didn't we have this conversation on NB? I like my beer from a glass bottle, not a plastic one. glass doesn't scratch like plastic. I just prefer it. are we Andorian yet?
Glass carboys, real talk.
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VachonBrewCo
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logan3825 said:
Omg. It's an opinion people. Get over yourselves!
stevedasleeve
Well-Known Member
Denny said:
I know that. I'm just a little worried about the wife...
I personally like glass. It's what I've found in the area for cheap, and it works just fine. Can it have problems? Yup, possibly. But so can a gun. I'm not going to get rid of either of them because of things that *may* go wrong if I don't use my tools properly.
In a perfect world we'd be able to get borosilicate carboys, but, until then, I'll just stick with what I've always used.
If folks are happy with BB's, that's awesome for them. I just like glass more, namely because plastic always feels flimsy to me, and I am always haunted by feelings of chemicals leeching out of it. Is that accurate or even rational, probably not, but hey, I'm an artist in the kitchen and I don't have to be rational
In a perfect world we'd be able to get borosilicate carboys, but, until then, I'll just stick with what I've always used.
If folks are happy with BB's, that's awesome for them. I just like glass more, namely because plastic always feels flimsy to me, and I am always haunted by feelings of chemicals leeching out of it. Is that accurate or even rational, probably not, but hey, I'm an artist in the kitchen and I don't have to be rational
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eltorrente
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People are getting WAY too worked up about using glass. It's just another example of how the internet brings together people from all over the world, and all the worst case scenarios start coming in, and people sharing incidents and accidents that they've seen and heard of - then all of a sudden people who use glass carboys are crazy people who may die any minute.
It's a big glass container filled with liquid, so be careful and use common sense. I would strongly recommend that noone ever pick up a carboy with one of those handles, though - I can't see how that would ever be a good idea.
I've been using glass carboys for over 17 years, and never had a crack or any sort of damage to them, after countless brews. With *dry* hands, I grab with one hand underneath the carboy, and the other grabs the neck, and it's just not an issue. I would never brew with plastic, but it isn't wrong to do so - but glass is what I like because they are the easiest to clean. I like to see what my beer is doing while it's fermenting, also.
Just use common sense and care and there will not be an issue. It's perfectly fine to use glass. This is like a witch hunt lol.
It's a big glass container filled with liquid, so be careful and use common sense. I would strongly recommend that noone ever pick up a carboy with one of those handles, though - I can't see how that would ever be a good idea.
I've been using glass carboys for over 17 years, and never had a crack or any sort of damage to them, after countless brews. With *dry* hands, I grab with one hand underneath the carboy, and the other grabs the neck, and it's just not an issue. I would never brew with plastic, but it isn't wrong to do so - but glass is what I like because they are the easiest to clean. I like to see what my beer is doing while it's fermenting, also.
Just use common sense and care and there will not be an issue. It's perfectly fine to use glass. This is like a witch hunt lol.
Mordhaus
Well-Known Member
The only thing these threads have convinced me to do differently is to wear welding gloves when handling my glass, inspect my Brew Haulers before each use, and I'm considering getting some milk crates and rigging up some sort of forearm sling system using lifting straps. I've always been Speidel curious and I may eventually get one should the right deal present itself, but I don't see myself giving up the glass just yet.
Yeah, maybe we did...I'm old and getting senile! I was hoping you'd have GOOD reasons!
I'm proof that that's not the case.
Another question...if you;re going to use plastic, why get so hung up on the carboy form, like a Better Bottle? What is it about that form you prefer? Personally, I find that the larger opening of buckets makes them easier to clean, and you can stack them for storage so they take up less room. So, what's the fascination with the carboy form?
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Easier to seal. Less headspace in the secondary.
Oh, that's right. A good sealing and secondary aren't necessary. Sorry.
Oh, that's right. A good sealing and secondary aren't necessary. Sorry.
Yeah, maybe we did...I'm old and getting senile! I was hoping you'd have GOOD reasons!
that was a good reason, brahfish. using a bucket, BB, or glass carboy necessarily won't make you a better brewer. and I like carboys better because it can hold a CO2 blanket better. are my antenna showing yet?
eltorrente
Well-Known Member
Buckets just don't keep the CO2 barrier as well - because when you lift off the lid to peak inside to see what it's doing, you let oxygen in. Of course, the CO2 is heavier and should keep it at bay - but still, I hate that thought. The more times you lift the lid, the more you stir things up in there. I like to check out the progress, so if I used buckets I would be lifting the lid up several times during the process. As fermentation slows down and CO2 production slows/stops, that air I let in won't get pushed out.
Since I like to look at my beer as it's fermenting, glass carboys are the by far the best possible vessels for me. The airlock remains sealed the entire time, and I don't disturb anything during the fermentation. The only time the airlock comes off is when I'm transferring into a keg which has been carefully purged with CO2 beforehand. Glass is also super easy to clean.
Since I like to look at my beer as it's fermenting, glass carboys are the by far the best possible vessels for me. The airlock remains sealed the entire time, and I don't disturb anything during the fermentation. The only time the airlock comes off is when I'm transferring into a keg which has been carefully purged with CO2 beforehand. Glass is also super easy to clean.
Plastic is also super easy to clean, and easier to get into to do the cleaning. It's not like I didn't use carboys for years, so I'm not making my decisions in a vacuum. How many of you glass users have tried buckets to compare?
In my experience, your argument about opening the lid makes absolutely no difference. As I said. I did a LOT of batches in glass before switching to buckets. I made my decision based on experimentation and experience.
I've been a lot of batches (over 300) but not as many as Denny, as he's much older than I am. :cross:
I started with ale pails way back when, went to carboys for a while, and went back to buckets.
One thing with carboys to remember is that they must be covered to avoid light (especially sunlight) so I have towels around my carboys that are full of wine. I don't need to see the fermentation (what difference could it possibly make?) and I don't need to open and reclose constantly (although I could).
I like the fact that if a bucket cracks or breaks (and it never has) that I might lose some beer but not a thumb like my friend did.
I weigh 135 pounds, and I don't want to lift things heavier than they need to be. I especially don't want to lift heavy glass things if I can avoid it!
maybe I'm just a dumb brewer, but no amount of horror stories will change my mind on glass. and why should I switch now if what I have is working great? should I just toss my 4 glass carboys & buy buckets? will my beer come out any better? I'm done on the rant & subject. thank you for your time & happy fermenting in your vessel of choice!
Nope, changing from glass to buckets will not improve your beer in the least.
That's what's great about brewing, that we all have choices and can choose what works best for us.
I think any blanket statement, ie "glass is best" or "plastic is best" is always wrong.
I just wanted to note why I make the choices I do. I still have lots of carboys (about 10 times more than you do) but I use them only for wine, and with great caution.
eltorrente
Well-Known Member
You are correct, Yooper - it ultimately doesn't make a difference which one you use, as long as you use good brewing and sanitation practices, and common sense.
It also doesn't make a difference if you can watch the fermentation or not - but it's nice to be able to. I've seen hundreds of fermentations, yet it never gets old to see the yeast clumps moving around - but I'm easily amused. I can see when it starts to clear, and when the cake is solid. Not necessary, but interesting anyway.
I just pull a T-shirt over the carboy once I've pulled it out of the kegerator and into my living room for the diacetyl rest. Easy to lift up and take a peak.
People should use what they feel comfortable with, period. If your beer comes out good, then more power to you - whatever you use. I think plastic is "bad" only because I like glass much better. I never had a single issue in the last 17+ years I've brewed, and I'm not worried in the least by all the horror stories of glass.
It also doesn't make a difference if you can watch the fermentation or not - but it's nice to be able to. I've seen hundreds of fermentations, yet it never gets old to see the yeast clumps moving around - but I'm easily amused. I can see when it starts to clear, and when the cake is solid. Not necessary, but interesting anyway.
I just pull a T-shirt over the carboy once I've pulled it out of the kegerator and into my living room for the diacetyl rest. Easy to lift up and take a peak.
People should use what they feel comfortable with, period. If your beer comes out good, then more power to you - whatever you use. I think plastic is "bad" only because I like glass much better. I never had a single issue in the last 17+ years I've brewed, and I'm not worried in the least by all the horror stories of glass.
triskelion
Well-Known Member
Anyone else here use 1 gallon demijohns? All this carboy talk lately is starting to scare me a little
I can confirm that boiling wort and an ice bath don't mix, and I lost a gallon of soon to be mead.
Just for the record, I use a coopers fermenter and think its great, no messing with airlocks and you can see how your beers doing under the krausen. I just keep it in a cupboard, out of the light.
I can confirm that boiling wort and an ice bath don't mix, and I lost a gallon of soon to be mead.
Just for the record, I use a coopers fermenter and think its great, no messing with airlocks and you can see how your beers doing under the krausen. I just keep it in a cupboard, out of the light.
eltorrente
Well-Known Member
All this carboy talk lately is starting to scare me a little
Welcome to the internet.. where everything gets blown way out of proportion.
triskelion
Well-Known Member
Maybe all these terrible accidents are fairly rare. But avoiding carboys sounds like a reasonable idea to me if there's some good alternatives
eltorrente
Well-Known Member
People do stuff every single day that others have had terrible accidents doing. Dicing onions, using the stair case, driving a car.. If you read about all this stuff and what could happen to you, you'll be afraid to do anything at all. Just use common sense and it's not even an issue.
triskelion
Well-Known Member
But why not avoid dangerous things if there's an alternative? I think that's all that us plastic people are saying. And I've stated several times, all the common sense in the world won't save you from an accident.
I'd be willing to bet that the carboys with stress fractures, etc had invisible manufacturing defects. Problem is, there's no way to know which carboys have these defects until symptoms appear... like stress fractures, if you're lucky.
I bought my Better Bottle when my one-year-old son came out of nowhere and grabbed my leg, and I almost dropped the bottle on his head. Now I use plastic when I can, and the legacy glass fermenters I own only get used outside where my brew fridge is, where there's a door between the kids and it.
I started a thread asking about actual, verified cases of plastic fermenters causing wort to oxidize. So far there's nothing. I have no concerns about leaving a strong ale in plastic for a year or more, so yeah.
Related: Anyone wants a glass six-gal, they can have it for postage.
triskelion
Well-Known Member
Related: Anyone wants a glass six-gal, they can have it for postage.
Thats very generous, but you might have difficulty giving them away to anyone whos been reading this thread. lol
stevedasleeve
Well-Known Member
I use my glass carboys cause I always have and my beer is good! I turned down a conical and a full blown electric system - both possible birthday presents from my lovely wife - because I *like* my brewday. I don't have to think particularly as all the tasks are ones I've done over and over, and the process yields good beer. I suspect my beer won't be any better going upscale ( or down!) but I'd have to figure out all the new quirks all over again. Who needs it right?! So to bring it back to this thread, if you don't work out, go with plastic ( ya wimps) knowing it makes not a hoot of difference. If you like bling go with a conical. If you like lifting heavy objects go with glass. It's all good in the end since the objective is beer.
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Steve da sleeve
My 2P
Steve da sleeve
No need to change your mind or switch. Glass works great. The horror stories are to remind you to be careful.
Consider that many of us drink while doing this. I think the safety message is an important one.
oh, I understand. 14 years, hundreds of batches, same glass, and the same argument. people tend to get aggressive & passive aggressive about the glass vs. plastic issue. and it always ends up with glass users being stupid for the "added risk". people might not always come right out and say it so bluntly, but it's always underlined when they keep pressing the issue. it's like a political argument between the big 2. no one wins and one side (both really) will get all sorts of smug and arrogant thinking they are right. I understand the argument and the risks involved.
anyone wants to quote me & ask anything else or a direct statement, feel free to PM me. as for this thread: off my radar.
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