Tankard
Well-Known Member
Ever since I found those scratches on the bottom of my primary carboy (so much for "you can't scratch glass carboys", I've been considering the purchase of ported Better bottle carboys. I am also getting tired of lifting the full carboys and having to sanitize the autosiphon. I think the elimination of siphoning is a great idea. It also seems like a better bottle will protect against oxygen better than a glass carboy will, because taking off the rubber stopper to rack or to perform a hydrometer reading will introduce way more oxygen to the wort than the permeability of the better bottle will.
I have a few questions about the operation of the better bottles. I read on the BB website that you can do a no oxygen transfer from carboy to carboy, and it requires CO2 gas. So, basically, you attach a tube from the top of the primary (while it's fermenting) to the valve of the secondary, which sends CO2 from the primary to the secondary, which pushes all the oxygen out of the secondary and it escapes through the airlock. Then, when it comes time to rack, you close the valve of the secondary, attach the CO2 hose to the top of the secondary's airlock, and then begin the transfer of the wort from the primary to the secondary. Is this correct?
Also, considering the better bottles are 6 gallons instead of 6.5, is a blowoff tube absolutely essential or will a airlock still work? What is the hose barb fitting used for ?
Also, where's the cheapest place to buy the better bottle products? I'd be interested in buying all the stupid and expensive little adapters for the bottles, but my homebrew shop nearby only sells the bottles (for some reason) and the prices seem to vary depending on where you go online. thanks
I have a few questions about the operation of the better bottles. I read on the BB website that you can do a no oxygen transfer from carboy to carboy, and it requires CO2 gas. So, basically, you attach a tube from the top of the primary (while it's fermenting) to the valve of the secondary, which sends CO2 from the primary to the secondary, which pushes all the oxygen out of the secondary and it escapes through the airlock. Then, when it comes time to rack, you close the valve of the secondary, attach the CO2 hose to the top of the secondary's airlock, and then begin the transfer of the wort from the primary to the secondary. Is this correct?
Also, considering the better bottles are 6 gallons instead of 6.5, is a blowoff tube absolutely essential or will a airlock still work? What is the hose barb fitting used for ?
Also, where's the cheapest place to buy the better bottle products? I'd be interested in buying all the stupid and expensive little adapters for the bottles, but my homebrew shop nearby only sells the bottles (for some reason) and the prices seem to vary depending on where you go online. thanks