Im switching to better bottles !!

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Vels

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This weekend i had to keg/bottle 3 brews. So on Wednesday i hauled 3 carboys out on the deck to cool crash, and Sunday back to the kitchen. These thins weigh 10 pounds empty each, and held just above 6 usgal each. It was killing my back.
After talking to the treasurer about the hazard of glass carbuys, and the weight issue too, i got the go ahead to replace my glass.
Also the fact that my carbuys are the 70's wine baloon style, made me quite nervous after reading the stories about loosing hands and feet.

Today i use a bucket for primary and glass for secondary. I cannot really decide wether to use the BBs primary too as that will cut down my batch size a lot i think.
Today i do 6gal batches in 8gal primary bucket and 6,5gal glass secondary.

Do you guys use your BB's for primary, and is so what is your batch size ?
Also what size blowoff hose will fit in a BB if to be used as primary ?
And do you use a brush the get the krausen ring out, or just chemestry ?

Cheers
Jakob
 
I haven't heard stories about people losing hands and feet. Please, do tell [*gathers 'round the campfire*]

I have all glass, mainly because they were all given or loaned to me. If I need to purchase more at any point, I'll probably go better bottle, but in the meantime, I just keep all my carboys in plastic milk crates.
 
Evan! said:
I haven't heard stories about people losing hands and feet. Please, do tell [*gathers 'round the campfire*]

I have all glass, mainly because they were all given or loaned to me. If I need to purchase more at any point, I'll probably go better bottle, but in the meantime, I just keep all my carboys in plastic milk crates.

This link was floating around here a way's back. http://brewing.lustreking.com/articles/brokencarboys.html

Our own brewpastor makes an appearance in it...

*shivers* Reading only the first couple was enough to make me shift to buying BB's whenever I need a new one.
 
I am switching gradually to most BBs. I will keep the big glass ones for my wines, because they stay in there so long, I'm rarely hauling them around. Still, I have a 6 gallon carboy here next to me, filled with 6 gallons of wine. I'm NOT looking forward to moving it to crash cool it, or to rack it.

Because BBs only come in sizes up to 6 gallons, I still primary in ale pale buckets, usually.
 
I'm planning on getting rid of my glass, too, and using 8 gallon buckets for primaries and 6 gallon BBs for secondaries (5.5 gallon batches).
 
YooperBrew said:
Because BBs only come in sizes up to 6 gallons, I still primary in ale pale buckets, usually.
I need to consider this! I use 6 1/2 gallon glass for my primaries. I haven't used an ale pale in over 10 years but the thought is suddenly appealing.

:off: Sorry.

I don't blame you for wanting the better bottles. Every time I haul a full carboy I'm holding my breath!
 
If you use glass carboys be sure to have something like a crate as Evan! mentions. It isn't worth the risk. Some of the newer carboys are really cheap glass. If you are starting out I'd recommend 100% without reservations the Better Bottle.
 
The link to my carboy breakage horror stories has already been posted (thanks Revvy!), here are my full thoughts on the glass/plastic debate:
http://brewing.lustreking.com/articles/nomoreglass.html

I have never had to scrub the inside of a better bottle. The krausen and gunk just doesn't seem to stick to the BB as well as to glass. I just soak it in pbw or just oxyclean, and the always come out clean.

I usually do 5.5 gallon batches in a 6 gallon carboy, and sometimes use foam control. If I'm expecting big krausen, I'll use a bucket for primary.
 
lustreking said:
The link to my carboy breakage horror stories has already been posted (thanks Revvy!), here are my full thoughts on the glass/plastic debate:
http://brewing.lustreking.com/articles/nomoreglass.html

I have never had to scrub the inside of a better bottle. The krausen and gunk just doesn't seem to stick to the BB as well as to glass. I just soak it in pbw or just oxyclean, and the always come out clean.

I usually do 5.5 gallon batches in a 6 gallon carboy, and sometimes use foam control. If I'm expecting big krausen, I'll use a bucket for primary.

Wow! What a great article.
 
I just switched to Better Bottle for primary, from an Ale Pail. I needed to use a blowoff for the first time. Good thing I caught it before it blasted all over the ceiling.
 
Wow, thanks all for your quick answers.

I think i will order to replace my glass, and then keep my buckets as primarys. That way i only have to go down ½ gallon in batch size.

I will part with the glass. Strange enough there are still takers for those 70's style balloons.
I once had 2 very old east german mouth blown balloons. I parted with number 2 after number 1 cracked on me. Luckily i was just putting it down on the floor empty when it cracked all way around.

Soon one less thing to worry about.

Cheers :mug:
Jakob
 
Evan! said:
I haven't heard stories about people losing hands and feet. Please, do tell [*gathers 'round the campfire*]

I have all glass, mainly because they were all given or loaned to me. If I need to purchase more at any point, I'll probably go better bottle, but in the meantime, I just keep all my carboys in plastic milk crates.
I think it starts out ......... Three guys walk into a bar. The first one orders a beer......
 
I have a single glass carboy because that is what was given to me. It was my first secondary stage vessel, and it's not done me wrong.

That said, every brewer expands and as I expanded I never bought more glass. Better Bottles are lighter and (in my case) a buck cheaper so I saw zero cons for Better Bottles. The ideas of thermal shock alone make me feel my money is better spend in BB's.

In general, I like my Better Bottle but glass works and can be decently safe. Don't toss money down the drain replacing glass unless you don't feel comportable working with the glass anymore, but I recommend to anyone expanding, buy BB's.
 
Kevin Dean said:
I have a single glass carboy because that is what was given to me. It was my first secondary stage vessel, and it's not done me wrong.

That said, every brewer expands and as I expanded I never bought more glass. Better Bottles are lighter and (in my case) a buck cheaper so I saw zero cons for Better Bottles. The ideas of thermal shock alone make me feel my money is better spend in BB's.

In general, I like my Better Bottle but glass works and can be decently safe. Don't toss money down the drain replacing glass unless you don't feel comportable working with the glass anymore, but I recommend to anyone expanding, buy BB's.

I agree with you...I have my glass carboy that came with my kit...but as I needed more, I went for better bottles. I'll probably start using the glass one for longer term aging, because I will be moving it around a lot less...
 
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