Comments on: Better Bottle Carboys

By: Dave Lubertozzi

Dave Lubertozzi — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:30:27 +0000

I’ve always used a weak iodophor solution in my airlocks; keeps mold from growing in them for long-term aging and won’t evaporate as fast as vodka (and is much cheaper when you have around 40 carboys filled with wine and beer, as we do every fall after pressing the wine).

Don’t worry about getting a tiny bit of iodophor in the beer; use a dilute solution in the airlocks. It’s a no-rinse sanitizer, and some guys in our club tested spiked additions to a light beer and couldn’t taste it. http://www.bayareamashers.org/content/maindocs/iodophor.htm

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:27:57 +0000

I use a 5 gallon better bottle as a secondary and love it – it’s lighter and smaller than the 6.5 glass carboy I use as a primary. For your airlock issue, use vodka in the airlock – just buy a very cheap half gallon. This way the beer won’t get contaminated if the water gets sucked in.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 23:06:05 +0000

buckets rock. large opening for cleaning, can use them for a myriad of brewing purposes, not just for fermenters, ie: star san sanitizer container, bottling bucket, beer equipment storage. They are light, space saving (unlike Mike, I do not subscribe to the scratch principal at all. even with nesting). They are air tight, people say they are not, but I use a lid with a gasket, and use a gasket maker material to fill gaps where my blow off tubes go. When I push down on the lid, bubbles come from my blow off container. good enough for me. Hey, where talking max 14-21 days in primary, if the container is permiable to air 2-3 weeks is not going to do it. Use your cornies, or bottles to secondary.
ok, i’m done, Ha ha

By: Ted

Ted — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:39:51 +0000

I have started using the better bottle a couple of times, I have used a carboy brush and no scratches yet, but I think they will be noticeable if I continue, that is a drawback. But I did just see that you can saok a couple of days with PBW or inserts a small washcloth and swirl around to get some krausen gunk off, which sounds like an idea. as far as sloshing, I have always used a plastic mild container for my carboys. It was easier to move glass and with the Better Bottle, I didn’t have much flex from an unsupported bottom to have airlock water get sucked in. Overall, I recommend Better Bottle too, mostly due to the safety issue. I have used glass carboys for over 15 years and with a secondary, I would still use glass, due to limited movement. But mostly I do ales and with a herniated disk, the last thing I need to have happen is to have my nerve get pinched when carrying a full carboy into the basement from outside and then fall on the shattered glass when I can’t even stand up, let alone keep a grip on the carboy. I never tapped carboys and have them shatter, butI have heard plenty of stories of it happening. Then I read where someone had a carboy tap another one and after the full carboy shattered, the guy’s hand was literally hanging on by a tendon and the rest was cut through. Hand was saved, but now very limited usage and of course, no more brewing for him. I’ll take safer brewing into my old age over a horror story any day. I can’t think of a worse way to end your brewing fun and impact your life & work at a young age.

By: Wayno

Wayno — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:58:08 +0000

I only use Better Bottles, and I love them. I too was frustrated with the flexing sucking the water out of the airlock. I went to a blow off tube and this problem is gone. I’ve lagered an Oktoberfest in one for 3 months with great results. I have glass carboys, but they just sit on the shelf.

By: Chipper Dave

Chipper Dave — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:57:26 +0000

I did end up investing in a better bottle and did not have any issues with it for my first two batches. If I needed to move my full bottle around I would put the bottle on a roller and just push it around. Didn’t have to pick it up much. So far no ill effects but will have to see as I do more and more batches with them. Eventually I’d like to get a stainless steel fermenter. Sorry to hear you gave up on yours but you gotta go with your feelings and do what works best for you.

By: Glass and Plastic Fermentors | Brew Dudes

Glass and Plastic Fermentors | Brew Dudes — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:11:35 +0000

[...] and I have given up on Better Bottles. See this post and gleen my primary reason for [...]

By: G-Lover

G-Lover — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:06:53 +0000

As far as the water in the airlock, I’ve always used vodka. It’s already sterile and come what may, if some winds up in the beer, all you’ve done is upped the ABV a minuscule amount.

If I were doing a wit or other orangey/coririandery brew I usually use orange liquer. Just a thought.

By: Bunz

Bunz — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:15:48 +0000

According to The Mad Fermentationist, at http://madfermentationist.blogspot.com/, Better Bottles serve admirably for “wild” beers. The brett requires a bit of oxygen and the Better Bottle is just permeable enough to allow that.

By: Jeff Louella

Jeff Louella — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:49:19 +0000

I’ve been using the better bottle for a little bit. The issues they have is that that have all the negatives of plastic (scratching, 02 permeability) and the narrow neck for cleaning that a glass carboy has. That said, I fear a hospital visit with glass in my leg from glass. So I am extra careful with cleaning the better bottle. I haven’t made a beer that needed to be aged for more than a month, so I think the BB is perfectly fine for that.

I have collected the lids off of Deer Park 5 gallon office water bottles to slap on top when I am transporting the better bottle. These fit perfectly and actually snap on. I am sure any 5 gallon water container cap will work perfectly. This helps with the vacuum effect. I also keep a big bottle of vodka around to fill the air lock.