Plastic Tub Vs Carboy

[Hitman]

G'day,

Well it is Saturday night and i have been 'on the wagon' for three weeks with another three to go! (i am still allowed to visit the site?)

I would like the following question answered:

What is the difference, if any, between a plastic fermenter with a screw type lid, and a glass carboy with the cork-style plug?

The Carboys seem popular in the Northern Hemisphere (from what i have seen on YouTube), but i just see them as something that could break.

Anyone on the site use them? Advantages/Disadvantages? Your thoughts.

 

[Bribie G]

They seem to be almost universal on the USA sites but have the disadvantages that they don't bounce very well and you need to syphon which is a PITA compared to using a tap. Also I imagine that they would need long brushes on wire stems to get them really clean but once clean they would be guaranteed sanitised and can be minutely inspected, being clear. Never priced one but prolly dear as poison.

Plastic tubs are cheap, bounce well, have taps but have nooks and crannies, o rings etc that can harbour nasties and need to be mercilessly thrashed with cleaners and sanitisers. I suppose it's a no free lunches situation. I rather like the idea of the straight sided bucket fermenters provided you can get a good seal, as they have less nooks to conceal nasty stuff.

And goes without saying that the creme de la creme of fermenters would be stainless steel conicals that can be steam sterilized but out of the reach of the majority of hobbyists. Roll on Lotto win.

 

[chucke]

I prefer the plain-Jane fermenting bucket.

Add a lid and an airlock and away you go.

It's cheap, handy and completely easy to clean.

Only thing- it's not as satisfying as watching high krausen in a clear fermenting vessel.

Caveat- one should not use these puppies if one expects extreme fermentation.
The airlock can clog... pressure builds... FAH-BOOSH!
Next thing you know you're mopping the walls and ceiling to the sounds of the missus going over *all* the reason you shouldn't home-brew.

If extreme fermentation is expected- a I use either a 23L Better Bottle

or a HDPE container of similar size

and just cover the top with sanitized aluminum foil.

Glass carboys aren't just bad; they're evil.

 

[bhummel]

Haha Its funny this popped up today/tonight. As an American who dabbled in brewing in the states I used glass carboys pretty much exclusively. Always tended to be annoneyed with the lack of taps and the glass state (I did break one but by Gods blessing didnt cut the crap out of myself in the process). Since fleeing (maybe thats too strong of a word) the states I've learned to love Bunnings and their 16 dollar 25 liter fermenters and frankly until I can afford SS conical fomenters like this one (http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=5823) I cant see myself changing. The funny part is that today as I was cleaning a 25 gallon plastic Bunnings fermenter I dropped it from the porch 1 story down onto the concrete with a bunch of sani solution in it along with a couple bottles for yeast harvest and other things. Nothing broke much to my surprise and I continued with my plan to rack my beer into it. So I give the plastic a big thumbs up

 

[OzMick]

I don't mind the idea of glass, and considering replacing a couple of plastic fermenters in the near future. Haven't had an infection to date, but I hate plastic taps. Would love a shiny stainless conical, but unless Kev decides to give all his mates another lazy grand, not going to happen, and even then, probably get a full kegerator rig instead.

I think siphoning is only as painful as you make it. And the only time a full fermenter can smash is when being moved, so a bit of forethought about what you are going to do with it will ensure you don't have to.

Industrial cleaning chemicals (caustic, proxitane) scare a lot of homebrewers too, but with some knowledge and respect they're second to none. I think the same applies here, only something to be scared of if you don't know what you're doing.

 

[pdilley]

Glass is needed when you make wines and meads. Until you are making them glass is an option but not a need.

plasic brew bucket is easiest thing to clean and can come with or without taps
plastic fermenter has more parts to fiddle with but comes in 60L size if you need it and can be had almost defacto on the shelf in all oz lhbs'
glass fermenter has the long bottle cleaning brush with a bend in it as its brush or a hose/wand attachment to spray out the inside

plastic will age, stain more easily and need replacing which adds costs over time
glass will break if you drop it onto concrete or similar and only when you do this adds costs over time*

* Note that Carboys - popular in the States are just glass; Australia more often has Demijons from Europe with a plastic protecive basket with handles that protects better from breakage issues and the includes handles mak it easy for one or two people to lift and carry them around. Demijohns also can be had with built in taps to transfer out liquid without needing racking canes

If you are lazy and dont clean plastic right away you can scrub the dried on gunk to get it out
If you are lazy and dont clean glass right away you can soak the dried in gunk before brushing

plasic taps not many people seem to clean and are sources of infection, even though easy to pop apart into pieces once shown how
glass uses a racking cane and tubing to transfer, same with your stockpot for brewing beer unless you drilled and welded on taps which then need to be cleaned as for same reason as the plastic ones on the fermenter

Neither is evil, both fit a specific brewing requirement where the other is not as well suited for task


Cheers,
Brewer Pete

 

[oaf]

I started with a plastic screw top lid fermenter and quickly lost interest in cleaning o'rings and having them not seal for me.
One of my mates got onto spraying his o'ring with food grade silicon which worked wonders, but I'd already moved onto the snap lock lidded plastic fermenter which was easier to clean and had less parts.
I've had a couple of these snap locks, but really hate plastic as any drinking or beverage medium. It degrades fast and even the manufacturers tell you not to use them too long...

Moving right along, this 54L glass demijohn is my new best friend.





Yes, some caution is advised when cleaning, and moving it, but the benefits of glass far outway these issues.
I lay a folded old beach towel down on the concrete - no ploblem.
Bent the last 5 or 6 inches of a 10mm steel tube at about 45degrees, which easily gets to all of the inside of the fermenter to clean it. This tube pushes a cloth around a pre soaked area of the demijohn to scrub it.
Shuffling a 40-odd litre batch into the fridge is exiting, but I fill the last 15L on a bench next to the fermenting fridge it goes into, and then Hulk it into place. It's not that hard...

This is the best brewing investment I have made (besides kegs and a fermenting fridge). It always makes me smile.
Siphoning is quick and easy and I even attach the bottle filling tube as my 'magic wand' to fill kegs and bottles with no spillage what-so-ever.
It probably helps that my fermenting fridge is an upside down jobby, so the fementer is well gravitally above my filling points.

IMO, glass with no tap is the way to go. It'll only bite you when you don't respect it...

Cheers -Oaf.

 

[Bribie G]

Oaf, that's an awesome piece of kit, do you have a kneeling cassock on the floor in front of the fridge so you can kneel and worship it every morning when you open the fridge to check it out ? I'm starting to find that hoisting a 30L around is becoming a bit hard (gotta get back to the gym) so remember to keep a straight back when lifting that thing