Better Bottle vs These

[Scut_Monkey]

So this was brought up by me in another thread but I thought I should move the convo to a new thread. Someone posted this product (Two 5 Gallon (PET) Water Bottles) which is a 5gallon PET water jug. Now... Better Bottles are made of "Special" PET and looking at their website (BetterBottle Fermentation Equipment: Carboys, Bottles, DryTrap Air Lock, Simpleflo Valves, and Racking Adapters) I can't figure out what makes them so different compared to this product. The BB website states things like "contains no Bisphenol A" and various other things.

I simply get the impression that Better Bottles have good marketing, a high markup and outrageously expensive accesories. Maybe I'm out of line but this is just my opinion. Does anyone really know if there is difference in the PET of of better bottle compared to the link I have posted. The water jugs I posted are made for drinking water so they can't contain that many chemicals. Thanks!

 

[zurcj20]

the only thing that i can think of is that better bottle states that their bottles are made from 100% virgin pet. these other bottles do not say if they are virgin or contain recycled materials

 

[Nugu]

They're both made of the same thing PET(E) or type 1 plastic. Which is free of all the crap BB claims.

About the only difference will be shape, thickness, and possibly origin of the product. There was talk about actual BB's being sold to water companies with the Bip A scare only relabeled and a lot cheaper.

Shipping cost will probably push those up to the same price as a BB at the LHBS though. If shape doesn't matter all that much, I bought a 10$ square 5gal PETE cube at the local grocery for Apfelwein when all 3 carboys were in use.

 

[WC87]

Shipping cost will probably push those up to the same price as a BB at the LHBS though.

I'm the one that posted that link to the 2 PET water bottles. Including shipping I paid a total of $24.41 for those two (2) 5 Gal bottles. Unfortunately I don't have a LHBS so I have to order all my supplies online. My usual provider has one (1) 5 gal Better Bottle for $25.99, not including shipping.

 

[buzzkill]

I have a few of those 5 gal. pet jugs. they were about 7 bucks full of water at the local food store and I use the $eet out of them .

 

[Scut_Monkey]

WC87 Thank you for the original post. I didn't want to hijack the original thread so I started another that was unrelated.

I can understand the fact that maybe these are recycyled PET and Better Bottles are virgin PET. But when was the last time you drank a soda and made sure it was from a virgin bottle. I realize that wasn't really your point zurcj20 but that's my point. I simply feel the better bottles are overpriced with outrageous costly accesories. They have a niche in the market but for no good reason but marketing..... if someone can prove otherwise I would appreciate the info.

 

[WC87]

Received my 6gal Better Bottle and also received my 2 PET 5 Gal bottles today. Both stamped with the recycle 1. We'll see if these 5 gal bottles work out.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I just bought a full 5 gallon PETE water bottle from THD. I'm hoping to get a chance to put an American Lager in it either this weekend or next.

I'm brewing an 8 gallon batch, with 5 gallons in a 6 gallon better bottle and 3 gallons in the THD water bottle.

Fermenting them side by side will give a good indication as to any differences.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I just bought a full 5 gallon PETE water bottle from THD. I'm hoping to get a chance to put an American Lager in it either this weekend or next.

I'm brewing an 8 gallon batch, with 5 gallons in a 6 gallon better bottle and 3 gallons in the THD water bottle.

Fermenting them side by side will give a good indication as to any differences.

That sounds great. I was researching PET and Better Bottles last night and I'm even more convinced their "special" PET plastic is not special. I sent an email to their technical department to see if they can explain what makes their PET special. I'll let everyone know what I find out.

In the mean time I'm going to try to find some PET water bottles around my area. Hopefully Home Depot or Lowes carries them. What does THD stand for..... The Home Depot?

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

That sounds great. I was researching PET and Better Bottles last night and I'm even more convinced their "special" PET plastic is not special. I sent an email to their technical department to see if they can explain what makes their PET special. I'll let everyone know what I find out.

In the mean time I'm going to try to find some PET water bottles around my area. Hopefully Home Depot or Lowes carries them. What does THD stand for..... The Home Depot?

Maybe by "special", they mean "thicker". The Better Bottles are pretty thick.

Yeah, I'm used to calling them "THD". I deal with them a lot at work.

THD has the bottles, Lowes does sometimes. Wal-Mart, some grocery stores and some office supply places carry them, but a lot of those are 4 gallon.

 

[HopTrap]

Anyone have any results from this thread so far?

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

The virgin PET thing doesn't concern me one bit. The obvious quality of the finished product does slow me down though. I have access to about a half dozen 5 gallon Culligans that while on the outside look exactly like Better Bottles and I'd bet were possibly blown in the same molds, the bottom on the inside shows that the parison did not smooth out as nicely as my Better Bottle. This looked like a spot that sanitizing may be a challenge.

 

[weirdboy]

It must just be the suppliers locally, but all the HD, Lowes, Walmart, etc. stock water bottles that are type 7. Like, that's really what I want my drinking water stored in.

 

[jhonda00]

Hmm,

I might be a little slow, but I've been researching a better bottle for the sole purpose of making apfelwein because I don't want to have to use one of my glass carboys for that long. Are you guys saying that the 5 gallon (ozarka) style water jugs are the same as the better bottles? And since yall are on the topic of better bottles, how much flavor do they absorb from what you have in them?