Better Bottle - Instant Fan

SavageSteve · Jul 25, 2008

So I just bought a 6 gallon ported Better Bottle with racking adapter and high-flow valve, and I am an instant fan!

I haven't even put the thing together, much less used it, and I'm already thinking about how to get rid of my glass carboys.

The weight savings alone is worth the investment, but I'm really psyched to be able to dump my trub (excuse me?!?!) and move my beer (whoa!) without touching a racking cane.

Such little things excite me on a Friday night. :cross: Just thought I'd update everyone on my late entry into the 21st century of brewing technology!

-Steve

postman · Jul 25, 2008

I got one recently, but not ported, love it. I still use my glass 5 gal carboy as well. Funds are limited

Enjoy your BB

korndog · Jul 25, 2008

+1... When I lifted the box it came in, I was an instant fan!

EdWort · Jul 25, 2008

Better Bottles Rock!

BlindLemonLars · Jul 25, 2008

SavageSteve said:
I'm really psyched to be able to dump my trub (excuse me?!?!) and move my beer (whoa!) without touching a racking cane.

Once you have, let us know how you like it. I'm a big fan of better bottles, and like the idea of the racking outlet, but am put off by the price: about $33 for a fancy spigot and the tool to install it.

EdWort · Jul 25, 2008

BlindLemonLars said:
Once you have, let us know how you like it. I'm a big fan of better bottles, and like the idea of the racking outlet, but am put off by the price: about $33 for a fancy spigot and the tool to install it.

Yeah, but if you get SWMBO to pop out a kiddlet, you can use the tax exemption to buy a couple.

running & ducking

SavageSteve · Jul 25, 2008

Regarding the price, I got mine at Midwest... $45 for the bottle, racking adapter, and high-flow valve. Cheapest I could find anywhere. Shipping was about $11, but I bought some other stuff with it so it wasn't too bad. A second BB for a friend only added about $4 to the shipping. http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=3310

The tool to install the adapter (basically a piece of plastic pipe) was $2.

When I lifted the box, I thought I got ripped off, it was so light!

Philip1993 · Jul 25, 2008

EdWort said:
Yeah, but if you get SWMBO to pop out a kiddlet, you can use the tax exemption to buy a couple.

running & ducking

Ha Ha Ha!!!

Evan! · Jul 25, 2008

Yeah, after I tied up a couple glass 6.5's with my year-long sour brews, I decided to grab one and see how it does. I do like it, though the one drawback is that I can't use my blowoff tubes from the glass ones with it.

Which is why I picked up some defoamer from the AHS sale.

I didn't get a ported one, but that's just because I still prefer to rack.

BlindLemonLars · Jul 25, 2008

EdWort said:
Yeah, but if you get SWMBO to pop out a kiddlet, you can use the tax exemption to buy a couple.

running & ducking

You know, I almost wrote the same joke myself. But I thought it might be in bad taste.

Now I know it was!

Cheers to you, my friend! And just so you know, I'm drinking Apfelwein tonight, thanks to you. :mug:

SavageSteve · Jul 25, 2008

BlindLemonLars said:
Once you have, let us know how you like it. I'm a big fan of better bottles, and like the idea of the racking outlet, but am put off by the price: about $33 for a fancy spigot and the tool to install it.

Will do. It will probably be a few weeks before I brew, but I'm looking forward to it. I like to rack the wort off the trub before I pitch the yeast, so there's a gap of several hours between when I transfer the wort to the first carboy and when I rack it to the second carboy. The time gap won't change-- the trub needs to settle-- but I'm looking forward to not spending the extra time sanitizing a second carboy along with the racking cane and tubing.

Less work = happy Steve!

adamjab19 · Jul 26, 2008

Is there a rubber bung that fits the better bottle or do you have to buy their plastic adapter thingy? I'm looking at a 3 gallon one.

SavageSteve · Jul 26, 2008

An orange carboy cap fits perfectly on the neck (better than on my glass carboys, in fact!), or you could use a #10 rubber stopper.

EdWort · Jul 26, 2008

BlindLemonLars said:
You know, I almost wrote the same joke myself. But I thought it might be in bad taste.

Now I know it was!

I can bring out the worst in some folks.

Hooo ahhh! :rockin:

Coastarine · Jul 26, 2008

homebrewit.com has the same price. 20 for the ported BB + 25 for racking outlet.

user 4295 · Jul 27, 2008

EdWort said:
Better Bottles Rock!

I wholeheartedly agree Ed! I'll add that totally oxygen free transfers from primary to secondary rock too! Just setup some 1/4" tubing from a 90˚ barb fitting on the primary to the ID of the inlet of the highflow valve on the secondary with the airlock on the secondary and the CO2 produced during the fermentation purges the air out of the secondary.

Once you're ready to transfer, just connect some 1/2" tubing to the OD of both highflow valves, move the 1/4" tubing to connect the airlock on the secondary to the 90˚ barb on the primary to equalize, place the secondary lower than the primary, open the valves and away she goes.

Note: The short tubing and the water filled bags on the airlocks are there so that I can see the bubble rate.

Jonnio · Jul 27, 2008

That's quite the setup John, very nice for when you need to secondary.

KingBrianI · Jul 27, 2008

I recently got my first better bottle and it's great except for one thing. the 6 gal. better bottle doesn't hold 6 gallons! I was marking off the volume gradations when I first recieved it and started worrying when the 5 gallon mark was nearly at the part where the sides start to come in towards the neck. The 5.75 was halfway between the flat sides and the neck and 6 gallons overflowed it by probably a cup or more. This is in contrast to the 6.5 gal. glass carboys where the 6.5 gal mark on the flat sides.

SavageSteve · Jul 27, 2008

I haven't marked volumes on it yet, but I was a little concerned that it didn't look as big as my 6 gallon glass carboy. My brew length is usually either 5.25 or 5.5 gallons. I looked on the BB web site, and found this pic:

How does that match with your measurements, KingBrianI?

Johnsma22: I read on the BB site about capturing the CO2 from fermentation and using it during transfers... the idea is intriguing, and free CO2 would be nice! I don't usually secondary, but I'm sure this could still be valuable for kegging.

KingBrianI · Jul 27, 2008

Steve, those measurements match almost exactly with mine. I wish I had known about that picture, would have saved me a lot of measuring and pouring!

I'm with you on liking to brew 5.25-5.5 gal batches. With the better bottle though, I'd be afraid of anything much over 5 gal. Not much room for krausen and you may lose a lot of yeast with a blow-off tube.

SavageSteve · Jul 27, 2008

The reason I brew 5.5 or 5.25 gallons is to counteract the loss due to trub removal, so I'll probably end up fermenting about 5-5.25 gallons in the BB.

As for marking it up, I'm still going to do it by measuring out water-- my science background requires that I do it as accurately as I can!

korndog · Jul 27, 2008

Anybody think it's safe to use Brett in these? I probably wouldn't, but am curious if they can be sanitized properly in that case.

adamjab19 · Jul 27, 2008

SavageSteve said:
An orange carboy cap fits perfectly on the neck (better than on my glass carboys, in fact!), or you could use a #10 rubber stopper.

does this hold true for the 3 gallon version as well?

SavageSteve · Jul 27, 2008

adamjab19 said:
does this hold true for the 3 gallon version as well?

Yes, the necks are the same diameter for all three BB sizes.

Seawolf · Jul 27, 2008

What size fitting do you guys use on the high flow valve? Do you just put a tube right on the spout?

user 4295 · Jul 27, 2008

slyngshot said:
What size fitting do you guys use on the high flow valve? Do you just put a tube right on the spout?

Yup, the 1/2" vinyl tubing that you get at your LHBS will fit right over the OD of the high flow valve's spout.

plumber · Jul 27, 2008

How does one clean a Better Bottle? I have heard you can't use a brush because it can scratch it and the label on StarSan says to keep limited contact on plastic. I need another 6.5 gal and was looking at getting one when I go to Midwest next weekend, but am concerned with sanitation issuses. I know they are safe just don't know how to care for them.

SavageSteve · Jul 27, 2008

There's a whole section on cleaning and sanitizing on the Better Bottle web site: http://www.better-bottle.com/technical.html

The short version is that you should use something like PBW to clean without using a brush, and Star San is perfectly safe to use on them.

user 4295 · Jul 27, 2008

All I do after rinsing and dumping out the trub is add the correct amount of PBW and fill the Better Bottle to the top with hot water. I let it sit overnight and nothing remains stuck to the side. I used to fill it about 1/4 of the way with PWB solution and insert a washcloth and shake the crap out of it.

The washcloth action would remove all the stuck on crud and then I would fill it to the top and let it soak overnight, but I found that the washcloth isn't necessary. Just letting it soak overnight in hot PBW does the trick. Then just drain it through the valve and give it a good rinse.

With regard to Star-San. No problems using it with the PET plastic that Better Bottles are made of. I only fill them up a little bit and gently swirl it around to coat all surfaces for sanitizing. What ever foam I create in doing that I've learned not to fear, LOL!

FSumac · Jul 27, 2008

I had my first newbie experience with a 6.5 gallon glass carboy today and I am pretty sure I am going to get a better bottle. The weight and slip factor are ridiculous with the glass carboys.

Better Bottle - Instant Fan

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