Glass or Plastic ?

[Mtman]

I am new here so far I have done a six gallon batch of honey wine that is in the secondary and have a coffee wine in the primary that is almost ready to put in the secondary. I am planning on starting a batch of skeeter pee this week end.
My question is can I use the 5 gallon water bottles that they sell water in as a secondary. I will eventually have all glass carboys but at this time cash is a little short. I can get plastic for $11.00 or glass for $48.00.
Thank you all
Rick

 

[Julie]

Those bottles are designed for water not alcohol. I really don't think I would want to chance it. There is better bottles that are plastic and made for winemaking.

 

[Mtman]

Thank you Julie

 

[cpfan]

I have concerns with plastic holding strong flavours from some previous wines (eg coffee) and passing them to the next wine. Not sure if that applies to Better Bottles. Glass doesn't seem to hold those flavours.

Steve

 

[Mtman]

Decided to go with the glass no plastic here .

 

[Runningwolf]

God move Mtman. I fermented jalapeno wine in plastic once and it carried over into the next wine. The glass carboy did not. This is an extreme example but it shows how plastic carries flavor unlike glass.

 

[Wiz]

I use exclusively plastic as been reported over previous years. Here in Costa Rica I can not buy glass and extreme cost would prohibit shipping them here from the U.S. I have been using them for the past 6 years. Since I buy bottled water I am able to rotate the ones I have used to one that I have not. Never a problem.

 

[JohnT]

I agree with the above, you want to go with glass.

I I can get plastic for $11.00 or glass for $48.00.
Thank you all
Rick

Wow! $48.00 for a carboy?? Man, that is expensive.
You can do WAY better than that price... Here are a couple of links to look at...

http://labelpeelers.com/glass-carboy-5-gallon/?gclid=CPShzpy5zr0CFenm7AodF1QAjA


With amazon, you can get free shipping if you order enough.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L75H62/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20



This one looks interesting. A carboy for $16.36!!!
http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2012/06/5-gallon-glass-carboy-1636-save-50-with.html

 

[seth8530]

I use better bottles and I have not had issue with them. Then again, I have never fermented coffee of jalapenos in them either.

 

[Charlesthewino]

Aren't the primary buckets plastic? So what's the difference if the carboy is?


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[jojabri]

I'll admit, I use some water bottles. No issues with them at all for quick turners such as DB variants and frozen concentrate wines.

Any wines that need to sit in secondary for longer periods or ones with pungent ingredients such as my coffee wine go in glass.

Since I only work 2 nights per month, I had to do what I could to start. Slowly but surely I'm upgrading to better equipment.

And if you are trading your bottles in for new ones, should be no problems with having off smells or flavors from the previous contents.

In the long run tho, the cost of returning/replacing the water bottles will eventually be more than the cost of a glass carboy.

The debate of plastic vs. glass will always be a running debate. I suppose it's up to your choice.

 

[Ctmaro]

With wines like Skeeter Pee that aren't spending months in the carboy, I prefer to use plastic. Glass is great for longer aging

 

[Ctmaro]

I'll admit, I use some water bottles. No issues with them at all for quick turners such as DB variants and frozen concentrate wines.

Any wines that need to sit in secondary for longer periods or ones with pungent ingredients such as my coffee wine go in glass.

Since I only work 2 nights per month, I had to do what I could to start. Slowly but surely I'm upgrading to better equipment.

And if you are trading your bottles in for new ones, should be no problems with having off smells or flavors from the previous contents.

In the long run tho, the cost of returning/replacing the water bottles will eventually be more than the cost of a glass carboy.

The debate of plastic vs. glass will always be a running debate. I suppose it's up to your choice.

I totally agree!

 

[Charlesthewino]

I primarily make fruit wines and therefore have not had an issue with plastic carboys. I use a 3 gallon carboy which is thicker plastic than those 5 gallon water containers used by the water filtering companies. I can buy those containers at Walmart for $6. It's gonna take some pretty pungent wine to convince me to spend the extra money for glass. Especially when I have 12 plastic carboys currently fermenting in my basement. I have several wines I want to start and could easily see 30+ carboys in the near future. At this point, I just don't see the advantage. If the plastic is properly sanitized it should be ok.


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[Ctmaro]

Jack Keller says there is no scientific evidence that plastic is different from glass.


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[Runningwolf]

I primarily make fruit wines and therefore have not had an issue with plastic carboys. I use a 3 gallon carboy which is thicker plastic than those 5 gallon water containers used by the water filtering companies. I can buy those containers at Walmart for $6. It's gonna take some pretty pungent wine to convince me to spend the extra money for glass. Especially when I have 12 plastic carboys currently fermenting in my basement. I have several wines I want to start and could easily see 30+ carboys in the near future. At this point, I just don't see the advantage. If the plastic is properly sanitized it should be ok.


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I made a jalapeno wine in plastic and learned my lesson. I agree with you on fruit wines.

 

[Runningwolf]

Jack Keller says there is no scientific evidence that plastic is different from glass.


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Is Jack Keller a scientist? I agree with most of what is said above but I don't see what makes Jack Keller any more of an authority than any other member on this forum that has been making wine for a while.

 

[Mtman]

Score I just bought 14 - 5 gallon carboys with wood boxes for $7.00 each . From some one getting out of the hobby feeling Great