Hi Jackie,
Jackie Frobese wrote:
1) Does it matter if I get a 55gal or a 30gal barrel? The 30Gal is $150 cheaper not including shipping
On my local classifieds of a rural area of population ~100,000, there are two sellers each selling 1000+ used 55 gallon food grade steel barrels, for $10-13 each ($13 for lid w/ handle). Try local metal scrapyards.
If you're going to spend $100+ on a barrel you may as well buy a
cost-effective merchantable good and
sell the contents locally.
And as to your question, yes it matters... that
should follow from all the other information available to you. But I'm guessing the intent of your question was about cost.
Jackie Frobese wrote:
2) The steel drum is rated for 250F whereas the stainless steel is rated for 600F
Steel can handle far more than 250F and 600F. Look up their melting points, which differ depending on the alloy. I expect they're talking about the paint/lining and not the alloys themselves. I'd seen elsewhere on this forum they burn off the paint then season the exterior drum with an oil, much like
seasoning cast iron.