Gamma Seal lids and buckets

TreeFarmer · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 26, 2007 Posts: 278

What is the best price you have found on Gamma Seal lids and where did you find it? I know there are sometimes quantity discounts so please reply in quantities of 10 or so.

What about color? One site I found SEEMED to indicate that only white had been approved for food storage.

Also, what about buckets? Are new buckets like you would buy at a hardware store ok for food storage? Should I look for a bucket that has a "2" on the identifier stamp on the bottom?

I'm totally new to this and need a little help from folks with expereince.

TF

wisconsin_cur · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:49 pm Post subject: Re: Gamma Seal lids and buckets

I have heard the same thing about "white" being the only approved color. When I dug a little deeper I could not find any reason other than, "I'm afraid of the dyes." I went with black gamma lids because that is all that I could find locally (~8.00 a piece at Fleet Farm). Those just house short term storage.

For long term storage I use standard lids (white) and they run about a dollar a piece. For 7.00 a piece I will deal with the occassional hassel of using standard lids.

According to the information I have seen #2,4 and 5 plastics are ok for food storage. Most of mine are 2, some are 4.

I've only been storing for 2.5 years, so I don't know if what I have accounts for experience but no one has sprouted a third eye yet?

Shannymara · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 9:41 pm Post subject: Re: Gamma Seal lids and buckets

Wow, I never even thought about the colored lids being toxic, and I'm generally really paranoid about those things. Oops! I got a variety of colors when I first bought them so I could distinguish them easily - red for red wheat, yellow for popcorn, white for sugar... I've always been careful about getting food grade plastic for buckets and for water storage, but I guess I just assumed the Gamma Seal lids were food grade. Embarassed

Anyway, I love them, and http://beprepared.com has them for $6.99 right now. The shipping is pretty cheap there if you are getting a big order. Can be slow sometimes (couple of weeks) but I've always been very happy with their service over the past few years otherwise.
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TreeFarmer · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 26, 2007 Posts: 278

This place has the best price I"ve found so far...

http://freckleface.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/gammaseals.html

What about buckets? Should I just buy them at Wal-Mart or Home Depot? I would think that shipping might cancel out any discount prices I found on the net.

TF

gnm · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:12 am Post subject: Re: Gamma Seal lids and buckets

TF the buckets can be had the cheapest from a wholesale packaging supply outfit - look around locally for something like that in your area - you will generally have to buy like 24 at a time, but you will save a lot.

-G
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zberry · Heavy Crude Joined: Mar 21, 2006 Posts: 132

Here is a link to a video showing how to pack buckets with grain, legumes, whatever. There are a few tips and tricks. I think she recommends gamma seals for stuff being used currently, regular gasket seal lids for "long-term" storage.
I buckets and lids at the same time I bought my wheat (from Walton Feed), so the shipping was based mostly on the weight of the wheat.

Bucket Packing with Wendy Mae

WisJim · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 10:27 am Post subject: Re: Gamma Seal lids and buckets

This site says all their buckets are food grade except black.
http://www.yankeecontainers.com/PlasticBuckets/5g.html

This company doesn't seem to differentiate between colors, except for lids:
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/default.asp

Specop_007 · Expert Joined: Aug 12, 2004 Posts: 5952

Love those Gamma lids.

I use a mylar liner in all my buckets, so really the food grade plastic issue is a non issue for me. The bags are cheap peace of mind. Smile

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TreeFarmer · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 26, 2007 Posts: 278

Does anyone have an idea about where she is getting her bags of corn/beans ect? I know you can just buy buckets of grain from Walton Feed but the shipping is a killer for that heavy stuff.

Would a local restaurant supply or supplier like Sysco have those kinds of items?

TF

TreeFarmer · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 26, 2007 Posts: 278

Specop what size Mylar bag so you need for a 5 gallon bucket? Walton Feed shows a 20" by 30" bag on their site, is that the right size?

Also, where are you getting your bags?

Are you able to vacuum seal them like Wendy did in her video?

Edited with yet another question. To me it seems like the vacuum seal bags you get from Wal-Mart or anywhere else are pretty expensive. Do you think these
http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_5563.asp?desc=Vacuum+Bags
would work in a regular vacuum sealer?

Lots of questions I know;

TF

Ludi · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:28 pm Post subject: Re: Gamma Seal lids and buckets

Pops · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 1:46 pm Post subject: Re: Gamma Seal lids and buckets

Why not go to the local donut shop/bakery/restaurant or such and ask them to save you some buckets, stick what you want in conveniently sized Ziplocks and pack ''em in with a dusting of diatomaceous earth? You could buy a pile of Zips (or Mylar like Spec likes) and Cans for the same price.

Unless one is stocking the bunker for The Big One using N or O absorbers and hoping to never eat what is there, they will probably either bag their stuff as above or be dipping in the bucket fairly often. Of course each opening of that "Airtight Lid" lets in you-know-what - there goes the value of that $7 lid.

Personally, I like metal trash cans (rodents) with ziplocks (moisture and some airtightness) and some DE sprinkled over (bugs) - but then we never have more than a 2-3 years amount of anything dry in bulk aside from sugar, salt, honey, etc.

Just my thoughts...
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gnm · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 2:06 pm Post subject: Re: Gamma Seal lids and buckets

All good suggestions. I will say that I have used the gamma seal lids (on a standard pail) for years in the presence of rodents and bugs (even rats) and none of them have ever been compromised. They haven't even attempted to chew into the pails. Its seems perhaps that they can't smell anything and therefore don't try. At least thats my theory.

-G
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wisconsin_cur · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 2:26 pm Post subject: Re: Gamma Seal lids and buckets

This issue of plastics sent me around the house, double checking what we have and what needs to be changed.

Some items bought and advertised for food storage are #1, I will change them today.

Peanut butter are #3, I had kept some for storage and will now use them for non-food items.

Just saying to turn that item upside down and take a check, even if it says it is good for food.

Cur

Pops · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 2:44 pm Post subject: Re: Gamma Seal lids and buckets