Like you I am a lover of wine. I developed my interest in wine in university when my friends would host wine and cheese parties, which were not only fun because of the new people I met but also because of all of the different types of wine I was exposed to. 
Winemaking Designer Carboys?
February 27th, 2008 by
Scott Young
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I was recently reading a monthly newsletter I get from one of the local wine making supply shops I frequent and came across a new cool “toy” I HAD to get and try out - a plastic clear carboy.
These carboys are made by “Better-Bottle” (www.Better-Bottle.com) and seem to have an OEM relationship with RJ Spagnols.
This new carboy caught my attention for a number of reasons:
1) It’s made up of the same material (PET) that is used in regular water cooler bottles so I knew my wine wouldn’t get a plastic taste to it. They are also almost “unbreakable” (mind you so was the Titanic) and can be cleaned with hot water.
2) At 1.5 lbs it is about 1/10th the weight of the equivalent glass carboy so wouldn’t hurt the back as much when I move a full carboy around.
3) It is clear (unlike the current opaque plastic carboys - which stain from what I hear) so you can see how well your wine is clearing.
4) Cost wise it is about the same as a glass carboy ($24.99)
5) The wider neck makes it even easier to clean the a a regular carboy.
Note: Due to the increased size of the neck you’ll have to use a size 10 bung for the airlock.
I’ve quizzed wine making shop owners about what they see as the main drawbacks to using this new plastic carboy is that it tends to scratch on the inside when using a carboy brush. Apart from that it appears to be pretty equivalent to a glass carboy.
I haven’t used it yet so would be interested in hearing from you if you have one and your experiences with it.
If you have used it before please let me know via the “comments” option below!
- Scott
| 2.5 |
Tags: Better Bottle, Plastic Carboy
February 29th, 2008 at 6:33 am
24.99???? What a rip. From what I can see all this is a plastic water bottle wich you can pic up FULL from your local grocery store for a $10 deposit and the cost of the water (Usually 3 to 5 bucks). I know most are blueish but I’m qure you could find a clear one if you looked.
Personally, I use small 1 Gallon jugs for the secondary and 2 Gallon glass jars for the Primary. I really don’t need to make large batches, this way I can play around abit more without the worry of wasting money. That and fermentation seems to go that much faster in smaller batches.
Cheers,
Heinz
http://fermentedfruits.blogspot.com
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Hi Heinz,
Thank you for your comment. Good question on whether or not the $24.99 is a
good deal or not. It fits 23 litres so is perfect for wine kits but I can
see your point if you are making your own wine from scratch.
Scott
March 11th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
As a follow-up to this plastic carboy post, one reader mentioned that she loves the new carboy due to how light it is but wanted me to mention not to add boiling water to it (to clean it) as it will cause the carboy to shrink! She unfortunately knows this from experience.
March 26th, 2008 at 11:24 am
My husband brews beer and uses glass ones. While heavy, he feels they are easier to clean. He’s a chemist, so he’s more comfortable using glassware than plastics.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:55 am
$24.00 sounds a bit high. I have found that
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/ seems to have the best cost for online ordering I have yet to find. They ship via FedEx and you can get deliveries on Sat.
No, I’m not going to get a spiff for plugging them. I just spent many hours online comparing upfront cost including shipping and they have every one beat hands down.
I think a 6 gl. Better bottle is around $19.00 B4 shipping but combine it with a wine kit and you have a great deal.
The B.B is easy to handle, clean and works well for reds and white with no staining or residual color tinges. I still will use glass for fruits as the B.B. may pick up and hold flavors and fruits from those kits. Island Mist kits actually warn you to rack to glass B4 adding the “F” pack.
Cheers to all!
May 19th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Polyethylene terephalate (PET or PETE) – Used in soft drink, juice, water, beer, mouthwash, peanut butter, salad dressing, detergent and cleaner containers. Leaches Antimony trioxide: workers exposed to antimony trioxide for long periods of time have exhibited respiratory and skin irritation; among female workers, increased incidence of menstrual problems and miscarriage; their children exhibited slower development in the first twelve months of life. The longer a liquid is left in such a container the greater the concentration of antimony released into the liquid.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
[...] also mentioned in earlier posts that you can now buy clear plastic carboys (see “Winemaking Designer Carboys” post) and these you definitely need to be careful that you don’t add boiling water to [...]