No, I'm not talking about Oscar the Grouch homebrewing (though that would technically qualify as fermenting in a garbage can... sorry, bad joke). Adam over at the Beer Bits 2 blog is actually fermenting 26 gallons of beer in a food-grade garbage can. Is he crazy? Part of me thinks so, but at the same time fermenting in open vessels was the norm not-so-long-ago. I'll give him props for thinking outside the box, and I'll definitely keep an eye on how his brew turns out.
3 years, but I'm back!
10 years ago
Interesting post Russ. Too bad he didn't think to use food grade clear garbage can liners. Clean up would have been much easier.
ReplyDeleteThis might be a silly question, but does "food grade" imply that the fermenter won't impart any off-flavors to the fermenting brew?
ReplyDeleteThat's actually a good question. I did a brief google search and came up empty. It seems like both the FDA and USDA have guidelines for what can be safely used in certain situations (e.g., specific guidelines for food-grade lubricants) but no strict definition of the term "food grade." With that in mind, I wouldn't necessarily assume that food grade means it won't impart off flavors, though I should hope that's the case since "food grade" seems to be the magic phrase when it comes to brewing equipment. Any FDA/USDA/food tech people out there who can shed some light on the subject?
ReplyDeleteHeheh...believe me I've researched and researched. I'm satisfied that many Homebrew wine makers and beer makers are not wrong. Not to mention the company who makes them and others who resell.
ReplyDeleteThe food grade liners is a good idea I read about but didn't care to try the first time around.
There's no off gassing that I could detect after sitting around for a good month with the lid on. I don't expect to taste any off flavors, but I will be sure to report on the on my blog.
Btw the beer is gone :-). Used cornie kegs to condition it and then served it from the tap over the last few months. Thinking of doing another big batch soon :-)
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