...inquires after cold containers (5)
I believe the answer is:
casks
'containers' is the definition.
(cask is a kind of container)
'inquires after cold' is the wordplay.
'inquires' becomes 'asks' ('ask' can be a synonym of 'inquire').
'after' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'cold' becomes 'c' (eg on taps).
'asks' after 'c' is 'CASKS'.
(Other definitions for casks that I've seen before include "vessels" , "Barrel-shaped containers for liquids" , "lots of beer" , "Large barrels" .)