I've got 6 gallons of a base beer fermenting and a gallon starter (wild) that I am planning on combining this coming weekend.
I do not want to contaminate my normal fermenters so I'm going to be using some smaller ones I have available. I have lots of Imperial gallon glass fermenters (1.2 US gallons) and several 2.5 gallon HDPE containers (thick, food grade) that I occasionally use for small batches and ciders.
Which would be the better ones to use. Up to now I've used the glass carboys with standard rubber bungs and airlocks, and have been pleased with the results, but the beers have not gotten as sour as I would have likes. For a few gallons, I've moved the beer into HDPE containers to put the beer on fruit for 6 months, and those have gotten noticeably more sour; pretty good actually, but it might have been some acids from the fruit itself that I was tasting.
Would like to hear other's thoughts; Use the almost airtight glass, or the 'breathable' plastic?
I think I'm going to try and experiment and put 2.5 gallons in plastic, and 4.5 gallons in glass, and compare them at 6 months (thought I would make a decision at that time as to whether to move it to glass or leave it in the HDPE container).
I do not want to contaminate my normal fermenters so I'm going to be using some smaller ones I have available. I have lots of Imperial gallon glass fermenters (1.2 US gallons) and several 2.5 gallon HDPE containers (thick, food grade) that I occasionally use for small batches and ciders.
Which would be the better ones to use. Up to now I've used the glass carboys with standard rubber bungs and airlocks, and have been pleased with the results, but the beers have not gotten as sour as I would have likes. For a few gallons, I've moved the beer into HDPE containers to put the beer on fruit for 6 months, and those have gotten noticeably more sour; pretty good actually, but it might have been some acids from the fruit itself that I was tasting.
Would like to hear other's thoughts; Use the almost airtight glass, or the 'breathable' plastic?
I think I'm going to try and experiment and put 2.5 gallons in plastic, and 4.5 gallons in glass, and compare them at 6 months (thought I would make a decision at that time as to whether to move it to glass or leave it in the HDPE container).