Bye-Bye BB

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bkisel

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Well, not really. But I do wish now that for my fourth Carboy I had gotten another 23L Italian glass one instead of having to try a BB. I really do like how light the Better Bottle (BB) is and how easy it is to clean but in using it for the first time I lost ~3 pints of wine. Topped off my glass carboys apparently hold about 3 pints more than the BB. Fortunately I was watching the racking, to get the wine off some fine sediment, glass carboy to BB and was able to lift the siphon before to much wine spilled onto the floor. The issue isn't BBs by themselves but 23L glass carboys don't, for me, mix and match very well. Think after this BB is emptied it will be relegated to a "secondary" fermentation vessel. Oh well, should have listened to the advise given to me by a co-owner of my LHBS to stick with glass carboys.
 
It is good to have different sizes of carboys. I have 6 gallon Italian carboys, which are closer to 6.5 gallons. I also have 6 gallon Mexican carboys, which are closer to 6 gallons. And I have 6 gallon 5, and 3 gallon BB's. (I also have various other 5 gallon, 3 gallon, and 1 gallon glass carboys.)

This gives you a great advantage when racking. Always start with the carboy of greater volume, then rack down to the next larger. Doing so will reduce the amount of topping off you have to do. Do your alcoholic secondary in the larger carboy because it doesn't need topped off in secondary. Then rack down into the smaller carboy.
 
If you want to get rid of your better bottles I'd be willing to take any of them off your hands for $15 a piece. Sell em both and go pick up a glass carboy.
 
It is good to have different sizes of carboys. I have 6 gallon Italian carboys, which are closer to 6.5 gallons. I also have 6 gallon Mexican carboys, which are closer to 6 gallons. And I have 6 gallon 5, and 3 gallon BB's. (I also have various other 5 gallon, 3 gallon, and 1 gallon glass carboys.)

This gives you a great advantage when racking. Always start with the carboy of greater volume, then rack down to the next larger. Doing so will reduce the amount of topping off you have to do. Do your alcoholic secondary in the larger carboy because it doesn't need topped off in secondary. Then rack down into the smaller carboy.

I believe I'm following you and what you say makes sense. Except for the one grape skin pack kit I've done the other three kits did need a lot of topping off in the Italian 23L glass carboys - which like yours are probably closer to 6.5 gallons. My 6 gallon BB probably comes close to a true 6 gallons.

Thanks...
 
If you want to get rid of your better bottles I'd be willing to take any of them off your hands for $15 a piece. Sell em both and go pick up a glass carboy.

At first I thought you were just joking but then noticed that you are from CT.

Thanks I'll keep it (only have the one BB) for now.
 
haha Bkisel if you change your mind, you know where to find me.
 

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