# I'm thinking of buying a 55 gallon drum of vinegar: Price check at Sam's Club



## Bobbb

Has anyone here bought a 55 gallon drum of white vinegar for canning?

Here's what Sam's Club offers but I'm not a member. Can someone price check that for me please?

And the bonus is that you get the drum after it takes you 10 years to empty it!!!

-PS - I thought I had to outdo all of you toilet paper stocker-uppers. Can you beat this?


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## cowboyhermit

We use a lot more than 5 gallons of vinegar a year, now you got me wondering what the price would be.


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## Country Living

I checked online. It's $74.48 at the Sam's in Shreveport.

ETA: be sure and stock up on TP while you're there.....


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## UncleJoe

Boy, that sucker's gonna be tough to move around and set in place.


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## Bobbb

UncleJoe said:


> Boy, that sucker's gonna be tough to move around and set in place.


I'm thinking of having a basement wall fitted out with supports and then elevating this drum, and maybe a few more of other stuff, thus freeing up floor space. It would be terrific if I could find a drum with a bottom spigot, that way I could just use gravity to drain the drum.


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## Country Living

Bobbb said:


> I'm thinking of having a basement wall fitted out with supports and then elevating this drum, and maybe a few more of other stuff, thus freeing up floor space. It would be terrific if I could find a drum with a bottom spigot, that way I could just use gravity to drain the drum.


We want pictures of the install..... and not just the ones that show up on Funniest Home Videos or CNN.


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## cowboyhermit

I thought all you preppers would at least have pallet jacks, if not a forklift in the basement, maybe a cargo elevator
Seriously though it is about 500lbs so stairs are certainly a job, furniture dolly might help.

If you did raise it up like we do with oil drums, a siphon/pump will let you gravity flow it, homebrew places have decent stuff.


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## Country Living

In case you're just dying of curiosity. POM toilet paper is $19.62 (club price) for a case of 40 (forty) 2-ply, 450 sheets per roll. Sheet size is 4.5" X 4".

I'm still on the TP bandwagon (sic) because I think it's outrageous the other TP manufacturers not only shrunk the size of the sheets; but, also reduced the number of sheets in a roll. As if they thought we wouldn't notice. vract:

Was I the only one who noticed? eep:


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## Bobbb

cowboyhermit said:


> I thought all you preppers would at least have pallet jacks, if not a forklift in the basement, maybe a cargo elevator
> Seriously though it is about 500lbs so stairs are certainly a job, furniture dolly might help.
> 
> If you did raise it up like we do with oil drums, a siphon/pump will let you gravity flow it, homebrew places have decent stuff.


If it becomes a real headache to install I can always drain the drum, mount it on the wall, and then refill it. It's not like vinegar goes bad.

What I'm debating is whether I should buy bulk in order to ride out the storm or just build myself a small distillery and make the stuff myself. If I go this route then all I really need is to buy a few boxes of PH papers, which should last a few centuries of regular use, and then I and my great-great-great children can ride out the destruction of civilization which munching on crisp pickles.


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## Dakine

if you get into brewing/fermenting, you could create 2 products that would be sought after. Wine & beer and then use those as the product to make your own homemade vinegar.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-Vinegar


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## cowboyhermit

Option #2!
I would recommend some glass carboys but of course almost any container will do. We make vinegar from different things but honey/mead is my favorite, apple cider is close though.
We do still buy some because it is cheap and we use it for cleaning and many non-eating uses.


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## Bobbb

cowboyhermit said:


> Option #2!
> I would recommend some glass carboys but of course almost any container will do. We make vinegar from different things but honey/mead is my favorite, apple cider is close though.
> We do still buy some because it is cheap and we use it for cleaning and many non-eating uses.


I've made vinegar in the past but what I want is canning vinegar and to the best of my knowledge that means white vinegar which means distilled. I wouldn't really want to eat an apple-infused pickle canned with cider vinegar.

Far down on my to-do list is to set up the distillery while the parts are easy to get and make a batch or two, but it's just far easier to buy in bulk than to make it from scratch.


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## *Andi

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f35/homemade-cider-vinegar-4202/

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f78/making-your-own-cider-vinegar-10323/

Some more reading ...


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## *Andi

Bobbb said:


> I've made vinegar in the past but what I want is canning vinegar and to the best of my knowledge that means white vinegar which means distilled. I wouldn't really want to eat an apple-infused pickle canned with cider vinegar.
> 
> Far down on my to-do list is to set up the distillery while the parts are easy to get and make a batch or two, but it's just far easier to buy in bulk than to make it from scratch.


Just so you know ...

Distilled vinegar

The term "distilled vinegar" is somewhat of a misnomer, because it is not produced by the distillation of vinegar, but rather, by the fermentation of distilled alcohol. The fermentate is then diluted to produce a colorless solution of about 5% to 8% acetic acid in water, with a pH of about 2.4. This is variously known as distilled spirit or "virgin" vinegar, or white vinegar, and is used for medicinal, laboratory, and cleaning purposes, as well as in cooking, baking, meat preservation, and pickling. The most common starting material in some regions, because of its low cost, is malt. In the United States, corn (maize) is the usual starting ingredient for most distilled vinegars, such as Heinz.

The main difference between pickling with white vinegar and apple cider vinegar is the flavor. Distilled from ethyl alcohol, white vinegar, also called distilled vinegar or white distilled vinegar, lends that classic tartness to pickles. Apple cider vinegar, made, of course, from apple juice or apple cider, has a sweeter, more mellow flavor with hints of fruitiness. It works well with spices and is perfect for sweet recipes bread and butter pickles.


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## cowboyhermit

If you have a pressure canner you pretty much already have a still


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## Bobbb

cowboyhermit said:


> If you have a pressure canner you pretty much already have a still


Don't be such a tease. Flesh this out some more.

I've never used a still before.

Let's say that I've got a sack of wheat and I want to make an alcohol and then a white vinegar. How can I do that with a pressure canner?


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## cowboyhermit

Don't want to get myself in too much trouble and it is a bit of a process from start to finish. Basically if you just make beer, that is pretty simple, especially if it doesn't have to taste good mash, wash, ferment.

Then as far as the distilling it is fairly simple as well, fill up the pressure cooker with beer, heat it up, pop a hose on the steam outlet and catch the alcohol.
From there you have to dilute it enough for the bacteria to do their work and voila distilled vinegar
Of course there is a ton of info out there homebrewing places have everything you would need (including info) 
And it would take pages to give all the details for brewing, distilling etc but that is how it can be done, whether or not it would be legal:dunno:


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## mojo4

Bobb that is a ton of vinegar! At least you will have fresh italian dressing for life!! As far as a still, they are legal as long as you never sell your product. Just home "medicinal" and personel use  The alcohol shouldn't be too hard its the aging oak casks would be tough unless anyone knows where to get one at.


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## JayJay

Country Living said:


> In case you're just dying of curiosity. POM toilet paper is $19.62 (club price) for a case of 40 (forty) 2-ply, 450 sheets per roll. Sheet size is 4.5" X 4".
> 
> I'm still on the TP bandwagon (sic) because I think it's outrageous the other TP manufacturers not only shrunk the size of the sheets; but, also reduced the number of sheets in a roll. As if they thought we wouldn't notice. vract:
> 
> Was I the only one who noticed? eep:


I started 'collecting' TP 4 years ago. Was putting a roll on a couple years ago and I noticed the shorter roll. I put one previously bought roll against the new one---WOW...shorter by a bunch.
Yeah, we aren't supposed to notice...like DG has rice crispies, I have lots of boxes of these....today they were on sale, and I noticed the weight...11 oz.
I compared this to the older boxes in the storage room..they were 13 oz.
Yeah, they are doing it more and more.
So, it wasn't a sale; the box was smaller!!!!!


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## Jim1590

Why not just get a water drum and mount that, then bring home the vinegar and pump it in from outside. Also if you mount it sideways, the top spigot should still allow gravity draining.

This really sparked me an idea. Once we get our own place out of the city and no longer renting, maybe do a drum of vinegar, one of bleach, one of whatever other liquids I can think of. Just gotta label them correctly!


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## eddy_dvyvan

The drum will definatly have a thread at the bottom side. Tip the drum on its side when you get it home and use a screw driver to undo the bung. Screw in your tap and all done.

If you have trouble finding the taps then go to a automotive paint shop or the like. I have found all the plastic taps have the same thread and work with all types of containers. 

Thats a good price. I pay $18 for 5.2 gal or 20litres. Is there a brand name you could post up?....maybe i can track down a distributer over here


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