Questions about larger batches of cider

I have my first gallon of cider in primary. Once I bottle that cider, I am thinking of starting my second batch, hopefully using more cider. I have a few questions about larger batches.


1. How much headroom is recommended for cider? If I want to do 5 gallons of cider, do I have to have a 6 gallon carboy?

2. Has anyone used better bottles for this? I have heard that they leave a funny taste in the brew. Is it worth the extra money for glass, or does it not make much difference?

You don't really want any headroom at all for cider, especially when primary is finished. When primary is going fast you get a bit of froth, nothing like beer. Once primary is finished you want to keep headspace as low as possible, oxidation is the main cause of problems with cider. Glass is better, but plastic is ok for a few months. After that you run the risk of too much oxidation. Since glass carboys should last forever, I think it is worth the extra expense.

I'm probably going to bottle immediately after secondary, so in this case plastic should do the job right? I don't know that it'll even spend a month in those carboys before bottling.

I have learned that good cider comes from a sanitary environment. Since it ferments so quickly, you'll secondary in a matter of days to glass or stainless. I use glass and better bottles for my cider ferments and have superb results as long as I keep it clean. No worries!

Right now money is an issue for me, so I think I will have to go with 1 gal jugs and just buy a bunch of stoppers/airlocks.