26
Dec
Plastic is tough to clean without scratching. In fact there is more oxygen exchange from the interface between the bung and the neck of a glass carboy than there is through the wall of a pet carboy.
Plastic pet carboys are much lighter and easier to handle than their glass counterparts.
Plastic fermenter vs glass carboy. Pet plastic has a rate of oxygen permeability that s only slightly higher than glass. In fact there is more oxygen exchange from the interface between the bung and the neck of a glass carboy than there is through the wall of a pet carboy. Plastic is tough to clean without scratching.
Plastic carboys are made from quality food grade pet plastic that is 100 safe for fermentation. Plastic pet carboys are much lighter and easier to handle than their glass counterparts. Their lightweight nature makes them much easier to carry and to dump trub sediment from the bottom.
Additionally plastic carboys can be fitted with a number of attachments specifically designed for them made out of a similar pet plastic. Both glass carboys and plastic fermenters can meet the needs of your average brewer. Oftentimes a mixtures of considerations help brewers make their choice.
As a new brewer i use fermenting buckets because they re cheap light weight easy to use and replaceable. Carboys are available in either plastic or glass. Some brewers claim that fermenting in glass gives better flavor.
Plastic on the other hand is less expensive and less likely to break if you happen to drop it. However both types of carboy can be difficult to clean because of the narrow opening. Plastic is more hydrophobic than glass and can be highly charged.
Generally drugs are stored in glass vials for this reason it could also lead to precipitation of these compounds as they reach high concentrations on the wall of the fermenter. Glass carboys can be dangerous if handled with damp or wet hands. Glass carboys are usually clear so you will need to keep them out of light.
The small opening at the top of the carboy will require an additional purchase of equipment. A funnel or siphon for adding the cooled wort to the fermenter and a carboy brush to clean the interior of the. Traditional glass carboys can handle this pressure.
Plastic is well known to be softer than glass. When cleaning a traditional carboy you ll find that krausen and hop gunk gets stuck to the roof of the carboy. A carboy brush cannot be used on plastic carboys as it will scratch the plastic.
Pbw or a similar product must be used to clean them. A standard 6 gallon carboy weighs around 5 lb almost four times lighter than a glass carboy. Thus a full plastic carboy will weigh around 45 lbs instead of 60 lbs.
Yes that s still heavy but that 15 lbs could mean the difference between dropping it and not dropping in some instances. It s easier to pour liquid into a wide plastic bucket than into the narrow neck of a glass carboy. Plastic scratches more easily than glass which may promote contamination.
Because of the potential for cross contamination plastic may be less suitable than glass for beer brewed with wild yeast and bacteria such as brettanomyces and lactobacillus. Plastic buckets are opaque so you can t visually monitor fermentation plastic carboys do not have this issue.