Arrowhead Bottle for fermentation???

[negligent]

So I was showing my buddy my first batch of brew that is sitting in a 5 gallon glass carboy for secondary fermentation. He wants to get into the hobby so he started asking me questions. I tried to help him as much as I could but I'm still a newbie. So I thought I would pass the question on too you.

I said, "Well you need to get a glass carboy for secondary fermentation." He said, "Well why cant I use a plastic 5 gallon arrowhead water bottle."

So we searched and got a few mixed answers but nothing sure. The bottle has a 7 on the bottom. We found out it stands for other. I read some people use them with positive results. Others say it will ruin your beer.

So m question, how bad is it if he use an arrowhead plastic bottle for secondary/primary fermentation?

I know some same skip the secondary all together but then what do you do about bottling. How bad would it be if the beer sat in it whille he cleaned and sanitized the primary bucket?

Just some thoughts, any help would be great.

Thanks.

 

[EvilTOJ]

There are many many threads about using a water bottle for a fermenter. Use the google search and you'll see. I found that using Advanced Search actually made it more difficult to find relevant threads.

Anyways, there's been huge debates about whether it works well or not. If it were me, I'd use it. I only have glass, but would use it if I felt like it. Keep in mind that a 5 gallon carboy is not a suitable vessel for primary ferment for 5 gallon batches, as you'll get a ton of blowoff and lose up to a gallon of wort to it.

 

[BPD]

I asked a similar question here is the link to the thread.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/primo-3g-water-bottles-ok-ferment-101146/

at the bottom of the thread there is a section for similar threads that also gives info
this is a very informative thread
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/ice-mountain-water-jugs-better-bottles-56936/

 

[IrregularPulse]

So m question, how bad is it if he use an arrowhead plastic bottle for secondary/primary fermentation?
The 7 on the bottom means it's going to be more permeable to oxygen then a glass carboy or better bottle. Take that for what you want. The theoretical risk is oxygenating the wort causing off flavors. That being said, there are people on this forum that use them with no complaints for primary fermentation. You will creating c02 with fermentation thus pushing out any oxygen.

I know some same skip the secondary all together but then what do you do about bottling. How bad would it be if the beer sat in it whille he cleaned and sanitized the primary bucket?
The Secondary is not to be botteled from. It is used as a conditioning vessel to clear and age a beer. Regardless of using a secondary or not, you will want to rack to a bottling bucket on bottling day. You'll add your priming sugar solution to the bottling bucket, then rack the beer from the primary or secondary (where ever it is sitting) onto the sugar solution sitting in the bottling bucket. This provides adequate even mixing of the beer with the priming sugar for even carbonation in bottles. Then transfer from the bottling bucket to your bottles.

Just some thoughts, any help would be great.

Thanks.

This forum has a lot of VERY INTELGIENT people. So process and theories can get over complicated, but when it boils down to it, if you're just trying to make good tasting beer you'll be fine. If you're looking to perfect the process then something as easily fixed as a fermenter that doesn't allow oxygen through at all s worth it. Ale pails are $15.