BetterBottle Cracks

[Sockmonkey]

Anyone else having problems with cracking BetterBottles?

I have 3 BetterBottles, 12-18 months old. Two of them have had 5 or 6 batches each, one of them has only been used for 1 batch; all of them are exhibiting stress cracking on the bottom.

I thoroughly researched BB here and at their website before purchasing, and I've always followed their recommendations for handling, water temperature, cleaning chemicals, etc. Heck, I don't even use PBW full-strength since I'm cheap

I contacted BB customer service to explain all of this, and they basically told me to go pound sand.

Just wondering if anyone else is seeing this problem and if maybe it's something in my process that I'm overlooking.

It's hard to imagine going back to glass, but BB are just too costly to replace every few batches.

 

[MalFet]

Never seen anything like that. Mine are still going strong after dozens and dozens of batches. Are the cracks leaking? Can you post a picture?

 

[Sockmonkey]

The cracks are not leaking, but look severe enough that I wouldn't trust fermenting in them again. I will try to post some pictures tomorrow.

 

[Sockmonkey]

Here are pics of the cracks in each of the three BBs. Click on each for a larger picture.

 

[azscoob]

do You set them down gently when they are full? the only issues I have seen are when people rock the carboy without a tennis ball in the center, this repeated flexing can cause cracks along the bottom curved edge of the BB

My Better Bottles are over a year old and have had dozens of batches fermented in them, they are still like new.

I also have several of the PET bottles as well, I like them because they are a bit thicker, and no ribs along the sides to catch dropping yeast and trub. and after a year of use I have no issues with them cracking either.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Those looks like caustic stress fractures, which I lost two or three Better Bottles to. The difference between these and regular flex fractures is that they form from the inside out and typically do not leak. Flex fractures also tend to be radial and on the transition from bottom to side, not just on the bottom.

I switched from a generic cleaner to PBW, and now always add the PBW in dissolved form (mixed up in a 1-gallon pitcher) after a few gallons of water are already in there. Caustic stress fractures form when the powdered cleaner is added first, or just sprinkled through the opening so that some of it accumulates on the bottom. At least that's what the Better Bottle company told me.

 

[Sockmonkey]

I've never dropped one, or really even handled one roughly, when full.
With all of the "special precautions," I'm probably more careful with these than with my glass carboys.

I typically don't ever rock the carboys. The BB that cracked after one batch (Image 3) probably did have some rocking as it was a fruit beer and I tried to get the fruit to settle out every couple of weeks. It was never anything vigorous or more than a couple of rocks. Certainly not even in the same universe as the "1300 times" a BB is rocked during testing.

 

[Sockmonkey]

Arcane: That seems to be what BB thinks as well. These are definitely forming from the inside out.

BB currently has info on their site with the same advice you gave regarding adding dissolved PBW. Unfortunately, that info was not in the handling precautions at the time I researched & purchased.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Arcane: That seems to be what BB thinks as well. These are definitely forming from the inside out.

BB currently has info on their site with the same advice you gave regarding adding dissolved PBW. Unfortunately, that info was not in the handling precautions at the time I researched & purchased.

I know losing the BBs sucks, but I have used mine several times since this happened to me, following the procedure I outlined above (from the "Technical" portion of the BB web site), and haven't had any problems.

 

[Sockmonkey]

I know losing the BBs sucks, but I have used mine several times since this happened to me, following the procedure I outlined above (from the "Technical" portion of the BB web site), and haven't had any problems.

That's good to hear. I bit the bullet and bought another BB...