irchowi

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Yeah I had originally planned on buying glass but wasn't expecting the huge price tag: almost $50 each. The clerk helping me recommended plastic ones, and actually I think the ones they have that I bought isn't better bottle branded, looks pretty generic. At first I was concerned with long term exposure to plastic, degradation over time, etc. but he convinced me otherwise.

One of the reasons I got it was because at $20, it's less than half the cost of a glass carboy, but I got home and still felt ripped off because I thought that this was almost exactly like a water cooler and I had no idea what the difference was. Turns out there is no difference

And about the handle in a water cooler, the one that I mentioned I saw at walmart did have a handle and I thought that it wouldn't be too good. I mean any kind of cleaning solution would be able to get in there but it wouldn't be possible to physically scrub the area, although I'm not sure if that's even needed. Plus #1 plastic is supposed to scratch easily so maybe it's better to just soak it in a solution and leave it alone.

landshark

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I have currently in use 2 water cooler bottles, a 3-gallon and a 5 gallon. No problems. I had 2 others, but laziness made them dirty and icky. For $1.97 at Hy-Vee I could care less and threw them away. Most people will say don't age in them, I don't even believe that. I've read most of the stuff over the problems of using type 1 and 2 vs type 7 and all the oxygen permeation. Most just seems "Hypothetical" nonsense.

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Jacob_Marley

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The manufacture process is different for Better Bottles.

Part of resistance to oxygen permeability is from the composition/material and part is from the material's structure as manufactured ... and part, significantly, from the closure. Better Bottle actually uses a specific high pressure blowing/molding process that was designed to maximize the carboys resistance to oxygen permeability better than that of other PETE carboys (the ones from Absopure for example).

Also, the closure from Better Bottle is significantly better than others.

Common silicone or PVC stoppers are really not suitable for long term storage and are notorious for allowing in oxygen long term. As well, any closure using liquid over the long haul will gradually leach oxygen thru the liquid in the airlock.

The best against oxygen infiltration are something like the closure products from Better Bottles. Other things that work well are natural rubber stoppers or carboy-caps ... although with natural rubber, very old ones will eventually dry out.
The old, stinky black or red neoprene stoppers are also decent against oxygen infiltration ... it just the odor potentially getting into your product that seems to be a downside.

The better bottle system is really the hot ticket for bulk, long-term storage in a plastic carboy.

Steve707

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If you are still unable to come to a decision on this, check out the better bottle web site

saramc

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I would hazard a guess that Better Bottle may make different "levels" of bottles---water bottle vs fermentation....when you visit their website they call them "Better Bottle fermentation carboys". I know many who use the standard water bottles for racking, but never for storage. I know many of the "water bottles" have a pebbled feel to their interior, which makes cleaning a PITA.
Good thread here: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/secondary-fermenting-water-jug-79067/

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WilliamSlayer

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Very informative. Thanks guys!

Honda88

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i like glass better, i think it does a better job at clearing wine then plastic does but thats just my belief and im not trying to prove it correct.

ejr

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im with honda i like glass,but also thats all i use, so i wouldnt know the difference without trying it would be almost like saying i like elderberry wine better than blackberry without trying blackberry like revvy said old minds are like a steel trap doesnt want change if it works stay with it, thats old school as most of us are

Apple_Jacker

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Wow, that is one long, run-on sentence! But yes, your point is taken