water cooler bottles

[Gaspode]

Hi

I have managed to get hold of a couple of water cooler bottles similar to the attached picture. I assume they are safe for food as they are used in our office water coolers.

I thought they might be re-purposed as a bottling bucket although realise fitting a tap is going to be impossible without hacking the top off so would use an auto syphon and bottling stick.

Would they work for fermenting though? Has anyone used them? Probably not big enough for full brews as only 20 litre capacity but maybe for turbo cider?

What do you think? Is it an issue that they are clear, it would be easy enough to fashion a cover I guess.

 

[MyQul]

You could just cover them with cling film and an elastic band. That's what I do on my regular FV's.

 

[DanST]

For me they look like they'd be too much hard work to clean to use as a fv, getting the trub out could be tricky. Reckon they'd make tidy bottling buckets if the volume is sufficient though.

 

[baggybill]

I have an Asda one that I adapted the top on to take a bubble lock.

I use it for secondary fermentation on bigger batches (15L) of wow/wines. No problems or issues with it, cleans up fine, no cover required as I store it in my garage. Doesn't have that handle though, shown in you picture. Just a plain old water cooler bottle.

I do the primary fermentation in a 15L bucket and I like the fact that I can see at a glance how the secondary fermentation (clearing really) is coming along in the clear bottle.

Not used it a great deal, tbh, since I succumbed to the Dark Side... :evil:

 

[Gaspode]

That's a very good point actually. The neck is quite narrow, about 6cm wide although with enough work it would come clean each time.
I'll give one a go and see how it goes. What's the worse that can happen.

 

[MyQul]

I sometimes use 5L water bottles and jerry cans for starters and small brews. I just fill them with hot water and put 1tsp full of oxi clean in. Does the job.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Inside the handle may be difficult to clean.

 

[Gaspode]

Thinking about it the handle could also prove a problem by providing a ledge for sediment to collect on which could cause an issue I guess. Maybe just for bulk priming and bottling then.