What is the general consensus on plastic fermenters (for primary) in terms of the risk of infecting a batch? I have used plastic better bottle and big mouth bubbler, and the last couple of batches produced an off-flavor that a beer judge identified as a contaminant due to fermenting in plastic. I purchased a glass 6.5 gal fermenter and fermented an IPA that tasted great. The extra weight of the glass added a whole dimension of complexity the the brew day. Should I pitch the PET? Thanks.
Alex
I’ve used nothing but plastic. As buckets go, I really like Cambro polycarbonate. But for quite a while ive been using Speidel 30L fermenters. I have 6 of them. 4 for wild beers, 2 for standard. They are excellent. I use Oxyclean and a soft micro towel to clean.
I’m glad you asked. I’m curious about the same thing. I use glass fermenters and besides the weight, I’ve heard some horror stories about them breaking and resulting in stitches.
I use better bottles exclusively. Two of my 6 gallon bottles are nearly 5 years old. I would email the judge and let him/her know that he/she is full of it.
Plastic poses no infection risk above and beyond fermenting in glass or stainless. There is some concern that scratches in the surface may provide a “hiding place” for contaminating microorganisms. The reality is that any organic residue that remains after fermentation must be removed by a thorough cleaning, or else you cannot sanitize the fermenter properly. Plastic may provide a better foothold for crud, but a soak in warm PBW solution is generally more than enough to remove all of this. As long as your cleaning and sanitizing practices are up to snuff, then there is no cause for concern with fermenting in plastic.
I also have been using plastic for quite a while. There are no off flavors from fermenting in food grade plastic.
I think there is another source for your off flavor.
I’ve never used glass for beer. The risk of a nasty accident can be completely eliminated by using plastic. I don’t know what kind of plastic my fermenters are made from but they’re designed for brewing and don’t cause off flavours. They do absorb some flavour from the beer.
I prefer buckets to carboys - easier to clean and stack. If you’re worried about oxidation, use carboys instead.
I use only plastic. I’ve not dealt with infection from the fermenter. In addition, I’d rather have an infected beer than a sliced wrist from a broken glass carboy.
I ferment only in plastic and have decades old buckets. They have never been washed with anything more abrasive than Terry cloth.
I use carboys for ageing mead.
I only use plastic, mostly for the lighter weight.
I now use my glass carboys to store water to use in an emergency: the big PNW earthquake that is due “any” day now.
I switched from glass to plastic buckets maybe 12 years and several hundred batches ago. I would never go back.
How did that person reach the conclusion that it was infected due to fermenting in plastic?
Yep. I switched about 10 yrs ago myself. The concerns on plastic put out there in books and magazines in the day were just overblown. I’m making better beer now than ever in plastic buckets.
Edit - I did upgrade to the 8 gallon wine fermenter buckets which I like a lot. Love the headspace.
+1 for the plastic bucket brigade. I’ve made plenty of beers with off flavours, but those have all been down to bad technique.
Mostly plastic here. The only glass I have are 4l wine jugs. No flavor faults from plastic and I have beer that’s been in a plastic better bottle for about 5.5 years. If beer would develop flavors from plastic it would taste like plastic soup. It doesn’t.
Yeah that diagnosis seems suspect. If the comments were misinterpreted I could see how a suggestion (i.e. “check plastic vessels for scratches”) could be taken as a prescription. Were these judges comments on a competition scoresheet, or just a judge tasting your beer and offering an opinion?
I am not aware of any specific contaminants that are more likely to exist in plastic vessels. The comments about scratches being potential hiding places are certainly valid, but as plenty of accomplished brewers have stated here, they can and do regularly make great clean beer with plastic.
The most common off flavors I can think of that are associated with the word plastic (but not with fermenting in plastic) are:
Chlorophenols - often described as tasting like plastic or medicinal flavors; common causes are related to chloramine or chlorine (usually from water or incomplete rinsing of chlorine-based sanitizers)
Actual plastic taste from hot liquid in vinyl tubing
Of course there are contaminants like wild yeast that can have a plastic tasting off flavor as well.
Before changing up a bunch of equipment, I recommend investing a little more effort into running down what the initial off flavor was and any process differences that could account for its absence in your newer beer.
I’ll join the chorus in defending plastic. Occasionally I’ll use a glass carboy for a secondary, and it’s work out just fine–but the extra care and extra weight makes the work far less enjoyable than plastic.
I have only used glass carboys since I started brewing in 1990. I think the only potential problem with plastics is if you are overly aggressive in cleaning and make major “gouges” in the plastic. Those scratches or “gouges” can leave hiding places for microbes, regardless of the sanitizing regiment. I plan on moving to the safer, lighter plastic carboys once I get permission to replace my glass babies…
If this comment was on a blind competition scoresheet, then that Beer Judge is a lot more suspect than your plastic.
I’ve been using big mouth bubblers without any problems. I just use a soft rag and PBW to clean before sanitizing. I’ve been brewing for about 3 years and have never had a single infected bottle.