Plastic bottle carboy?

Is a "Better Bottle" any different than the plastic 5 gallon water bottles from a typical water cooler service? Any reason why one of these plastic bottles can't or shouldn't be used as a carboy? Is the cost of a better bottle worth it if I can get a generic bottle for...let's just say free.

I'm no expert but I would guess that regular 5 gallon water jugs probably have BPA in them since it is found in many hard plastics. Look at the recycling symbol on the bottom. If I recall correctly a #1 or #7 is bad news. The better bottle is made to be non-porous, not permit oxygen permeability, and not create off flavors, so they say. I've never used one. I personally would be extremely cautious about using a random 5 gallon jug. But when it comes to making beer, i'm cautious about everything. that's just me.

I have 4 of them I been using since I first started. They are the same thing as the Better Bottles except they don't have the "Better Bottle" logo on the side of them. Plus mine where way cheaper.... As in free....lol

They are perfectly fine to use......

#1 PET is good, #7 Other is bad. Better Bottles are #1.

Ben25 said:

#1 PET is good, #7 Other is bad. Better Bottles are #1.

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I just looked on the bottom of a Chrystal Springs 5 gal, and it's a #7. I have to admit, I've been using them as secondaries for about 7 months now and have been pretty pleased with the results. Once one gets dingy, I take it back to the store and exchange it. If memory serves correctly, these are #10 stoppers I use in them and they work great! If you do go this route, it's important that you check each bottle's condition carefully before you use it; I don't know how but i had part of a seam open up on one once and leak.

Wintermute said:

I just looked on the bottom of a Chrystal Springs 5 gal, and it's a #7. I have to admit, I've been using them as secondaries for about 7 months now and have been pretty pleased with the results. Once one gets dingy, I take it back to the store and exchange it. If memory serves correctly, these are #10 stoppers I use in them and they work great! If you do go this route, it's important that you check each bottle's condition carefully before you use it; I don't know how but i had part of a seam open up on one once and leak.

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That makes me nervous with my Apfelwein sitting on the living room carpet in one of these things... My basement is on the low end of the fermentation temps for Montrachet, or it would be down there with the rest of my brews; where a cleanup, if necessary, would be much much easier!

But back to the OP's topic. If you didn't catch it already, I am using a water jug for my Apfelwein, but beer goes in an opaque bucket fermenter then a glass secondary.

It all comes down to methods... YMMV, but it will still make beer. If you are getting strong off flavors in your beer that can be attributed to oxidation, I would change your method. If not, carry on.

I use the "Better Bottle" and like them alot. I Have dropped one already, and if it was glass it would have cost me a pretty penny.

My local water sucks, taste and smells terrible, I use a pur filter for drinking and some cooking, but can't get enough for a brew in a reasonable amount of time, plus the filters are expensive.

So, I use the locally available 5 gal water bottles, which are #7 and contain BPA (ugh)

Here is what the Primo water company has to say about their bottles and BPA

Q. Primo 3 and 5 gallon bottles are identified with the #7 code. Do they contain any BPA?
A. Primo is committed to responsible and safe distribution of its entire family of great tasting, environmentally friendly water products.

Primo 3 and 5 gallon bottles, which carry the #7 classification, are made from polycarbonate which contains Bisphenol A.

On August 14, 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a report stating that the agency continues to consider typical exposure of humans to bisphenol A as being safe. FDA reviewed the most recent scientific publications that called into question the safety of polycarbonate due to the leaching of trace quantities of bisphenol A from polycarbonate containers, including baby bottles, and package liners into the food. The preliminary conclusions in this draft assessment by FDA are similar to recent statements made by European, Canadian, and other food safety regulators, all concluding that the level of exposure to bisphenol A through food containers and packaging is safe for consumers.
# To learn more about Bisphenol A:.
o U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Meeting of the Bisphenol A Subcommittee of the Science Board to the Food and Drug Administration
o Health Canada - Minister's Remarks on Bisphenol A - Minister's Speech 2008-04-18 - Health Canada
o American Plastics Council®: http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/PDFs/PC_Safety-April_25_2006.pdf
o Are the Myths About Polycarbonate Bottles True? New Information Supports the Safe Use of Polycarbonate Bottles. - Bisphenol-A | Polycarbonate Bottles Are Safe To Re-Use, New Study Finds