Safe Container to Make Liqueur

[MT_Keg]

Hey All,

I plan on making Pear Vodka and Apple Brandy Liqueurs (separately). I currently have an open 5 gallon food grade bucket. Is it Safe/Wise to infuse these alcohols in this bucket? I plan on infusing for 4 - 8 weeks (depending on the recipe). Is there any chances of leaching flavors from the plastic?

or should I invest in another glass carboy?

Thanks for your help.

MT

 

[worlddivides]

Are you planning on giving away bottles of your liqueur to a lot of people? I wonder because five gallons sounds like way, way, WAY too much. Regardless, 5 gallons of brandy is going to be ridiculously expensive. Brandy and vodka are both sold in 750ml bottles (brandy is pretty much never sold in anything bigger than 750ml, but cheap vodka is sold is 1 liter, 1.5 liter, and sometimes even bigger sizes). Even if you do buy cheap vodka, five gallons of that is still going to be much more expensive than, say, making five gallons of beer or wine. So, you would get about 24-26 bottles out of five gallons of liqueur.

I personally use a mason jar to make liqueur, but I usually make batches that are at or smaller than 750ml.

That said, I personally would use glass, considering high alcohol spirits' solvent properties, but I don't have any personal experience with spirits in a 5 gallon carboy.

 

[MT_Keg]

worlddivides thank you for your thoughts... 5 gallons is a lot and I understand the costs... I have made these liqueurs numerous times when I had a few 5 gallon carboys on hand. I plan on giving these out as gifts in an upcoming wedding and if there is any left over, Christmas too.

I agree with the alcohol's solvent properties... but they sell vodka in plastic jugs. I was hoping I could get away with using a plastic bucket... but I will be careful and use glass.

Thanks again.

MT

 

[petey_c]

I had a friend who brought in half a bushel of ripe pears to work last year. After we'd all had our fill of pears, they'd start to go bad. I bought a glass iced tea dispenser (along these lines http://www.wayfair.com/Wine-Enthusiast-Mason-Jar-Beverage-Dispenser-762-24-WINE1463.html). Cut up enough ripe pears to fill it about 2/3. Started to pour in 1.75 ltr. of New Amsterdam vodka. Somehow in the back of my car the dispenser developed a crack (I work for the federal government and didn't want to get in trouble by having alcohol at work, so I transferred it in the back of my car.). Some vodka leaked onto my seat. I had to salvage the remainder by pouring it into an empty (cleaned) pretzel jug (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Utz-Sourdough-Specials-Pretzels-28-oz/23658428 These pretzels a great, by the way.). I let it sit in there for 6-8 weeks. After that, I removed all the pears and let it sit for another week. I then strained it through coffee filters. Nice pear infused vodka that has no hint of pretzels or plastic. When is the impending wedding? If it's not too close maybe make a test batch. I'd try and swirl that alcohol around as much as possible to try and remove any residual flavors. Good luck, Pete