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InfernoBrews · 03-21-2009, 05:40 PM

Just thought be interesting to Hear What you Prefer to Use Glass Carboys or P.E.T. Carboys(Better Bottle)?

If you Have a Reason Why Post it!

I Use Glass!

**jay672** · 03-21-2009, 05:46 PM

I use both actually. I have mostly glass but they have gotten expenive. DOes anyone know which one lasts longer? Im sure with proper care we are talking years and years just curious.

Bigsnake · 03-21-2009, 05:54 PM

I started with glass and then got some Better Bottles. I have and use them both, but I really prefer the Better Bottles. They're just so much lighter to handle, especially when cleaning with wet hands. I don't have some fear that they're going to slip out of my hands and explode into glass shards.

TheTower · 03-21-2009, 05:59 PM

Well, my glass carboys were free, so not a whole lot of logical reasoning went into the decision

flylock_jac · 03-21-2009, 06:02 PM

P.E.T. doesn't shatter and cost less.

StoutFan · 03-21-2009, 06:03 PM

I have glass, and the next purchase will be more buckets, so I guess plastic it is. I still don't fully understand why you have to see inside your secondary, I don't get it.

Nugu · 03-21-2009, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay672

I use both actually. I have mostly glass but they have gotten expenive. DOes anyone know which one lasts longer? Im sure with proper care we are talking years and years just curious.

Glass will last almost indefinitely. Plastic will last until you get a stubborn infection. That's what I gather anyways.

Problem is it's a matter of time. If the carboy lasts > 2 Better Bottles (atm locally 50$ for a 6.5g glass, 28$ for a 6g BB) then the glass is a better deal. It comes down to your environment. (I sure as hell wouldn't brew off premises with a glass carboy, or where I'd have to go down steps)

Honestly I use glass carboys (only 2, I got in late so 50$ a pop

) just because it's neat. If I really wanted to brew more I'd use buckets (left out of poll?). It'd take over 3 bucket losses to = 1 carboy (more if you find cheapies)

dagamore · 03-21-2009, 07:27 PM

normal brewing BB wins, primary ferm (under 3 weeks) BB wins, long Ferms/ageing Glass wins. At lest for me.

SumnerH · 03-21-2009, 08:26 PM

PET is cheaper, lighter, less slippery when wet, and doesn't break.
Glass is more rigid and doesn't scratch.

The "more rigid" thing means that if you move it when full, a plastic carboy is more likely to compress and either spew beer out or suck back airlock fluid.

IMO the advantages of PET far outweight the drawbacks of glass.

Somewhat significantly, we get posts every week or so like this:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/another-vote-plastic-instead-glass-pics-109748/index2.html#post1210916

(The oxygen permeability difference between glass and PET is effectively zero given the other O2 sources in a typical home brewing setup, so it's not listed as a factor; doing so would be more misleading than anything else)

**TXCrash** · 03-22-2009, 07:20 AM

I like to live dangerously - so I voted glass ;-)

Actually - the main thing for me is the scratching issue. And the moving issue. Sure - one of these days I'll break a glass carboy - but that gives another reason to not get completely snockered before moving the full carboy to fermentation closet.

If I can source em legally and reasonably priced - I'll be moving over to pony kegs. Stainless and darn near bulletproof. As is, I plan on fermenting my next batch of afpelwein in a sankey. Just have to figure out some logistics... namely moving 15 gallons of liquid.