6 gallon better bottles

Hello I just graduated from 2.75 gallon batches to 5.5 gallon batches. I filled my better bottles with 5.5 gallons of water so I could mark a fill line and noticed that 5.5 gallons is pretty darn close to the top of the fermentor. Is it ok to ferment 5.5 gallons in the 6 gallon bottle. Should I use a blow off, or do I just need bigger bottles all together? thanks for any info.

Use a blowoff tube and pick up some FermcapS, the stuff does a great job at lessening the foam in fermentation and keeping boil-overs at bay. If you still get blowoff then consider a 6.5-7 gallon fermenter.

If you wanna stick with Better Bottles, you've already got the biggest one - if you haven't already seen that.

I'm regretting that I recently purchased my 6.5 gal glass carboy after seriously reconsidering Better Bottles. I think I'm going to pick up another 6 gallon BB and possibly 2 ported 5 gallons. The horror stories re: glass carboys breaking made me queasy. I don't want severed tendons.

Burgs said:

If you wanna stick with Better Bottles, you've already got the biggest one - if you haven't already seen that.

I'm regretting that I recently purchased my 6.5 gal glass carboy after seriously reconsidering Better Bottles. I think I'm going to pick up another 6 gallon BB and possibly 2 ported 5 gallons. The horror stories re: glass carboys breaking made me queasy. I don't want severed tendons.

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I own 1 glass carboy, and it never leaves the safety of the milk crate it's currently in.

I'm thinking about getting a better bottle for my primary..... Just 'cause I'd like to see WTF is going on inside during the fermation....

well my dad dropped his glass carboy...30 stitches later he decided it wasn't a good idea to have one of those around anymore

I love the 7gal plastic buckets for primary, and only use betterbottle or carboys for wine/meade and secondary.

I liked using my 6 gallon better bottles so I could see what was going on also... After losing almost .5-.75 gallons of beer to blowoff on a couple of batches, the novelty wore off! now I primary only in my 7 gallon buckets. I have not touched my better bottles for 3 brews now. Except the 5 gallon for Apfelwein.
If I really need to, I will use them, but don't like losing beer to blowoff!

Just go down to 5 gallons and then when you prime your batch, use 1 gallon of sugar/water mixture. I'm doing this for my batch in a 5 gallon carboy. 4 gallons fermented perfectly, nothing even went up past the neck.
It may take a little longer to ferment with a higher OG but what the heck, who cares. It stays in there long enough to ferment 3 times over anyways

I use my 6.5gal BB as a secondary only when I want a little extra clarity and it is easier to clean out. So far, I haven't noticed any off flavors or any bad side effects. Also, it is good if you decide to make a fruit beer. It should leave enough space for you to add a few pounds of something and not lose any beer due to space constraints.

IceFisherChris said:

Just go down to 5 gallons and then when you prime your batch, use 1 gallon of sugar/water mixture. I'm doing this for my batch in a 5 gallon carboy. 4 gallons fermented perfectly, nothing even went up past the neck.
It may take a little longer to ferment with a higher OG but what the heck, who cares. It stays in there long enough to ferment 3 times over anyways

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Diluting out your beer 20% with sugar water? YUCK! Diluting beer after fermenting and aging isn't the same as fermenting the right amount the first time.

I've fermented 5.25 gal in my better bottle with a blow off and it's been fine.

I use the 6G better bottles for most of my 'regular' brews. Some need a blow-off tube, some don't. For the higher OG beers I'll use a 8 gallon bucket.

I try to target 5.25-5.5 gallons into my better bottles, even with a blowoff I usually end with 5 gallons into my kegs. I rarely worry about loosing a bit to a blowoff, I can always make more!!

I broke a 5 gallon glass carboy this past weekend while cleaning it, only got a small cut but it made me think about a better bottle. But I am sticking to the glass for now. I'm not really sold on the whole plastic bottle thing. PET or polycarbonate.

After breaking a glass carboy, and hearing horror stories from my LHBS(who only uses BB), I've switched. So much easier to move around.

JBrady said:

Is it ok to ferment 5.5 gallons in the 6 gallon bottle.

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It's close. I've had one mess with a 5.25 gal batch in a 6 gal BB fermentor so far.

I like the BB, but there are a few drawbacks I see:

1) Harder to clean. I know, Oxyclean is supposed to clean everything, but it doesn't get all the crap off the very top. I often end up resorting to brushes and being very careful.

2) More flexible. When you pick it up the bottom flexes and you suck some air back in through the airlock (and water depending on fill level.)

viking73 said:

After breaking a glass carboy, and hearing horror stories from my LHBS(who only uses BB), I've switched. So much easier to move around.

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SOOOOOO much easier to move.