Glass carboy's V's Bucket as FV

[fizzypish]

My last 2 brew's have gone well but the bubbler never really took off. Nothing makes me happier after a brew than to hear it going so imagine my disappointment when it didn't sound like a machine gun.  I think the seal between the lid and the bucket isn't 100% but still good enough to keep the nasties out. Anyway.... besides less area for bugs to get in are there major advantages to carboys over bucket and for that matter glass carboys V's plastic?

[JimmyM]

Lash a bit a loob on your seal.

With plastic - it can become kind of permanently infected if you get scratches or even micro-scratches. Glass has a shiny surface (did ya know that?) and suffers less from this.

Cons: Glass more expensive, and a bitch to carry when full.

[delzep]

I'd rather drop an empty plastic vessel accidentally than a glass carboy....

[LordEoin]

Plactic buckets stack into each other, carboys take up a lot of space if you have a few.

[Ciderhead]

You can see how fermentation is progressing in glass easily, wont retain any colour or flavour and is much better for long term storage or lagering, especially cider, (coming from the guy that sells plastic for a living)

[Saruman (Reuben Gray)]

I haven't used buckets in years. I only use a glass carboy.
I did smash one once, while full. It only dropped an inch but it was on to tile. It tore my hand open. Thankfully it was full starsan so the floor got a good clean and my wound sanitised at the same time

I just can't bring myself to go back to plastic, even though it's safer and more convenient.

[Saruman (Reuben Gray)]

Well there is always a stainless steel pot. It's what I reckon I will do.

[JimmyM]

Yeah, but not keen on fermenting in something that doesn't have a tight fitting lid tho. That's my only reservation about pots. I have two big ones, a 70 litre and another one, maybe 40L.

loob man loob!

[fizzypish]

Anyone use the 5 gallon plastic containers as FV?

http://www.homebrewwest.ie/pet-carboy-fermenter--bung-23-litre-1996-p.asp

Surely this is the best of both worlds?

[Dodge]

It's all to do with oxygen permeability. On the bottom of your plastic containers is a number in a triangle  that corresponds to the oxygen permeability of the container. I think if the number is closer to 1 the better it is.

Obviously we all know that oxygen and beer should not really mix and that is what drives us to ferment in better containers to prevent too much oxygen in the final product.

Glass carboys and stainless steel containers would be the best. ie little o2 pick up during fermentation or secondary. Next would be the better bottles and 3rd would be plastic buckets. 

Now to say plastic buckets are last, since the beer is fermenting and not stored long time in them they are fine.

As long as there is some sort of lid on your container then having a seal tight container would not be very important during primary fermentation. Imagine Belgium breweries with their open top fermenters. The co2 would drive off any nasties.

[Chris]

Anyone use the 5 gallon plastic containers as FV?

http://www.homebrewwest.ie/pet-carboy-fermenter--bung-23-litre-1996-p.asp

Surely this is the best of both worlds?

I use these as secondary fermenters for dry hopping, conditioning etc. I found them a bitch to clean if used as a primary.

[Hop Bomb]

If only there was an affordable stainless steel solution!

Sanke keg fermentor?

[Ciderhead]

Not a great idea to post pictures with branded kegs I am guessing thats not your own in any case?

[Hop Bomb]

No not mine. I copied it from homebrew talk forum.

[Ciderhead]

It's all to do with oxygen permeability. On the bottom of your plastic containers is a number in a triangle  that corresponds to the oxygen permeability of the container. I think if the number is closer to 1 the better it is.

You are correct it is all about oxygen permeability but the number on the plastic container in the triangle refers to the resin type rather than oxygen permeability
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resin_identification_code
The order of permeability is from best to worst PET>HDPE>PP>LDPE.
For long term storage glass and stainless.