So, I bought an upright freezer on Craigslist for $100 and now have access to our chest freezer as my lager fermentation vessel. Yes, it’s lager brewing season as I can fit 4 carboys at once!
I have two lagers in there now in carboys, and want to make a third this weekend, but only have plastic buckets left for primary. I know plastic was previously frowned upon for lagers. But today, with pitching big starters and racking to keg for lagering after 3 weeks, do I really need to worry or should I just brew away and RDWHAHB?
Thanks all. RDWHAHB and the plastic primary it is for my Munich Helles this weekend.
I plan to buy another Better Bottle or two soon, but need to space out my equipment purchases since my wife was kind enough to let me add another appliance to our garage. I now have the chest freezer for my lager fermentation vessel, the upright freezer for storing food and an extra fridge where I store my lagers on the bottom and about 8# of leaf hops in the top freezer… ;D
Do Better Bottles let O2 in the way plastic buckets do? I know they say they don’t, but I’ve been hesitant to pull the trigger on getting one for a secondary because I’m not sure I buy into that. Anyone have any experience with long-term aging in a Better Bottle?
in general i think that the pet (better bottles) do not allow as much in as the hdpe (buckets) but the diffusion is also a function of thickness and in either case i don’t think it is as much a problem as people think. large headspace, knocking off the bung etc are probably bigger concerns than the diffusion. there are now kegs made out of hdpe and i believe that as long as the beer is consumed within several months there should be little problem
I’ve had very good success with mine. I’d buy another over glass. From their website:
Don’t think of BetterBottle carboys as plastic – think of them as better than glass, because they are made from a special, scientifically tested, polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET), which does not have the disadvantages of other plastics.
BetterBottle® fermentation carboys are: are: 1) Designed to be strong, scuff resistant, easy to handle, and essentially unbreakable, 2) Pure – Taste- and odor-free, BPA-free, DEHP-free, and plasticizer-free, 3) Virtually impermeable to oxygen, 4) Clear and colorless, 5) Incredibly light weight, and 6) Extraordinarily easy to wash and sanitize (no brushes necessary). BetterBottle carboys are not at all like other plastic carboys. The special PET, used to make BetterBottle carboys, is non-absorbing, non-porous, and non-wetting (hydrophobic), so it will not carry over flavors from one batch of wine or beer to the next and it is easier to clean and sanitize than glass or other plastics.
I had my old ale in them for two or three months prior to kegging with no issues (that I’m aware of).
If I was going to age long term in a carboy, though, I’d transfer to one of the too many 5 gallon glass ones I have. Both to free up a 6.5 gallon carboy and because I can and then I have no worries about oxygen permeability (although of course the transfer adds it’s own risk of oxygenation).
Not to be snarky, but since old ales are allowed to have oxidative notes (in both aroma and flavor), it doesn’t necessarily attest to the appropriateness of Better Bottles for extended aging.
True, true. They do have a lot of information however on their website with tech specs, chemical studies, etc… It’s worth a look as they are a lot easier to handle/clean than glass. No, I’m not a rep, just a home brewer who found a piece of equipment I like and recommend.
I think as long as you’re happy with the quality of your beer using a particular process, then you shouldn’t hesitate to continue using it. I’ve used glass and plastic without any noticeable difference in quality between them. Unless you are bulk aging for months or years, then plastic buckets or BB’s are just fine.
