Plastic Carboy

I have a chance to pick up a plastic 5 gal carboy for free. I thought I could use it as a secondary. I know I should use glass, but I was wondering if plastic was really that bad. Would it leave any taste?

IS it a Better bottle

I've been told by my LHBS guy to only use glass, and by reading here the general consensus is that glass is best. I have a glass carboy as my primary, and was thinking of buying a second one when this opportunity came up. I was just worried about a plastic after taste. I have seen several of the larger brewers selling beer in 16 oz plastic bottles (ie Miller Park @ Brewers games) so it must not be too bad???

First, it all depends on what type of plastic it is made out of. Some plastics leach oxygen making bad beer. The plastic that fermenting buckets are made of food grade HDPE IIRC and leaches oxygen but very slowly which is ok for a week but not ok for long conditioning or lagering.

Second, Better Bottles uses a special PET in their carboys that they leaches no oxygen and resists adsorption. They say it is taste and odor free. I have not seen anyone report of any plastic taste or problems with these carboys.

Third, beer is sold in plastic primarily so people can take beer where glass is not allowed, I think this plastic is food grade HDPE as well. Could you imagine rowdy fans and glass bottles? Bad news.

Carboys that are made out of PET (the oxygen impermeable plastic) are identified with a 1 in the little recycling triangle on the bottom of the bottle.