A few weeks ago, I noticed this new product on the market from multiple online retailers. Unfortunately, my LHBS did not carry them nor was he interested in carrying them. Therefore. I threw caution to the wind and ordered both the 6.5 and 5 gal.
Just on first impression, I love these things. They're not kidding when they say you can fit your arm down inside them plus cleanup is a breeze. And anyone who has ever used regular glass carboys will really appreciate that. They come with just about everything you need, with reasonably priced extras.
Included in the packaging:
1 screw on lid
1 screw on cap
1 #5.5 drilled stopper
1 unique new airlock
1 microfiber cleaning cloth
Extras you can buy include:
A set of 5 spare gaskets for the cap and the lid
A harness for each size
A hose for a blowoff setup
As with all worthwhile purchases, there are both positive and negative points to consider before making a final decision. The following is a list of positive points I believe to be the most important. Then you will find a list of the negative points to consider, some of which you may already know just from looking online. Consider both carefully, but I think you will see the pros far outweigh the cons.
First, the positives:
Ease of cleaning. Until now, I've used a mix between regular carboys and buckets. Big Mouth Bubbler's seemed like a good mix of both. They exceeded my expectations in ease of cleaning/sanitizing. Being able to reach your arm in and clean it manually has proven invaluable; and a huge time saver. With the microfiber cloth, the days of inverting your carboy and letting it dry overnight are over. After wiping down the inside of the Bubbler with one of those it is dry and ready to store sealed up with the lid and center cap.
The lid. I have heard and seen some negative reviews concerning the lids. The reality is that they have not leaked at all for me. They do take several turns to finally get them screwed on and secure, but that's a small price to pay. The gaskets, although foam, appear to work well. The cap to cover the hole in the middle for the airlock also has a gasket. I didn't think much of it at first, but it has been really nice. It's ranges from being able to seal up the carboy and shake the sanitizer around in it, to sealing up your freshly cooled homebrew until you're ready to pitch your yeast. I consider this to be a huge bonus for me personally.
The harness available to purchase. First, it's made in the USA and I love that. Second, these harnesses work great because they are far more secure than my brew haulers ever were. The strap that wraps around the neck allows for easy pouring without the worry of it slipping out of the harness.
Now, on to the negatives:
The lid. Yes, I am mentioning the lid in both. This lid has one big drawback, the size of the smaller opening for the airlock. I feel like this was an oversight by the manufacturer and not intentional. The hole is not big enough for you to put an auto-siphon through or any kind of a thief that I know of. It is inconvenient, but not a deal breaker for me.
The glass. It has proven sturdy so far, but it definitely seems thinner than a carboy. Personally, I was already very cautious with my original carboys, so there's no real change in how I treat them. It is glass after all. Also, a pretty consistent theme with these is the manufacturing defects. In almost every review I've read, and anyone I talked to about them, there were several bubbles in the glass. After receiving mine, I can verify that. There are several in both I own. However, none of them are very big, and they don't appear to effect the integrity of the glass when carrying liquid. I have noticed no cracking or changing of the bubbles after multiple uses.
The blowoff tube. This item is available from the retailers as an add on to your original purchase. Personally, I did not care for this accessory. The tube fits very poorly in the hole on the lid. When sprayed with star san to test for leaks, it leaked like crazy and could easily be slipped out with very little force. I wouldn't trust it. However, this was not a deal breaker for me due to my alternative blowoff setup I had used with my bucket in the past. With this fix, I just tossed the blowoff tubing in storage.
The new airlock. I personally did not like this addition. It works, but I found it more tedious than it was worth. In my temperature controlled fermentation space I found myself topping off the sanitizer every 24-48 hours. Although this isn't a big deal, I'd rather just use a 3 piece airlock and be done with it. Hands off so to speak. Also, removing the lid for gravity readings was made more difficult by it, trying not to spill the sanitizer.
All that being said, I think these new carboy replacements are a good buy. I love change with equipment just as much as I love changes in brewing techniques. I find both very exciting and I am first on the bandwagon to try something new and just see how it goes. I had made some better decisions than others, but this was a good one, without question. These fermentors are great! They are VERY easy to clean, easy to sanitize, and easy to store.
All in all, I vote buy it and if you are still on the fence then take it from this homebrewer - give them a shot. You won't regret it!
Just on first impression, I love these things. They're not kidding when they say you can fit your arm down inside them plus cleanup is a breeze. And anyone who has ever used regular glass carboys will really appreciate that. They come with just about everything you need, with reasonably priced extras.
Included in the packaging:
1 screw on lid
1 screw on cap
1 #5.5 drilled stopper
1 unique new airlock
1 microfiber cleaning cloth
Extras you can buy include:
A set of 5 spare gaskets for the cap and the lid
A harness for each size
A hose for a blowoff setup
As with all worthwhile purchases, there are both positive and negative points to consider before making a final decision. The following is a list of positive points I believe to be the most important. Then you will find a list of the negative points to consider, some of which you may already know just from looking online. Consider both carefully, but I think you will see the pros far outweigh the cons.
First, the positives:
Ease of cleaning. Until now, I've used a mix between regular carboys and buckets. Big Mouth Bubbler's seemed like a good mix of both. They exceeded my expectations in ease of cleaning/sanitizing. Being able to reach your arm in and clean it manually has proven invaluable; and a huge time saver. With the microfiber cloth, the days of inverting your carboy and letting it dry overnight are over. After wiping down the inside of the Bubbler with one of those it is dry and ready to store sealed up with the lid and center cap.
The lid. I have heard and seen some negative reviews concerning the lids. The reality is that they have not leaked at all for me. They do take several turns to finally get them screwed on and secure, but that's a small price to pay. The gaskets, although foam, appear to work well. The cap to cover the hole in the middle for the airlock also has a gasket. I didn't think much of it at first, but it has been really nice. It's ranges from being able to seal up the carboy and shake the sanitizer around in it, to sealing up your freshly cooled homebrew until you're ready to pitch your yeast. I consider this to be a huge bonus for me personally.
The harness available to purchase. First, it's made in the USA and I love that. Second, these harnesses work great because they are far more secure than my brew haulers ever were. The strap that wraps around the neck allows for easy pouring without the worry of it slipping out of the harness.
Now, on to the negatives:
The lid. Yes, I am mentioning the lid in both. This lid has one big drawback, the size of the smaller opening for the airlock. I feel like this was an oversight by the manufacturer and not intentional. The hole is not big enough for you to put an auto-siphon through or any kind of a thief that I know of. It is inconvenient, but not a deal breaker for me.
The glass. It has proven sturdy so far, but it definitely seems thinner than a carboy. Personally, I was already very cautious with my original carboys, so there's no real change in how I treat them. It is glass after all. Also, a pretty consistent theme with these is the manufacturing defects. In almost every review I've read, and anyone I talked to about them, there were several bubbles in the glass. After receiving mine, I can verify that. There are several in both I own. However, none of them are very big, and they don't appear to effect the integrity of the glass when carrying liquid. I have noticed no cracking or changing of the bubbles after multiple uses.
The blowoff tube. This item is available from the retailers as an add on to your original purchase. Personally, I did not care for this accessory. The tube fits very poorly in the hole on the lid. When sprayed with star san to test for leaks, it leaked like crazy and could easily be slipped out with very little force. I wouldn't trust it. However, this was not a deal breaker for me due to my alternative blowoff setup I had used with my bucket in the past. With this fix, I just tossed the blowoff tubing in storage.
The new airlock. I personally did not like this addition. It works, but I found it more tedious than it was worth. In my temperature controlled fermentation space I found myself topping off the sanitizer every 24-48 hours. Although this isn't a big deal, I'd rather just use a 3 piece airlock and be done with it. Hands off so to speak. Also, removing the lid for gravity readings was made more difficult by it, trying not to spill the sanitizer.
All that being said, I think these new carboy replacements are a good buy. I love change with equipment just as much as I love changes in brewing techniques. I find both very exciting and I am first on the bandwagon to try something new and just see how it goes. I had made some better decisions than others, but this was a good one, without question. These fermentors are great! They are VERY easy to clean, easy to sanitize, and easy to store.
All in all, I vote buy it and if you are still on the fence then take it from this homebrewer - give them a shot. You won't regret it!