Better bottle vs glass carboy.

[Elmer]

I searched the forum from my phone and could not find a thread so forgive me if this is a repost.
It looks like I am going to need to get another carboy.
My LHBS is now carrying the plastic better bottle, at a cheaper cost then a glass carboy.
I have never used plastic.
As much as I don't want another carboy. I have too many batches on deck and need more room to age.
Can I bulk age in them?
Are they a good alternative to glass?
Are they only use for secondary?

What is the down side of using one for aging?

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Here is a post that I found a while back - I like glass myself - mainly because of vacuum and tried and true

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f5/plastic-vs-glass-carboys-40086/

 

[dessertmaker]

I have bulk aged for up to 1 year in BB and had 0 problems.

I always primary in a brew bucket if I can because its easier to clean but others on here use BBs for primary.

They are easier to scratch, but I've found that rinsing them out and then letting them sit with scalding hot water in them cleans them adequately without a bottle brush. So scratching isn't a concern for me.

Some claim that plastic is more oxygen permeable than glass which makes the BB more prone to oxidation. The only time I've ever had a problem with oxidation was when my airlocks ran completely dry after stabilization and stayed dry for over 2 months. And that was in a glass carboy. Again, I've gone all the way out to 1 year in a BB and had no issues at all.

If a vacuum pump is anywhere in your future I'd stay away from the BB because it won't work with a pump, the vacuum causes it to collapse. Other than that I love them!

 

[GreginND]

You may want to search the forum for more information. There have been several threads about this topic.

There are pros and cons. In my very humble opinion, glass is better for long term storage. But it is heavy, can break and more expensive.

The better boy carboys are just fine for primary (if you really do that in a carboy) and secondary. From what others have reported, storage for six months or so has not been a problem and the wines were just fine. They are lighter, easier to handle and cheaper.

Some cons - it is easy to scratch the inside of the carboy with brushes which can create cavities for bacteria to dwell making it important to pay close attention when sanitizing. You cannot use vacuum transfer to transfer wine INTO a better boy carboy as it will collapse. I think there is some debate about oxygen permeability with plastic being greater than glass.

 

[GEM]

I have used PEPbottles almost exclusively for the 3 years I have been making kits and fresh grape wines. I love the plastic bottles for two reasons, they are lite and I do not worry about breakage. I have bulk aged wine for a year in them and the wine is fine. I do not do primary ferments in them as it is easier to do that in a bucket or pail. I do MLF in them. Other than not being able to vacuum rack with the plastic, I really prefer them. I used 3 glass carboys this year for the 60 gals of wine I am making and boy could I tell the difference in hefting the glass around. I am going to get a small pump to move the wine from one carboy to another, which will solve the racking issue. All in all, I think for overall safety and my back, plastic bottles are the way to go. As they say, "everyone has an opinion," so use what you feel best with. Cheers, Gary

 

[Runningwolf]

Elmer, yes this has been discussed many times on here and we don't mind one bit bringing it up again. Gregin ND and Gem pretty much summed it all up. Two different opinions but covers about everything said in the past. I bought BB's also because of the price to have for emergency back ups. I rarely use them as I prefer glass. My bottom line to you is use whcih ever you prefer and can afford but do not stray away from Better Bottles if you go plastic (like water bottles for example). Like I said Gary and Greg both gave excellent view points.

 

[bkisel]

I've got 3 glass and 1 BB carboy. There are pros and cons for each type. I like the BB for being lightweight which makes it easier to handle and also that it is closer to 23L and thus needs less topping off than my glass carboys.

 

[Elmer]

Thanks for advice. I tell you I searched the forum, using the app on my smart phone and could not find a link.

Anyway now that I have a AI1 pump I guess I will have to stick with glass. I know that my LHBS Is selling BB for 1/2 of what a glass carboy goes for and I currently have 4 glass (3-6 gallon, 1-5gallon). Not counting the 5 single gallon.
Anyway I am tryin to juggle what I have aging and what I want to make with the equipment I have. And the only solution seems to be another carboy!

 

[cmason1957]

I believe I have convinced my wife that carboys can only be purchased 4 at a time.

In a more serious side, I have several of both. I use my better bottles for anything that gets MLF added to it. For me it makes it the easiest way to keep them seperated. And you never want a kit wine to get anywhere near a carboy that had an mlfed wine in it.

 

[GreginND]

Someone was experimenting with vacuum racking to the plastic carboys. I can't find the thread now and don't remember where it was. The idea was that if you put some kind of support around the carboy to prevent it from bowing outward, it will not collapse inward. In order for it to collapse the carboy must distort outwards first. I think initial experiments supported that. But I don't know how safe it is to do that over and over again.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

If I was going to use BB with vacuum - I would put very low vacuum and a larger input diameter.

I have used the Allinone to fill pet bottles for other people for use with natural aroma therapy products

 

[Loner]

Elmer .. There is a place for BB in your lineup. You can vacuum rack from plastic to glass. Use your fermenter for primary. Transfer to your BB when you get below 1.020 and vacuum pump to glass when you go dry.

 

[kzimmer0817]

Ported Better Bottle

I posted a related question to Dragondave regarding his fermenting buckets with spigots.

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience in using the Better Bottle with racking adapter for racking wine. IOW, has anyone tried using the rotating racking arm in racking off the lees in making wine?

Thanks,
Keith