Carboy's What do you recommend?

[sly22guy]

Im looking into getting set up. Is there any advantage over the glass carboy's or are the better bottles just as good? Im leaning towards them as they are lighter and will not break as easily.

 

[TheTooth]

I've only been using them for a couple years, but so far I'm really happy with my Better Bottles.

 

[rawlus]

i prefer better bottles for the most part, mostly long-term bulk aging, but i still keep a few glass around for vacuum degassing as you can't do that with a better bottle.

 

[BettyJ]

I use the 5 gallon water containers and have never had a problem. I live in Belize, so cannot get real carboys here

 

[deboard]

I have a couple of the water bottles, but I'm moving toward glass slowly. The water bottles have a 3 in a triangle on the bottom, which means it's polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. Mine have worked, but the information I found on it says it does allow oxygen in. I know others that use these and have no problems though.

I am interested in the better bottles though, they are cheaper and I've heard good things.

 

[Wade E]

The plastic ones are flimsy so if you pick 1 up you can easily squeeze wine right out of it or out the airlock and then when you let go youll suck the liquid right through the airlock into your wine which could contaminate your wine. You cant use a plastic carboy if you plan on vacuum degassing or vacuum racking. They are nice and light though. You also have to be careful cleaning them as if you scratch them then bacteria can hide in those scratches.

 

[sly22guy]

Thanks for the input! Seems as though maybe ill get the kit with the glass one so that i have one and then pick up an extra better bottle.

 

[rawlus]

if you use a 3-piece airlock, the suctioning problems with better bottles can be avoided easily by simply removing the inner cap momentarily. usually you're moving them for some reason or purpose like racking so breaking the airlock seal is no big deal. it is also minimized if you lift them from the bottom rather than the neck. they do flex though - for me, a small tradeoff for durability, affordability and light weight.

ive never been particularly "careful" with the better bottles and they look as good now as they did brand new. no scratching, i dont think ive ever seen one scratched on the inside. i think youd have to work pretty hard to do that.

i am much more careful with the heavy, slippery, fragile glass carboys i have - i use them as minimally as possible, primarily for vacuum degassing.

 

[padre]

I've opted for plastic, as a glass jug exploded from pressure in my kitchen once. (My mother had filled it with pennies, because she liked the look.) Fortunately nobody was anywhere near it, so we just got the heck scared out of us.

Glass shrapnel covered a frightening radius.

I understand it's not a common occurrence, but I just don't ever want to see that happen in my house again.

 

[sly22guy]

Yeah think ill just go with the better bottles to start and see how it works. I also had a Glass jug explode from pennies too. Im planning on making my wine down at my bar and we have parties from time to time and id rather not have to worry bout somone one breaking a 6 gallon carboy and wine everywhere!

 

[sly22guy]

Wow i just went on the better bottle website, they have alot of info and tricks to using there product. from racking to degassing and bottling. Think this is def the way to go. Im gona go pick them up afterwork today

 

[DageonYar]

Moral of the story is... Glass Carboys are great for making wine. But don't store pennies in em...

I'd worry about scratches in the plastic jugs... I keep reading about bacteria that grow inside those tiny scratches that are difficult to get out.

 

[rawlus]

i might worry about scratches in plastic jugs like ferment buckets and whatnot, but PET better bottles are an entirely different material. and the material is hydrophobic so it cleans and sanitizes very easily, perhaps even easier than glass which has billions of microscopic cavities in it.

most of the mythology about better bottles is scientifically untrue. some prefer glass, some prefer PET, some use both, but there is no right answer. both materials will perform fine for winemaking.

 

[sly22guy]

Yeah i dont plan on storing pennies in them. With all of the extra change going into my little vinyard i wont have to worry bout where to put my pennies!!!

 

[xanxer82]

I havee 2 6 gallon better bottles and just got a 6 gal glass carboy for christmas.
Better bottles are great. Light, durable, makes it easy to degas (not by pump though).
I'm using my glass for bulk aging. Currently filled with Malbec and will sit for another month or so.
I use my Better bottles for secondary fermentation and clearing. After that It can go to glass for aging if it needs it. Other than that I let things bottle age.
It's really a matter of personal preference.

 

[cpfan]

Just browsing the latest blog entries at Winemaker magazine, and read an informative article on PET carboys. Note: this is about Better Bottles or other PET plastic carboys designed for wine making, not necessarily PET plastic water bottes.

http://www.winemakermag.com/blogs/should-i-be-concerned-about-plastic-carboys-.html

Steve

 

[Wade E]

Cppl, I never knew they wetre actually better hen glass as far as cleaning them. Good info. I still like glass for my system due to vacuum properties though.

 

[TheTooth]

Scratching should not be an issue with your BetterBottles unless you try to use a bottle brush in them. Just let some oxyclean or PBW (with hot water) soak in them for a few hours and they will be sparkling clean.

 

[Green Mountains]

We're currently migrating towards Better Bottles as well. We have one now and 4 glass......the glass are important for degassing but so damn heavy when full of 6 gallons of wine.

We're too new at this to be 'purists' so we have no problem experimenting with improvements in the hobby.

 

[TheTooth]

I havee 2 6 gallon better bottles and just got a 6 gal glass carboy for christmas.
Better bottles are great. Light, durable, makes it easy to degas (not by pump though).
I'm using my glass for bulk aging. Currently filled with Malbec and will sit for another month or so.
I use my Better bottles for secondary fermentation and clearing. After that It can go to glass for aging if it needs it. Other than that I let things bottle age.
It's really a matter of personal preference.

How are the Better bottles easier to degass than the glass? I use BetterBottles and I'm always looking for ways to make degassing easier.