I hate my carboy!!

[newfiebrew]

Just bottled my first ever batch of beer (Edwort's bee cave pale ale) and found out what a pain trying to siphon,take samples and pull the airlock plug out are with it. The plastic bucket fermenter's must be much more user friendly(larger opening) and from now on that's what i'm using!! There's just no space to manouver with that small opening on top of the glass carboy.Guess it will make a good secondary but its a 6g so maybe its to big for that purpose??

Whats your preference glass or plastic bucket?

Jamie.

 

[nextgenxx]

SS Brew Bucket! Then Glass.


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[GotDrunkThenLost]

I've got both, I've used the bucket as primary and carboy as secondary (although next weekend I might try to fit 2 brews in and just use both with no secondary) and if anything I find the carboy a bit easier for getting samples out of for gravity readings.

The plastic bucket has a VERY well fitting lid and I find it a pain in the backside to get off. I've tended to use the racking cane to get beer out by sticking it through the airlock hole for gravity readings which isn't the easiest method. With the Carboy I can just quickly take out the bung, put the thief in, get my sample, put the bung back in. If I were to do that with the bucket I'd be ragging around the bucket trying to get the lid off.

 

[HBngNOK]

Use a bucket and don't look back.

 

[kh54s10]

I love my Better Bottles. I use buckets occasionally. But, I prefer the Better Bottles. Also, I will never own a glass carboy, they are just too dangerous to risk using.


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[kaconga]

I use everything but stainless. My first choice is always my better bottle. Then my glass carboy and as a last resort the bucket. I like to see the fermentation and I get a better seal with a bung over a lid.

 

[BWE]

I don't really care for the carboys myself, now that the bubbler is out. That thing is awesome. But I usually just use whatever is on hand. I've used glass and plastic for both Primary and Secondary Fermentation. Honestly I don't think it matters.

And as far as the bucket lid being difficult... get a bucket lid opener.

 

[thegreatmaibockaddict]

glass carboys only. I like to watch the fermentation, and have never had a problem with them at all. Plastic eventually gets scratches that hold baddies.

I do use a plastic bottling bucket though, but replace it every six months or so.

 

[buzzerj]

I make beer but don't drink beer so my real pleasure is watching the yeast action during primary fermentation. You can't appreciate that in a bucket. I routinely use a stopper with a blow off tube in case of overly vigorous fermentations. I use a beer thief to pull a sample and measure with my hydrometer right in the thief. I agree I usually only use a 5 gallon glass carboy as a secondary for my 5 gallon batches. I've used Better Bottles and I think they are great especially for a secondary fermenter. The trick with Better Bottles is to stopper them if you need to move them since the walls are flexible unlike glass and beer could otherwise splash through the airlock or draw water from the airlock inside. Likewise if you suddenly put a Better Bottle in the cold, the temperature can pull water from your airlock inside especially with the more flexible walls. But otherwise with a few precautions Better Bottles work great too. Yeah no bucket for me unless if I'm doing a bigger batch of wine with fruit in a bag inside. After the first week, it's in a carboy for me.

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

NO THANK YOU
Plastic please!!

P.s These images are ALL from this site.

 

[buzzerj]

Johnny seriously give up brewing. And don't try to dynamite any tree stumps out of your yard please!

 

[kaconga]

There is an inherent danger to most things in life. I have seen some horrible car crashes but still get in my car every day for work or errands. If you are careful with what you are doing then 99% of the time you will be safe. If you don't want to use glass then there are very good alternatives but I don't think everyone who uses glass is going to get cut to ribbons.

 

[CUrchin]

Buckets rule!


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[Dopeybrew]

Glass bigmouth bubblers.

 

[Hello]

Plastic big mouth bubbler. I love mine more than I thought I would.

 

[countrybrewing]

I'll be going to plastic. This morning I was cleaning my glass carboy after it's first use and a chunk fell of the side wall. I was using a plastic bottle brush and hadn't even got to the side that broke. It must have been a structural weakness and I'm glad it broke when it did and not when I was carrying it (or worse, into the beer).

 

[Chant124]

I use Spiedel fermenters....very well made with large opening. I use the 7.3 gallon for primary and 5.3 gallon for the secondary. I just got a SS brew bucket that I'm using tomorrow.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I like to primary in a bucket & secondary in 6gallon glass carbouys. I bought my 1st plastic carbouy yesterday, we'll see how well I like it when I rack my black berry/blue berry wine into it tomorrow.
Regards, GF.

 

[Herb3]

I added spigots to the buckets that I use to ferment in. It makes taking samples and racking a lot easier.

 

[Conan]

I started with glass carboys and moved to buckets as soon as I discovered the PITA of cleaning a carboy. For me, buckets are easier to fill, easier to clean, easier to store since they nest and easier to move around. Watching fermentation is not important to me, but I admit I would watch it if I used a clear fermenter. I will say that siphoning with an autosiphon is easier with a carboy. The neck makes a better anchor than a bucket rim/ handle. We use a Better Bottle for wine secondary but there's no krausen to clean, which was always my carboy complaint. Kyle

 

[Takuie]

After I was forced one time to use my bottling bucket as a primary, I added spigots to all my buckets and haven't looked back. I use glass as secondary but manly for wine as I rarely need to rack a beer into a secondary. Cleaning them is a snap and I use the same trick that I use on my sanke kegs. Little bit of water, couple of drops of soap and a handful or two of ice. Swish, shake or whatever motion you can do without causing bodily harm. The ice will scrub anything out of there and will not scratch glass.

 

[wormraper]

glass carboys only. I like to watch the fermentation, and have never had a problem with them at all. Plastic eventually gets scratches that hold baddies.

I do use a plastic bottling bucket though, but replace it every six months or so.

every six months 0.0 ... I've used my bottling and brewing buckets for almost 3 years straight and haven't scratched my plastic at all on the inside or ever had an infection...

 

[ShineOn]

I brew in 3.5 gal batches and use a plastic water bottle. We have one of those water dispensers in our house and I use the bottles we get the water in. Best part is I never have to clean my primary We use 2 - 3 4 gal bottles a week. All I do is starsan them before I use them. Never had a problem

 

[kaconga]

I brew in 3.5 gal batches and use a plastic water bottle. We have one of those water dispensers in our house and I use the bottles we get the water in. Best part is I never have to clean my primary We use 2 - 3 4 gal bottles a week. All I do is starsan them before I use them. Never had a problem

You just send them back dirty?

 

[redshift76]

every six months 0.0 ... I've used my bottling and brewing buckets for almost 3 years straight and haven't scratched my plastic at all on the inside or ever had an infection...

Same here. Replacing them every 6 months seems a little OCD... 30 sec Star-San rinse is enough for me.

 

[dobe12]

Is this really another glass vs plastic thread?

 

[November]

Half barrel sanke Kegs. Once you get used to it they aren't that bad to clean.

 

[Thedutchtouch]

Glass breaks. Plastic scratches. Stainless is expensive. They all can make great beer. /thread.

 

[ShineOn]

You just send them back dirty?

Nope, just toss them in the recycling bin and away they go on friday . They're no deposit no return bottles
At $5.00 for 4 gals of water and throw away bottles how can I go wrong

 

[kaconga]

Nope, just toss them in the recycling bin and away they go on friday . They're no deposit no return bottles
At $5.00 for 4 gals of water and throw away bottles how can I go wrong

So jealous right now. That is brilliant! What water company do you use?

 

[ShineOn]

So jealous right now. That is brilliant! What water company do you use?

I get them at Sam's Club http://www.samsclub.com/sams/member-s-mark-purified-drinking-water-4gal/200757.ip?navAction=

Have used the ones from Menards as well....but prefer the Sam's Club ones

remember these are only 4 gallon!

 

[kcmobrewer]

Problem solved

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/Glass-Big-Mouth-Bubbler-a-no-nonsense-review.html

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/its-fi...bubbler-diy-homebrew-tech-home-brew-talk.html

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/Glass-or-Plastic-Which-Big-Mouth-Bubbler-is-for-you.html

 

[Homercidal]

Am looking forward to a plastic big mouth bubbler. I hope I get one tomorrow for my birthday (It was the ONLY thing I mentioned this year, so supposedly the chances are good that I get one...)

Plastic is not susceptible to scratching if you are somewhat intelligent and don't use anything that can scratch it to clean it with. Stainless is great, but expensive and you can't see inside (if that matters). Glass is not terribly expensive, and it's transparent, but it's also more prone to suddenly breaking, sometimes without a known cause or rough handling.