Are Plastic Water Jugs safe for Primary???

  • PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Does anyone know for sure if there is any danger in using a Dannon Spring water 1 gal plastic bottle for primary fermentation? It has a wide mouth and is real handy for primary. Will fermentation or alcohol leach anything toxic from the plastic as it was intended for Spring water? ??? Thanks for any input.
 
Normal plastic carboys are oxygen permeable. I've read that one week primary is max. but I've also read that they're fine for up to one month.

I don't know what to believe. The 1 week recomendation comes from John Palmer of www.howtobrew.com a credible brewing webmaster.

I woudln't take my chances...
 
I ferment my meads in the standard plastic buckets from the LHBS and don't see any problem in it. My typical primary is 3-4 days of plain mead (with a little fruit for nutrients) that's been well oxegenated. I brew mostly melomels so I add fruit for up to 3-7 more days or until fermentation starts to slow down. I then rack off the fruit into glass carboys. I've been looking at the "better carboys" (polycarbonate?) and have asked santa for a few since they don't break but for my secondaries I typically only use SS (cornie kegs) or glass carboys. Then again I don't typically bottle until the mead is at least a year old :)