....or it's one of those things like "if you eat ten bacon butties every day for 60 years then you have a 3% increase risk of getting bowl cancer". Its the 'cry wolf' syndrome.

 

[Clint]

Hmmm...plastic is cheap,mass produced and used everywhere. Going back is not an overnight fix. Plus like sugar there's far too much money involved.

 

[Caramel Ox]

I have the cheaper klarstein without the bottom valve and very happy with it. Given that they periodically offer 40% off it can be pretty economical.

I don’t think the beer is better for it, but my own experience of the process is a large part of the whole.

 

[hoppyscotty]

Hmmm...plastic is cheap,mass produced and used everywhere. Going back is not an overnight fix. Plus like sugar there's far too much money involved.

go back to what though...there are no alternatives to plastic. It has been instrumental in enabling our modern lives. Its everywhere and touches everything in our lives, which is why if there was a significant health issue with it then people would be dropping like flies and yet we're living longer than ever before despite plastic being an integral part of our lives.

 

[foxy]

This could be debated until the cows come home about how dangerous plastics may or may not be while at the same time making a drink which will cause more harm to the human body than anything else we are ever likely to consume. Never mind if it is stainless steel, plastic or a galvanised tin bath which it is made in. The ethanol is the one most likely to see us off.

 

[Weizenberg]

This could be debated until the cows come home about how dangerous plastics may or may not be while at the same time making a drink which will cause more harm to the human body than anything else we are ever likely to consume. Never mind if it is stainless steel, plastic or a galvanised tin bath which it is made in. The ethanol is the one most likely to see us off.

Not sure I fully understand. The only type of alcohol that humans can safely drink is ethanol. Or did you mean methanol?

PS: I think it is advantageous to have a conical fermenter for dumping debris and yeast harvest. Flame away (anything to steer this off the plastic thread). ;P

 

[hoppyscotty]

This could be debated until the cows come home about how dangerous plastics may or may not be while at the same time making a drink which will cause more harm to the human body than anything else we are ever likely to consume. Never mind if it is stainless steel, plastic or a galvanised tin bath which it is made in. The ethanol is the one most likely to see us off.

exactly...you could correlate a higher level of mortality due to cans being lined with plastic....but what's in the can?...a sugary soda is just as deadly...or probably moreso than an alcoholic beverage.

Everything in moderation is the key.