[fredthecat]

one thing - and truly, not trying to rain on your parade - but what do you think of the health/safety of using an HDPE plastic fermentation vessel?

[Fire Rooster]

one thing - and truly, not trying to rain on your parade - but what do you think of the health/safety of using an HDPE plastic fermentation vessel?

Fermentation buckets, Speidel fermenters & storage tanks,
and one gallon of milk, all use food grade HDPE.
Not sure about non white (colored), non food grade HDPE.

[fredthecat]

one thing - and truly, not trying to rain on your parade - but what do you think of the health/safety of using an HDPE plastic fermentation vessel?

Fermentation buckets, Speidel fermenters & storage tanks,
and one gallon of milk, all use food grade HDPE.

excellent, i just wasn't sure. it has been a while since i read about plastic safety.

also,

in canada milk comes in bags.

[Fire Rooster]

one thing - and truly, not trying to rain on your parade - but what do you think of the health/safety of using an HDPE plastic fermentation vessel?

Fermentation buckets, Speidel fermenters & storage tanks,
and one gallon of milk, all use food grade HDPE.

also,

in canada milk comes in bags.

I think it's all about recycling, McDonalds now gives you a paper straw,
and cardboard instead of plastic foam packaging.
My State is phasing out plastic grocery bags.

[denny]

one thing - and truly, not trying to rain on your parade - but what do you think of the health/safety of using an HDPE plastic fermentation vessel?

No problem.  Why should it be?

[Semper Sitientem]

Not all HDPE containers are food safe because some may contain recycled materials. Food safe needs to be virgin HDPE and labeled as such. Having dabbled in the consumer product safety field you learn that there is no such thing as a “safe” plastic, just “safer” plastics. The “HD” means the molecules are more densely packed and leach much less into whatever is being contained, but it still leaches especially as containers age. It’s a personal choice and this is just my opinion, but I try and reduce the use of plastic containers where possible to store food items.

[narvin]

Not all HDPE containers are food safe because some may contain recycled materials. Food safe needs to be virgin HDPE and labeled as such. Having dabbled in the consumer product safety field you learn that there is no such thing as a “safe” plastic, just “safer” plastics. The “HD” means the molecules are more densely packed and leach much less into whatever is being contained, but it still leaches especially as containers age. It’s a personal choice and this is just my opinion, but I try and reduce the use of plastic containers where possible to store food items.

Totally agree with all of this, but I personally have no qualms using it.  The dose makes the poison and there's a much bigger poison in beer.

[Bel Air Brewing]

Here is how the pros do it. No covers.

[fredthecat]

Here is how the pros do it. No covers.

thank you for that post, i used a saw and cut off the top 1/8th of my carboys, opening them to the air to make Classic Czech Pilsners like the pros.

[Drewch]

Had I not known better I'd have thought this was cinnamon breakfast cereal

I was thinking cheese in a can topped with chili powder.

This is clearly a bucket of overcooked noodles.

[Fire Rooster]

Here is how the pros do it. No covers.

https://www.rowandsons.co.uk/blog/myth-fact-antibacterial-properties-wood/

[narvin]

Here is how the pros do it. No covers.

https://www.rowandsons.co.uk/blog/myth-fact-antibacterial-properties-wood/

Of course, one taste of beer soured in barrels tells us that the bacteria that live in beer (which we both love and hate, depending on the style) aren't affected by wood and will grow in it.  But the open fermentation isn't the cause; these bacteria are introduced to sour beers on purpose, and over time come to inhabit the environment of the brewery.  They also aren't pitching a pure culture.  Bacteria hopping a ride on some specs of dust are very unlikely to win out vs a healthy pitch of yeast.

[Bel Air Brewing]

The above photo was taken in the Pilsner Urquell Brewery. It is their traditional brewing method. And we drank the beer brewed in these barrels. Like my late father said..."That was the best beer I have ever had."

Not filtered, not pasteurized. My dad was right. And it was not sour, had no off flavors at all.

[hopfenundmalz]

The above photo was taken in the Pilsner Urquell Brewery. It is their traditional brewing method. And we drank the beer brewed in these barrels. Like my late father said..."That was the best beer I have ever had."

Not filtered, not pasteurized. My dad was right. And it was not sour, had no off flavors at all.

The ~4000L barrels the beer is lagered in are lined with pitch, the beer never touches the wood.

The fermenters don't appear to be lined, don't know for sure.

Bell's has some old Cypress fermenters the got from the Stroh family. Those are lined.

[narvin]

Generally a barrell will sour over time, especially if let to sit empty.  For non sour beers, they clean and sanitize them.