Plastic or Glass?

[mtbryda203]

Plastic or Glass Carboy? Which one is the best? Is there a difference in taste?

 

[pjd]

Glass only! It is worth the few extra bucks!

 

[ibglowin]

Glass............

 

[MrKevin]

I only use glass.

Kevin

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I like glass also - mainly I can use vacuum to transfer so I still do not have to lift a full carboy !! Glass also has been around for a long time with no ill effects.

 

[ldmack3]

I've got a number of plastic and never noticed any difference in taste. But you can not vacuum rack to them and you have to be carefull moving them or you will suck the Kmeta out of the airlock. I've got 11 carboys in bulk ageing and when you start trying to move them the plastic is a lot more work. So I am in process of converting to glass.

 

[Runningwolf]

Glass is no doubt the best. With that said plastic will work and is used by several members. It has it's advantages and disadvantages. Glass is heavy and dangerous if it breaks. I have a ton of glass and some plastic. I honestly only use glass.

 

[GaDawg]

Plastic, I am way over 65 and don't want to fight the weight of glass :-}

 

[DoctorCAD]

No difference to the wine, at all.

Personal preference, I use both.

 

[TonyP]

Plastic or Glass Carboy? Which one is the best? Is there a difference in taste?

As far as taste goes, they're equal in that neither impart any taste on the wine. Having said that, however, there are differences - one of which can impact the quality of the finished product. Glass is perfectly rigid; it doesn't flex. The walls of plastic carboys flex, allowing barometric pressure changes to expand or contract the area inside the carboy. As a result the bung can loosen and air can get into the carboy over time. While this is not significant in the short term, it makes a plastic carboy less desirable for long term aging.

By the way, plastic I'm referring to is a BetterBottle carboy, the only plastic you should consider.

 

[Boatboy24]

I use glass and Better Bottle.

 

[g8keeper]

since first starting in 2005, i have always used only glass....i have never even considered buying better bottles, even though my lhbs stocks them...sure, they can be a little more cumbersome at times to deal with, but i still feel better about the protection of glass....it has been my experience, so be it with different things, that plastic is just too porous for my liking....

 

[Rocky]

I have 28 glass carboys of various sizes and 2 Better Bottles. I only use the Better Bottles on an interim basis when racking, stabilizing or filling bottles with a siphon. I guess I have no definitive reason for doing so except that I am old and somewhat a creature of habit.