My Better Bottle shrunk!

[mikefranciotti]

So this is the second time I've used my BB, the first was for Edworts Apfelwein and I just put in an American Wheat.

Well I let the wort cool for a bit after the boil, poured it in the BB and it melted a bit & shrunk significantly! Am I the first newb to ruin a BB???

I always use fermenting buckets and pour the hot wort right in & have never had a problem.

The problem I now have is I'm not sure how much wort is in there (I boiled 2.5 gallons to make the brew) but since the BB shrunk and I don't know how much has boiled off I don't know what to do... Do I just fill it up a little leaving enough headspace to allow krausen?

 

[humann_brewing]

So do you know the temp of the wort when you put it into the better bottle?

Check out this guys story.

175* wort in better bottle = shrinkage

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/shrunk-my-better-bottle-50164/

 

[Evan!]

Uh...yeah...my LHBS has a crazily deformed BB sitting in their shelf as a warning to all who would put hot liquid into theirs. Sorry, you just ruined your better bottle, but no, you're not the first and probably not the last.

As for trying to figure out how much to add, why not make a good guess at how much is in there, and add a little less topoff water than you think you might need, stir it up, then take a gravity reading. If it's high, add a little more water. If it's too low, well, darn...

 

[Grinder12000]

WHAT? the Better Bottle vs. Glass gang never mention this little problem!!

 

[beerkrump]

That's because adding hot liquid to a glass carboy has a different result.

 

[Zen_Brew]

I don't think adding hot wort to a glass carboy is such a great idea either. with the occaisional threads about them randomly breaking I'd be concerned about heat stress on any glass carboy that may have stress fractures already from shipping or poor QA at the Mfr that are unseen.

As to the OP. I would just fill it as much as you can leaving some head space and go with it. Depending on how disfigured the better bottle is you can maybe relegate it to secondary duty (assuming it was a 6 gallon) or replace it. You can get a ballpark idea how much volume you lost once you've got the beer moved out of there by filling it with pre-measured water. I use 1 gallon water jugs for a ballpark figure.

 

[DeutscheMaster]

That's because adding hot liquid to a glass carboy has a different result.

Sure does, an explosive tragedy. Room temp glass plus hot liquid equals NO!

 

[conpewter]

Sure does, an explosive tragedy. Room temp glass plus hot liquid equals NO!

Probably doesn't break most of the time, but no reason to chance it of course. Now a Borosilicate carboy...

 

[leboeuf]

BB's are a PET plastic, buckets are HDPE. PET doesn't handle heat very well, HDPE handles heat extremely well....

usplastics.com has an awesome selection of HDPE barrels on the cheap

These are the better side of awesome
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/va...ory_name=25&product_id=13648&variant_id=75032

 

[DeutscheMaster]

Probably doesn't break most of the time, but no reason to chance it of course. Now a Borosilicate carboy...

Would be nice but kind of pricey.

 

[mikefranciotti]

If I head out first thing tomorrow to grab a new primary, mix to the appropriate level and pitch yeast I'd assume I'd be in good shape no?

I don't have an chiller so sometimes I have to wait overnight as the wort cools anyway.

 

[ACo]

why would you put boiling or close to boiling wort in a better bottle anyway?

 

[mikefranciotti]

Looking back on it I realize that was a dumb move but after about 5 or 6 brews, putting them all directly into brew 'buckets' and never having a problem, the thought never even crossed my mind.

If I head out first thing tomorrow to grab a new primary, mix to the appropriate level and pitch yeast I'd assume I'd be in good shape no?

 

[Zen_Brew]

You should be OK with another primary and pitching into it as long as your sanitization is good. The longer your wort sits with no yeast in it, the more chance wild yeast or nasties can be reproducing in it.

 

[Dave R]

why would you put boiling or close to boiling wort in a better bottle anyway?

That's what I was wondering. My BBs don't get the wort until it's at pitching temp. You can cool your wort in the sink with cold water that you keep changing out as it warms and then a final ice bath that will bring it down to pitching temp. THEN put it in the BB. Takes about a half hour to 45 mins.

 

[WenValley]

I weighed my BB a week ago, and I think it was less than < 2 pounds (1.3 if memory serves). Water weight 8.34 pounds per gallon, so if you weigh your carboy, and subtract a couple of pounds, then divide the result by 8.34 you'll know how much liquid you have on board. Of course, someone will chip in that wort at 1.045 SG is X amount heavier that water, so you need to blah blah blah..... Good Luck...

If it's really distorted, you could enter it in an Art Exhibit, with a title like: "Wort's the Matta"? Or, "Beer me up Scotty".

 

[mikefranciotti]

I always try doing the sink bath with ice and ice packs from AHS but it never seems to cool quickly. I'm going to shoot out first thing in the AM, grab a new primary/AL and pitch as soon as I sanitize.

Just hope I'm not tempted to buy more ingredients as I'll have 5 batches already brewing.

 

[mikefranciotti]

WenValley good point on using the weight, I'll see what I come up with.

As long as I can still fit 5 gallons of liquid in there, I'll use the BB strictly for Edworts Apfelwein as that was a recent hit this past weekend with company.

Thanks for the responses guys

 

[mikefranciotti]

Well I went to the LHBS and grabbed a new bucket/lid, also picked up a new packet of yeast to try with Edworts Apfelvein so as long as I can clean the Better Bottle, I'll use it for cider only.

Oh and it shrunk from a 5gal BB to a 4gal BB.

 

[neuron555]

Am I the first newb to ruin a BB???

Been there, done that. :cross: I got a copper chiller after that and am much happier. I hit the pitching temperature quickly, even with full boils. Worth the investment.

 

[mikefranciotti]

I've found copper chillers around $75, can they be found cheaper than that? I feel like that's a bit steep.

 

[Zen_Brew]

You can build your own on the cheap. If you go with a 25" coil of 3/8 copper your probably looking at like $25-30.
Here is a thread on it, I'm sure there are some others.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/simple-immersion-wort-chiller-33036/

 

[The Pol]

Better bottles are PET, not good for hot wort.

You can buy HDPE fermentors that can handle +210F fluids, if you want to continue placing hot liquids in the fermentor.

Your buckets worked because they were also HDPE

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

Just to point out if your doing a condensed boil, say 2.5 gallons, you can add a gallon or two of cold water from the fridge before pouring the hot wort and it will still end up warm but should not warp the BB. Or for that matter heat stress a glass carboy.
I'm still amused at the idea of a warped 4 gal container.
This is your brain after homebrewing obsession syndrome kicks in beware little children, all it takes is one batch.

 

[mikefranciotti]

Here's the carnage. It actually doesn't look that bad in the picture but I can assure you it's deformed

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee148/noobercorn/ShrunkenBetterBottle.jpg

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

Height and diameter can be used to find the in^3 and that can be converted to gallons if you still want to lnow what the volume of the container is after the shrinkage.