Comments on: Glass vs Plastic? The Best Fermenters for Beer Brewing

By: Robert

Robert — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 09:03:07 +0000

No worrys, Ive had the same glass carboys for 20 + years take care of your equipment and it will take care of your brewing needs.as long as you don’t do any thing daft like drop them or fill hot wort with cool wort, because ” i.e. thermal shock will come about.”.glass is best.Cheers and many good pints.

By: Ilya Feynberg

Ilya Feynberg — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 04:07:49 +0000

Along the lines of this subject, it would be interesting to hear if there is any evidence or anything on the likes of what drinking out of plastic or glass has to do with the taste and flavor of the beer.

I would assume not much though, but if you’re a slower drinker that wants to make the beer linger and last through the night…perhaps there might be….

By: Thomas

Thomas — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:25:50 +0000

I used to use glass, until I turned into one of those horror stories you read about.

Now I use my 5 gal corny kegs as both primary and secondary. Using CO2 rather than having to siphon is a big plus, and you don’t have to worry about sunlight or oxidation.

By: dfwatsoncrick

dfwatsoncrick — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 01:09:12 +0000

I have used both for many of the reasons stated above. I wanted to add that about three years ago, I received two Cornelius kegs set up for secondary fermentation. While I have only thought of ways to use them for primary fermentation, they work great as a secondary.
I imagine trub and other excesses of primary fermentation would cause problems, I have been considering ways to use an old SS keg (that had the top cut off) as a primary or secondary. An acrylic lid could probably be fabricated to allow visualization as well as a seal with the proper gasket.
Regardless, lets not forget SS for use in primary or secondary fermentation.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:22:25 +0000

I use both in my brewing and actually start with the plastic bucket before moving on to the glass carboy for secondary fermentation. Reason being, I think it is much easier to move the wort into the plastic bucket versus using the siphon and putting it into the glass carboy. I think you are just asking to move too much sediment into the glass carboy if you are not careful.

By: Ben

Ben — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:28:19 +0000

I have been using plastic as a primary for years with no problems. Oxi-clean works great for cleaning them.

Secondary, I use the glass.

By: Jorge

Jorge — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:33:47 +0000

I don’t have much experience with better bottles… I use a plastic fermenter and have a glass carboy for my secondary.

The plastic fermenter needs to be washed immediately after each use. I use household bleach and that gets rid of all odors and ready for the next batch…

I don’t move my glass carboy too far, but it is a little dangerous to carry 5 gallons of brew in a glass carboy…

By: stadelman

stadelman — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:27:51 +0000

Glass carboys would be perfect if it weren’t for the extreme danger that comes along with them.

I’ll never forget the site of my 6.5 gallon glass carboy shattering on the carpet. Followed quickly by blood gushing from my feet.

Other than that, they’re great.

By: ILikeColdBeverages

ILikeColdBeverages — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:52:36 +0000

Nice comparison. I currently use a plastic fermenter for my primary, and a glass carboy for the secondary. I find the ease of cleaning for the plastic is really nice for that first really active week of fermentation, but then the impermeability of the glass carboy is nice for really aging the beer, and the secondary usually doesn’t get too gunky.

By: DVDaniels

DVDaniels — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:51:46 +0000

I am also a big fan of the better bottle. I agree totally with the previous poster that said soak overnight with oxyclean. I have never had to scrub them.

While I wished they had a 6.5 to 7 gallon version of the better bottle I have been able to squeeze 5.5 gallons with a good blowoff tube in the 6 gallon version.

By: DelawareBrewer

DelawareBrewer — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:31:13 +0000

I put a wash cloth in my Better Bottle and swirl away. Just enough scrubbing action to make cleaning an easy job.

By: bobbytuck

bobbytuck — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:27:02 +0000

BTW — when I say “fill it StarSan” I mean fill it with your StarSan solution — 1oz. in 5 gallons — give it a big shake to get the foam going — and you’re set.

By: bobbytuck

bobbytuck — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:25:48 +0000

A brush with Better Bottles? Huh?

That’s a *big* no-no.

All you need to do is soak it overnight with Oxyclean Free, and it’s completely clean. You never *touch* the inside much less brush it.

Then during brewday, just fill it with StarSan, let it sit while you’re mashing and boiling — and bingo — it’s ready to go.

Completely low-impact, very hands-off, and — most important — safe!

By: Brad Smith

Brad Smith — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 02:40:38 +0000

Justin – thanks for clarifying on the brush issue. I confess, I don’t actually own a “better bottle”, so I was going off my experience with glass bottles. As you can see, there are a number of better bottle fans here though. — Brad

By: cearum

cearum — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:40:06 +0000

They tell you to not use a brush on the better bottles. They have a hydrophobic coating that allows them to easily shed most crud on them with a good soak. I find that if I clean it relatively quick it doesn’t become a problem (Especially with a good sprayer).

By: dcHokie

dcHokie — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:35:58 +0000

I use all 3, but generally prefer glass carboys.

The BBs are great outside of being more difficult to clean. As cearum mentioned, once they are full you need to remove the airlock and cover the mouth (I use sanitized foil) to prevent that ‘flex suck’ when moving them.

By: admin

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:53:44 +0000

All,
Yes I should have mentioned the “better bottle” plastic carboys. These are a nice compromise as they are not as heavy or breakable as glass, but have a carboy shape and neck so you don’t need to worry about a bad seal.

They are made from a low permeability food grade plastic, so the risk of oxidization is low. My only long term concern would be that you will need a large bottle brush to clean them which may result in some minor scratching over time – so eventually you may need to replace them.

This is not a major negative, however, as the glass ones tend to break if you use them long enough – so its probably a wash overall.

Overall – I think they are a nice compromise between the plastic bucket and glass carboy.

By: BMan1113VR

BMan1113VR — Sun, 30 May 2010 21:08:45 +0000

I would like to hear a more detailed comparison between glass and plastic (better bottle) carboys.

By: cearum

cearum — Sun, 30 May 2010 13:10:36 +0000

What about the Better Bottle? The plastic carboy takes most things you have in the glass carboy; then it removes the ability for it to easily break and adds the con of the scratching. They are so easy to move as they are tons lighter but they can flex in and out creating a suction. That suction can suck in whatever is in the airlock so I find it best to attach it once it’s in place.

By: doobliebop

doobliebop — Sun, 30 May 2010 03:12:16 +0000

What about better bottles? I get worried about breaking my glass carboys after having read a few horror stories about them. I currently ferment in 6.5 gallon carboys and love them, but I’m always nervous about them breaking. I have been thinking of moving to better bottles… would have liked to hear your take on them.