Plastic bottle for fermenting?

For my second fermentation, what do you think about those big 5 gallon clear plastic water bottles that are used in offices, you know the kind that sit upside down and you get water from them? I was thinkin about it since I dont have a glass carboy that I could just use that since we have some at work. At least I could see what was going on...

Searching is a great function available https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/5-gallon-culligan-bottles-27398/

It would have helped had I known what a "Culligan" bottle was...

While not great because they are thin and not well made, they will work IF the recycle number on the bottom is a 1 or 2. Some of the numbers are not rated for anything other than water and may leach chemicals into beer.

Still a five gallon bottle is really too small as a primary fermenter bottle. If you want to see what's happening and you want to avoid glass (very sound), there are plastic fermenter bottles available in six or six and a half gallon sizes for maybe $30.

SteveM said:

Still a five gallon bottle is really too small as a primary fermenter bottle. If you want to see what's happening and you want to avoid glass (very sound), there are plastic fermenter bottles available in six or six and a half gallon sizes for maybe $30.

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careful reading of the original post would have revealed that he was looking for a secondary fermentation vessel.

dantodd said:

careful reading of the original post would have revealed that he was looking for a secondary fermentation vessel.

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Thanks, I did mis-read it - I assumed that he meant his second batch, but your interpretation makes more sense.

Generally speaking, there isn't much to look at during the second stage.

SteveM said:

Thanks, I did mis-read it - I assumed that he meant his second batch, but your interpretation makes more sense.

Generally speaking, there isn't much to look at during the second stage.

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Now that I re-re-read it you could easily be right. I guess I jumped the gun on accusing you of jumping the gun... Sorry.

Cool. Yea, I meant secondary fermenter, sorry bout that. Meh, maybe Ill just stick to the big white ugly bucket I have... I need to see what the number is on them anyways. Thanks for the help.