Does anyone know of a source
In Washington or British Columbia
for two,
open head (removable top),
US55 gal,
stainless steel drums/barrels?
(For primaries and for bulk aging)

Thanks,
Roger

"Analogueman" > wrote in message
news:2RfVb.10390$QX4.6041@clgrps13...
> Does anyone know of a source
> In Washington or British Columbia
> for two,
> open head (removable top),
> US55 gal,
> stainless steel drums/barrels?
> (For primaries and for bulk aging)

Do you have any idea what those co$t? I can buy European oak cheaper than
that! If I were you, I'd take a hard look at food grade plastic drums.
They're about 10% the price.

Tom S

"Analogueman" > wrote in message news:<2RfVb.10390$QX4.6041@clgrps13>...
> Does anyone know of a source
> In Washington or British Columbia
> for two,
> open head (removable top),
> US55 gal,
> stainless steel drums/barrels?
> (For primaries and for bulk aging)
>
> Thanks,
> Roger

http://www.morebeer.com/ has a few different sizes of stainless
drums, and variable fermenters. Prices are reasonable, service is
great.
No affiliation, just a happy customer
Thad

"Analogueman" > wrote in message news:<2RfVb.10390$QX4.6041@clgrps13>...
> Does anyone know of a source
> In Washington or British Columbia
> for two,
> open head (removable top),
> US55 gal,
> stainless steel drums/barrels?
> (For primaries and for bulk aging)

Coca-Cola receives many products in 55g s/s barrels with a rubber
snap-ring lids. When the plant was here I bought several of these
barrels for $35 each. They where usually sold to scrap metal places
that specialized in drums, or so I was told. The only problem with
them is that the bottom is not smooth around the inside edges and that
in there you could get a contamination. First I tried to fill the edge
with a weld, but after blowing holes in the side, I had mine cut clean
and welded new bottoms on them. Because the metal is so thin this was
no easy task.

If you feel new s/s tanks are too expensive, and you are close to milk
farming equipment, then here is what I would start looking. My primary
fermenters a 40g & 75gal s/s came from a dairy that went out of
business. You might not get a perfect vessel. There might be holes for
other applications. These can be welded up and ground clean. Just try
to get equipment that has a rounded edge.

But as some pointed out, you really should use oak barrels for ageing
unless the type of wine does not lend itself for this.

SG Brix-

Thank you SGBRIX;

Yours, and comments from TomS and Starfarms1, are greatly appreciated.

As Tom pointed out (new) SS barrels are outrageously expensive and even the
used ones suggested by StarF are beyond what I would like to pay. Your
suggestion is closer to what I am looking for even though the bottom seam,
as you point out, could be a problem. I'll check with our local (Vancouver)
Coca Cola bottler and try to find a dairy changing equipment.

I am currently using US55 gallon, blue plastic barrels with removable tops
(very convenient for cleaning), as primaries and for outside racking/cold
stabilizing, storage until, about, March. By the end of March the wine is
usually suitably cleared to rack into 50 & 54 litre stainless beer kegs.
The beer kegs are kept in my "cellar" and usually begin to be tapped by the
following October/November (year old wine). By two years the wine is
usually running out and we begin working on the next vintage. The beer kegs
are pressurized with N2 = wine on tap.

I agree about the oak barrel. I have a Damy, French oak, 210 litre barrel,
but cannot use it because I moved onto a floating home (two years ago) and
there is no place for the barrel except outside on the dock. Not a good
place to keep wine - for many reasons. Know anyone who wants one - Cheap ?

I have a 6' X 9' X 4.5' (high) crawl space in the barge of the flaothome
that I am using as a wine cellar for commercial wines and for the 400 litres
of my own creation - sometimes called Chateau Weasel**** - often for good
reason.

I am considering a smaller oak barrel, if it will fit in the cellar, but
there are problems about cleaning the inevitable spills - a winery, even on
my scale, needs a hose and a central drain...

Thanks again,

Roger (in the RainForest)











"sgbrix" > wrote in message
om...
> "Analogueman" > wrote in message
news:<2RfVb.10390$QX4.6041@clgrps13>...
> > Does anyone know of a source
> > In Washington or British Columbia
> > for two,
> > open head (removable top),
> > US55 gal,
> > stainless steel drums/barrels?
> > (For primaries and for bulk aging)
>
> Coca-Cola receives many products in 55g s/s barrels with a rubber
> snap-ring lids. When the plant was here I bought several of these
> barrels for $35 each. They where usually sold to scrap metal places
> that specialized in drums, or so I was told. The only problem with
> them is that the bottom is not smooth around the inside edges and that
> in there you could get a contamination. First I tried to fill the edge
> with a weld, but after blowing holes in the side, I had mine cut clean
> and welded new bottoms on them. Because the metal is so thin this was
> no easy task.
>
> If you feel new s/s tanks are too expensive, and you are close to milk
> farming equipment, then here is what I would start looking. My primary
> fermenters a 40g & 75gal s/s came from a dairy that went out of
> business. You might not get a perfect vessel. There might be holes for
> other applications. These can be welded up and ground clean. Just try
> to get equipment that has a rounded edge.
>
> But as some pointed out, you really should use oak barrels for ageing
> unless the type of wine does not lend itself for this.
>
> SG Brix-