Glass or plastic?
- Thread starter spurcrazy
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
I think they both work fine but I like better bottles because there are so light and easy to move around.
I bought the ones with spigots but they were a bit expensive so if I was to do over again I would just get the normal better bottles.
If you are going to do a primary and secondary fermentation I would also get one 6 gallon bottle and one 5 gallon.
That way you can primary ferment in the 6 rack off to the 5 and wont have a bunch of head space because of leaving behind the lees/trub/nasties.
A word of caution on the better bottles though make sure you don't poor boiling hot stuff in them as they will melt.
I bought the ones with spigots but they were a bit expensive so if I was to do over again I would just get the normal better bottles.
If you are going to do a primary and secondary fermentation I would also get one 6 gallon bottle and one 5 gallon.
That way you can primary ferment in the 6 rack off to the 5 and wont have a bunch of head space because of leaving behind the lees/trub/nasties.
A word of caution on the better bottles though make sure you don't poor boiling hot stuff in them as they will melt.
Glass is heavy, plastic is not.
Glass shatters if dropped, plastic bounces.
Glass shatters if you pour hot liquid in it, plastic just melts.
Glass shatters if dropped, plastic bounces.
Glass shatters if you pour hot liquid in it, plastic just melts.
The both have the potential to ferment great or sucky beer depending on the brewer...other than that, the only difference is which you prefer to use.......
They both work perfectly.....
They both work perfectly.....
Sometimes, I have trouble determining whether I'm in reality or a dream. The real world, or the fake one in which time expands, and odd themes continue interminably.
When I see things repeating, pattern-like, over and over, I know it's the latter. Deja vu. A ripple in the matrix.
Like this topic.
And then ..... there.... at the bottom of this screen .... yea, down there ↓ .... more of the same, over and over, the same topic, there's no escape ... the rabbit hole is deep indeed
When I see things repeating, pattern-like, over and over, I know it's the latter. Deja vu. A ripple in the matrix.
Like this topic.
And then ..... there.... at the bottom of this screen .... yea, down there ↓ .... more of the same, over and over, the same topic, there's no escape ... the rabbit hole is deep indeed
If you haven't bought anything yet, I'd say go for corny kegs for fermenting. I didn't and I wish I did.
Plastic will let in more o2 to your beer than steel or glass. Glass could break and maim you. A keg is the same price as glass, will never shatter, won't let in o2, and it will block out sunlight, while neither of the others will.
Plastic will let in more o2 to your beer than steel or glass. Glass could break and maim you. A keg is the same price as glass, will never shatter, won't let in o2, and it will block out sunlight, while neither of the others will.
And.....
Now you know....
Why I cut and paste my answers.....
And why my postcount is so friggin high......
And there is always a person whose rude to all the newbies...looks like you popped up
That is patently, wrong and has been disproven over and over and over...the actual permeability numbers between the plastic fermenters we use including buckets, and better bottles are negligable...they are little or no different from glass fermenters. It's been long disproven...And it was many of us suspect simply a marketing slur from the glass carboy industry to dissuade people from buying cheaper buckets (and now better bottles)...The plastic industry has made leaps an bounds pretty much since 1999, when the very first plastic bottles were actually used to house beer....
If Plastic were so bad in the beer industry these days, why would EVERY commercial mega brewery risk multi millions of dollars to put their beer in plastic bottles these days?
Plastic is fine to use these days...
Hey, that's not fair! I've been helpful about 4000 times, and you never once said a thing.
Glass more expensive ... typically.
Glass can't be modified, Plastic can have a spigot (or what ever you think up) added.
Glass cleans out well for a long time, Plastic may get worn out and habor infection eventually.
Glass allows for (fun) viewing of the ferment, Plastic requires peeking with the lid open (non-carboy).
You may hear horror stories about Glass = eventual Hospital trip.
Multiple pastic can stack/nested when empty (non-carboy).
For conserving space it is possible to stack full Plastic (non-carboy).
Plastic can easily be put to other uses if you retire them sometime in the future (non-carboy).
Personally I use glass. No horror stories yet (while knocking on wood). Cheers!
Glass can't be modified, Plastic can have a spigot (or what ever you think up) added.
Glass cleans out well for a long time, Plastic may get worn out and habor infection eventually.
Glass allows for (fun) viewing of the ferment, Plastic requires peeking with the lid open (non-carboy).
You may hear horror stories about Glass = eventual Hospital trip.
Multiple pastic can stack/nested when empty (non-carboy).
For conserving space it is possible to stack full Plastic (non-carboy).
Plastic can easily be put to other uses if you retire them sometime in the future (non-carboy).
Personally I use glass. No horror stories yet (while knocking on wood). Cheers!
It looks like 4,095 to me....and I don't think your original post was that mean either ...more philospohical actually...but I'm quite druk now, so I don't reely kneo now....
It looks like 4,095 to me....and I don't think your original post was that mean either ...more philospohical actually...but I'm quite druk now, so I don't reely kneo now....
Yea, I had a few just now while watching Inception (movie). Sorta mind-blowing, keeping track of all the levels of reality in that thing.
Anyway, back on topic, Glass vs. Plastic. I vote for super-elastic bubble plastic, blow your own container from a little red straw, psychedelic colors and all. I liked that stuff, but they took it off the market because it was fairly toxic if you inhaled the fumes from it. Resulted in SFES (snarky-forum-etiquette-syndrome), among other ailments.
davesrose
Well-Known Member
Well plus there's the other problem of a corny not being a big enough vessel for a finished 5 gallon batch. I can't imagine having a primary fermenter less then 6 gallons for 5 gallon final batches....especially for all grain.
As for the tired debate of plastic vs glass....just chose what seems better for you:that's what it boils down to really. You can make good beer with either, so it's a personal preference. I like glass carboys because they don't have any give. Some people like plastic because they think glass is more cumbersome to clean or fear they might drop glass. Everyone has their own proclivities...both glass or plastic give you a stable vessel: now it's up to you to make good beer.
I know there is a sticky but i think anyone forgot to mention that if plasic scratches it can harbor a hideout for bacteria,and as far as i know is it Starsan? foamer isthe only defense against this? Or No? ps im drinking Bell's Porter its a very a tasty a yesss? ha.
As for plastic i was always afraid of the "scratch" until i got glass now all i have to worry about its dropping it.If you use plastic dont store anything in it uless you put a cloth in it and dont use abrasive cleaners and i think even soaps with scent may penetrate.
As for plastic i was always afraid of the "scratch" until i got glass now all i have to worry about its dropping it.If you use plastic dont store anything in it uless you put a cloth in it and dont use abrasive cleaners and i think even soaps with scent may penetrate.
jiggs_casey
Well-Known Member
Been using the same plastic buckets to ferment in for years. Never seen a scratch. I use the little green scrubbys on mine and have never had a problem. I'm curious as to what people are using on them to scratch them.
davesrose
Well-Known Member
I think this is an urban legand about scratches. I have an old beat up "trusted" plastic bucket that lasted me tons of ferments. The only infection I got was from a relatively new plastic bucket that now always seems to harbor bacteria for me (I just use it for storage now). Maybe it's just the grade of plastic or such....I scrubed both with regular kitchen sponges, and they don't seem completely smooth. The whole point of any sanitizer (it doesn't have to be a foam) is that it covers the entire surface...crevice and all...as it's a molecular solution vs even the smallest scratch (which at best is microscopic).
I know but the big deal they make is that if its scratched its irreversable. Ive think its said bleach cannot even get to it? Thatswhat made me think" well if bleach cant get it, whats the point?.I did think it was odd too.Breeding grounds and hiding spots.Bleached water cant get there? Well ok then, now im paranoid about scratches. I think i even read that if its scratched to throw out,same with tubing.
cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
What is the harm in this post????
PHUCK OFF.
PassedPawn is one of my heros.
I have many, but it isn't easy to get into my hero club.
Revvy is on the edge.....his posts here have gotten him closer.
ToddO
Well-Known Member
I have 1 glass carboy and 3 buckets to ferment in. Once the novelty of watching a ferment wears off buckets are the way to go. Over the glass carboy. Hard to clean, heavy, etc. etc. Bummed when I want to brew and realize all that I have to ferment in is the carboy. Plastic. Plastic. Plastic. Say it with me..
cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
EGGGGPHUCKINZACTLY........
Once the romance wears off, who cares what goes on beneath the sheets?
IT ALL MAKES BEER.
Carry on.
Ohhh , hell no .I got a nice ass glass wide mouth carboy.Can stick it all in there if i want.The beauty of the wide mouth.There is no novelety knowing you have active fermentation without popping the bucket lid off.No prying til your fingers bleed. There are screw on lids for buckets too, i did a search but now i forgot what site it was and the actual name of these screw on lids.sorry. I would want one if i had plastic though. probably make grain storage real nice too. For the all grainers.
You cant get the smell,(not that its bad) out of plastic.Its all good, i dont care really, i only care about my english esb next to me right now,ha.
You cant get the smell,(not that its bad) out of plastic.Its all good, i dont care really, i only care about my english esb next to me right now,ha.
Bottenbrew
Well-Known Member
I like my better bottles. Wider mouth if I need to put in fruit for a lambic, or skip a bag in to dryhop. I prefer the carboy/better bottle to my buckets, but mainly because my buckets are 5 gallons which = badness when I get strong fermentation.
jiggs_casey
Well-Known Member
I doubt you'd be able to see the bacteria in the scratch neither
That's what the sanitizer is for..
cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
My buckets have HUGE cracklike brown scratches all along the bottoms, possibly from pouring in hot wort.
They have been there for the last 23 batches........
I will report if I start having any problems.......
Stand by..............
There may be tough times ahead.......
Stick together through these times,.......and craCKS.........
I'LL check back after another 342 batches......
They have been there for the last 23 batches........
I will report if I start having any problems.......
Stand by..............
There may be tough times ahead.......
Stick together through these times,.......and craCKS.........
I'LL check back after another 342 batches......
Shamus30
Member
I am pretty new here and to home brewing, but from everything I have read on the internet what follows is my understanding (Because if it's on the internet it has to be true):
Glass Carboys:
Pros according to those who use them:
- Blessed by the Gods of Olympus as the only vessel that is capable of fermenting the superior beers that only a home brewer can appreciate the subtle flavors of (like angel farts, unicorn drool and victoria's secret model sweat)
- Superior in every way (including the complex you develop that allows you to laud it over the heads of those in your homebrew club who still use plastic buckets and "Butter Bottles")
Cons according those who have never used them:
- Forged at the base of Mt. Doom by Orcs and Dragons using the bones of babies and the blood of nuns
- Each one comes with a time delay self destruct device that is guaranteed to explode during any of the following situations:
1) Moving from car to home
2) Temperature Variations from hot to cold, or cold to hot, or tepid to
lukewarm
3) Pouring Wort in, racking wort out, brewing near carboy, thinking about
brewing near carboy, thinking about buying glass carboy
Plastic Buckets:
Pros according to those who use them:
- Hand Crafted by the delicate hands of blind and deaf virgin women who are the offspring of the 1986 Swedish Bikini team and Fabio
- Inexpensive, easy to come by, and rated 5 Stars by the National Highway Safety Administration in both frontal and side impact collisions.
- So safe and airtight that the next space mission will be using them instead of Specially designed cargo containers
- So safe that Parenting Magazine has recommended that new parents seal their newborns in them for the first 18 Months of life (secondary optional after the first 6 months) *warning this method will produce a lot of trub
Cons by those who are far too superior to use them:
- Manufactured by cult members in W. Virginia from a combination of cow dung and botulism
- If scratched, demons from another dimension are released from the scratches and they can never be sealed and will forever haunt your beer and those who drink it. The only cure is to repent and pray at the alter of super heated and blown silicon...
- Contain wormholes that magically transport Oxygen molecules from Los Angeles into your beer
Better Bottles:
Pros by those who have been blessed with an opportunity to use them:
- Created by a distant and superiorly intelligent Alien race from materials that are far more advanced than mere mortals should be allowed to use.
- Lighter than a feather, faster than a speeding CO2 bubble, able to withstand falls from a 12 story building without so much as scratch on it or any bystanders who happen to be blessed by it hitting them in the head.
Cons by those who will never use them because they sound too good to be true like unicorns, leprechauns and regular bowel movements:
- Made as a byproduct of a pact with the devil that MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice made to launch their strangely successful (albeit short lived) careers.
- It's mother was a hamster and it's father smelt of elderberries
- Will melt in the face of sheer determination and wort hotter than room temperature
- Will become brittle and explode into a million pieces if you use any sanitizer in it for more than 5 seconds
Glass Carboys:
Pros according to those who use them:
- Blessed by the Gods of Olympus as the only vessel that is capable of fermenting the superior beers that only a home brewer can appreciate the subtle flavors of (like angel farts, unicorn drool and victoria's secret model sweat)
- Superior in every way (including the complex you develop that allows you to laud it over the heads of those in your homebrew club who still use plastic buckets and "Butter Bottles")
Cons according those who have never used them:
- Forged at the base of Mt. Doom by Orcs and Dragons using the bones of babies and the blood of nuns
- Each one comes with a time delay self destruct device that is guaranteed to explode during any of the following situations:
1) Moving from car to home
2) Temperature Variations from hot to cold, or cold to hot, or tepid to
lukewarm
3) Pouring Wort in, racking wort out, brewing near carboy, thinking about
brewing near carboy, thinking about buying glass carboy
Plastic Buckets:
Pros according to those who use them:
- Hand Crafted by the delicate hands of blind and deaf virgin women who are the offspring of the 1986 Swedish Bikini team and Fabio
- Inexpensive, easy to come by, and rated 5 Stars by the National Highway Safety Administration in both frontal and side impact collisions.
- So safe and airtight that the next space mission will be using them instead of Specially designed cargo containers
- So safe that Parenting Magazine has recommended that new parents seal their newborns in them for the first 18 Months of life (secondary optional after the first 6 months) *warning this method will produce a lot of trub
Cons by those who are far too superior to use them:
- Manufactured by cult members in W. Virginia from a combination of cow dung and botulism
- If scratched, demons from another dimension are released from the scratches and they can never be sealed and will forever haunt your beer and those who drink it. The only cure is to repent and pray at the alter of super heated and blown silicon...
- Contain wormholes that magically transport Oxygen molecules from Los Angeles into your beer
Better Bottles:
Pros by those who have been blessed with an opportunity to use them:
- Created by a distant and superiorly intelligent Alien race from materials that are far more advanced than mere mortals should be allowed to use.
- Lighter than a feather, faster than a speeding CO2 bubble, able to withstand falls from a 12 story building without so much as scratch on it or any bystanders who happen to be blessed by it hitting them in the head.
Cons by those who will never use them because they sound too good to be true like unicorns, leprechauns and regular bowel movements:
- Made as a byproduct of a pact with the devil that MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice made to launch their strangely successful (albeit short lived) careers.
- It's mother was a hamster and it's father smelt of elderberries
- Will melt in the face of sheer determination and wort hotter than room temperature
- Will become brittle and explode into a million pieces if you use any sanitizer in it for more than 5 seconds
TANSTAAFB
Well-Known Member
Epic
That is patently, wrong and has been disproven over and over and over...the actual permeability numbers between the plastic fermenters we use including buckets, and better bottles are negligable...they are little or no different from glass fermenters. It's been long disproven...And it was many of us suspect simply a marketing slur from the glass carboy industry to dissuade people from buying cheaper buckets (and now better bottles)...The plastic industry has made leaps an bounds pretty much since 1999, when the very first plastic bottles were actually used to house beer....
If Plastic were so bad in the beer industry these days, why would EVERY commercial mega brewery risk multi millions of dollars to put their beer in plastic bottles these days?
Plastic is fine to use these days...
Yikes! Sorry, Revvy.
Plastic and glass both have pros and cons, and I feel like steel has more pros and fewer cons than either one. I was just trying to give some quick examples of negative things people say about each, but clearly I used a bad example.
Nokitchen
Well-Known Member
I do the same, but only until the BetterBottle engineers roll out a 6.5 gallon version they have confidence in. I don't use buckets because I am way too much of a spazz to be trusted with a mouth that wide, even for the short time the cover is off. When the BB boys do have a product with enough headroom for me I'll be sending that dangerous, heavy piece of glass to a mailroom water dispenser somewhere.
Those bottles work almost as well as glass ones (and the tiny shortfall is in the capping not the plastic itself) but beer companies knew the reaction to their introduction would be (unjustly) negative. They introduced those at the behest of the big sports organizations.Revvy said:
sockmerchant
Well-Known Member
Hehe. I had to come out of my lurking to compliment you on that one. Well done, sir!
Oh, and hello everyone.
Victoria secret model sweat is hard to come by and expensive (ask Leo DiCaprio). If it is going into my beer, then I want to taste it.
Epic.
Shamus, probably one of the best posts on here in a LOOOOONG time, and from a noob on here no less. Good on you, I think you'll fit in just fine around here. 
TANSTAAFB
Well-Known Member
So true, you will fit in just fine round here. He's already enshrined in the Official Memorable Quotes thread Revvy
That is possibly the single greatest post ever...so many quotable quotes...
You are a Noob no more my friend :rockin:
That is possibly the single greatest post ever...so many quotable quotes...
You are a Noob no more my friend :rockin:
Shamus30
Member
Aww shucks guys....
Thanks,
Shane
Thanks,
Shane
Similar threads
