Scratched Better Bottle: end of life?

[lilvixen]

In my growing frustration with degassing, I decided to try using the spoon to degas instead of the J-hook wine whip that I have, just to see if it did any better. I apparently wasn't as careful as I thought I was being, because after racking recently, I noticed the Better Bottle carboy has scratches where the spoon end nicked it during my frustrated degassing.

Did I completely ruin the BB? Do I need to replace it immediately or can I use it once or twice more after heavily sanitizing it with StarSan and/or kmeta solution and then replace it?

I feel like this is one of those "if you have to ask, you already know the answer" things, but I'm asking anyway just in case I'm wrong, which has been known to happen.

I ordered this degassing wand the other day after reading that the J-hook is the worst degassing wand. I'll give it a go this weekend and see if I have any better luck. At least with the wands, I don't have to worry about scratching the BB...

 

[kevinlfifer]

I don't think so. When you sanitize with K-Meta. cap it to trap the gas and let it set a while to insure you kill as many critters as possible.

 

[bkisel]

A good cleaning and sanitizing and no notice of black stuff in the scratches and I'd have no qualms about using any of my BB or Bubbler plastic carboys. My primary buckets have many scratches and have not, so far, been a problem. That said, if you're at all uncomfortable about using your scratched BB re-purpose it for something other than brewing.

 

[Ajmassa]

You are talking about small little lines from a plastic spoon from whipping up the wine? I can't imagine any significant gouges from a plastic spoon.
If it were me I would not waste any time stressing about it at all. Especially If you are good about keeping your wine sulphited, which it seems like just about everyone here is. I know a lot of people in this hobby can be very very anal about things like this. And not without a good reason. But surface scratches? Just wear and tear from hard work I say. Your BB just has more character now.

 

[lilvixen]

Thanks, guys. I'll throw in some kmeta solution tonight and cap it with a bung.