I have a few extra bucks laying around and am thinking about purchasing the Big Mouth Bubbler, but after reading some of the reviews I am not sure if I should go with another Better Bottle or try this design. Does anyone use a BMB? Thoughts? Pros, Cons?
Big Mouth Bubbler?!
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So I got mine yesterday and am brewing as we speak to fill it. So far, I'm never using anything else. I'm planning on writing a review both for on here and NB's website. How did these not exist before?!
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cluckk
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I've seen them and considered them. I like the cleaning ease. I like the larger opening for adding fruit, etc. to the fermenter. However, I switched to Better Bottle and really have no interest in going back to glass. If they make a BB version of this then I'll jump at it.
...Indeed i do! But rearding the fermenter:
Regarding the Big Mouth, I noticed that if a guy (or gal) wanted to use an auto-siphon you are outa luck with the big mouth. The advertisement, well, catalog description notes the Big Mouth Bubbler was "created by homebrewers for homebrewers", or something close to that, but the noted homebrewers apparently do not use auto-siphons as they will not fit in the smaller sized stopper hole.
As a side note, although related, why is it that every fermenter has some sort of G-D'd proprietary (or otherwise) short coming? The Speidel's spigot will leak, at least mine did (I rigged a fix for it) as it did for a number of others per the reviews at MoreBeer. The big mouth as a stupidly smaller stopper hole/stopper arrangement, no doubt to sell a few extra flipp'n stoppers. Plastic scratches. Glass carboys cannot be easily cleaned. SS is expensive and I'd bet a dollar there are some issues with one aspect or another on the Brew Bucket... The Big Mouth was a great idea cut to 'just another idea' due to the lid, IMHO.
Regarding the Big Mouth, I noticed that if a guy (or gal) wanted to use an auto-siphon you are outa luck with the big mouth. The advertisement, well, catalog description notes the Big Mouth Bubbler was "created by homebrewers for homebrewers", or something close to that, but the noted homebrewers apparently do not use auto-siphons as they will not fit in the smaller sized stopper hole.
As a side note, although related, why is it that every fermenter has some sort of G-D'd proprietary (or otherwise) short coming? The Speidel's spigot will leak, at least mine did (I rigged a fix for it) as it did for a number of others per the reviews at MoreBeer. The big mouth as a stupidly smaller stopper hole/stopper arrangement, no doubt to sell a few extra flipp'n stoppers. Plastic scratches. Glass carboys cannot be easily cleaned. SS is expensive and I'd bet a dollar there are some issues with one aspect or another on the Brew Bucket... The Big Mouth was a great idea cut to 'just another idea' due to the lid, IMHO.
I like good ol' fashioned glass carboys. They've never done me wrong, and they're really not that hard to clean if you take care of them.
Glass carboys aren't dangerous. People are dangerous.
Glass carboys aren't dangerous. People are dangerous.
You will break it. It will eventually break. The glass is incredibly thin and many, many peeps both noobs and not so nooby have broken them. I just did. I shoulda taken a pic of the incredibly thin, OMG thin, glass!!! It was resting on it's side on the side of the plastic utility tub as I poured out two gallons of Star San solution and crack-crash-spill-cut-splinter-mess...
I put a corresponding review for the item at Northern Brewer, it's being moderated which tells me it may never see light of day.
Glass Big Mouth: One star.
I put a corresponding review for the item at Northern Brewer, it's being moderated which tells me it may never see light of day.
Glass Big Mouth: One star.
I have one of each and I will be getting another big mouth before another better bottle. It is so easy to clean. I still use the better bottle and glass carboy for secondary so I can transfer with co2 to my kegs.
Get a bmb you won't regret it.
I currently have 4 of them...had 5 but like stated above, they're made out of really thin glass, and do break easily. Other then that, they are the cats meow, easy to clean, easy do steal small samples with a pipette for tasting/refract testing.
And you dont need to use an airlock/stopper or whatever Tutsbrew mentioned up there, they come with a plactic semi-see thru gizmo that you just snap/screw onto the opening and add sanitized water to the lid. that's your airlock. It doesn't get much simpler then that.
And you dont need to use an airlock/stopper or whatever Tutsbrew mentioned up there, they come with a plactic semi-see thru gizmo that you just snap/screw onto the opening and add sanitized water to the lid. that's your airlock. It doesn't get much simpler then that.
There *is* a plastic version (similar to a Better Bottle) of the BMB, which doesn't have the problem of the thin glass. OTOH, apparently there's no way to seal it well.
kcmobrewer
Well-Known Member
I have owned and used both. The glass ones were not designed for homebrewing. I can't remember what exactly they are for, but they're sold at some ethnic markets for a totally different purpose. They have just been repurposed for homebrewing.
The glass IS super thin. Dangerously thin. There is another thread here of someone breaking the glass with the harness that was designed to hold it.
If I were to use glass I would just use a regular carboy. I had no issues with them. Easily cleaned, just can't get your hands in there. If something is stubborn, just soak it in oxi clean over night. It'll rinse right off. Always has for me, including using peanut butter in a stout.
The plastic BMBs I like. I can't speak to their efficacy vs a better bottle as I have not owned one. However, the plastic bmb is awesome. All thats needed to clean it is the soft side of a kitchen sponge. Very easy and quick since you can get your arm down in there. Super light since it's plastic, and the harness works great with it.
The dual port lid is awesome. I just keep a solid stopper in one port and the airlock in the other. When I want a sample, remove the solid stopper and take a sample through there and replace it. No fussing with the airlock. The only thing that I don't like is the way it seals. You really have to crank the blue ring down. I have found though, if you get it really tight it will not work itself loose like most have problems with.
To each their own, I think the best option is a conical, ss rules. However I have and use these plastic bmb's and they're great as well. No issues.
The glass IS super thin. Dangerously thin. There is another thread here of someone breaking the glass with the harness that was designed to hold it.
If I were to use glass I would just use a regular carboy. I had no issues with them. Easily cleaned, just can't get your hands in there. If something is stubborn, just soak it in oxi clean over night. It'll rinse right off. Always has for me, including using peanut butter in a stout.
The plastic BMBs I like. I can't speak to their efficacy vs a better bottle as I have not owned one. However, the plastic bmb is awesome. All thats needed to clean it is the soft side of a kitchen sponge. Very easy and quick since you can get your arm down in there. Super light since it's plastic, and the harness works great with it.
The dual port lid is awesome. I just keep a solid stopper in one port and the airlock in the other. When I want a sample, remove the solid stopper and take a sample through there and replace it. No fussing with the airlock. The only thing that I don't like is the way it seals. You really have to crank the blue ring down. I have found though, if you get it really tight it will not work itself loose like most have problems with.
To each their own, I think the best option is a conical, ss rules. However I have and use these plastic bmb's and they're great as well. No issues.
kcmobrewer
Well-Known Member
Here you go. This is the thread I was referring to:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/big-mouth-bubblers-dangerously-thin-486222/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/big-mouth-bubblers-dangerously-thin-486222/
dmcman73
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I have the glass Big Mouth bubbler and I've used it three times with no issues. Instead of the harness, I went and purchased a half sized milk crate for $10 (http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10000531&N=&Ntt=crate) and it fits perfectly in it and I use that to move it around, even when it's empty. This way, if it does break the milk crate will contain the large shards that can slice your leg open (it has happened to other home brewers using standard glass carboys) and I feel the milk crate is a lot tougher.
With that said: Racking from it is no big deal, unscrew the large top and insert the siphon and clip it to the side of the Big Mouth, my auto siphon has a clip on it. It's actually easier with the siphon in a big mouth because since you are so close to the side of it, you can see how far down to go before it hits the trub where as with a glass carboy, the siphon is in the center and you have to do a lot of guessing. I usually put a wedge under one side of it to allow all the beer to go towards the siphon.
The Big Mouth bubbler glass is not thin all around, there are defects in the glass (possibly from air pockets) that cause certain parts of the bubbler to be thinner than the rest, the QA on these things are non existing. I have also gotten some standard Glass carboys with the same issue, these aren't made like they used to be made years ago since plastic has been taking over.
I've since moved onto a Stainless Steel conical from SS Brewtech. The fear of dropping one of those glass carboys as I was moving them, even just cleaning them, gave me nightmares after reading so many posts of people being rushed to an ER to get their legs stapled/stiched closed. I remember one member stating that they were simply moving a standard glass carboy that was full and it just broke from the pressure of liquid being in it and they were rushed to the ER. I figured that since I'm in this hobby for the long haul, saving up $350 for a stainless steel conical that will probably outlast me plus give me the comfort that it won't shatter and risk my limbs was a much better choice for me. I didn't want to switch to plastic for a number of reasons that I won't go into here since there are so many threads that go into the pro's and Con's of better bottles.
The Big mouth bubbler is a great fermenter but could be improved on such as getting better QA on it. Also, the cap that screws on is pretty flimsy, very cheap feeling, seems brittle. Other than that, it works well if you take caution with it as you should with any glass carboy.
I would highly suggest you ditch the straps and use that half milk crate I linked too. The straps are OK but they do put pressure on areas of the glass that normally would never have pressure on it. The bottom and the tops of these things are seriously thick, the walls of them for some reason is where the thin areas are. Using the crate keeps pressure evenly distributed to the bottom and also will protect you from large flying shards of glass if it does break.
With that said: Racking from it is no big deal, unscrew the large top and insert the siphon and clip it to the side of the Big Mouth, my auto siphon has a clip on it. It's actually easier with the siphon in a big mouth because since you are so close to the side of it, you can see how far down to go before it hits the trub where as with a glass carboy, the siphon is in the center and you have to do a lot of guessing. I usually put a wedge under one side of it to allow all the beer to go towards the siphon.
The Big Mouth bubbler glass is not thin all around, there are defects in the glass (possibly from air pockets) that cause certain parts of the bubbler to be thinner than the rest, the QA on these things are non existing. I have also gotten some standard Glass carboys with the same issue, these aren't made like they used to be made years ago since plastic has been taking over.
I've since moved onto a Stainless Steel conical from SS Brewtech. The fear of dropping one of those glass carboys as I was moving them, even just cleaning them, gave me nightmares after reading so many posts of people being rushed to an ER to get their legs stapled/stiched closed. I remember one member stating that they were simply moving a standard glass carboy that was full and it just broke from the pressure of liquid being in it and they were rushed to the ER. I figured that since I'm in this hobby for the long haul, saving up $350 for a stainless steel conical that will probably outlast me plus give me the comfort that it won't shatter and risk my limbs was a much better choice for me. I didn't want to switch to plastic for a number of reasons that I won't go into here since there are so many threads that go into the pro's and Con's of better bottles.
The Big mouth bubbler is a great fermenter but could be improved on such as getting better QA on it. Also, the cap that screws on is pretty flimsy, very cheap feeling, seems brittle. Other than that, it works well if you take caution with it as you should with any glass carboy.
I would highly suggest you ditch the straps and use that half milk crate I linked too. The straps are OK but they do put pressure on areas of the glass that normally would never have pressure on it. The bottom and the tops of these things are seriously thick, the walls of them for some reason is where the thin areas are. Using the crate keeps pressure evenly distributed to the bottom and also will protect you from large flying shards of glass if it does break.
