Better Bottles

[Don]

Does anyone have any experience with Better Bottles?
The cleaning part is what I think would be difficult.
I'm toying with the idea of getting some and looking for some advise.
I have 2, 5 gal, 2, 6 gal and 2, 6 1/2 gal glass carboys so it's not that I really need them, and they aren't that much cheaper, and they have all those special, reusable ported closure, valves and outlet installing rods, special cleaning rod and.....
Is it worth the hassle to change over?

[Dwayne_Delaney]

I have a couple of 6 gallon Better Bottles and have had good luck with them. I started using them because my 6 gallon glass carboys won't fit in the small freezer that I use as a fermentation chamber and the Better Bottles will squeeze into the space.

As far as cleaning them, of course you must be very careful not to scratch the interior. After giving them a good rinse, I soak them with a PBW solution for a couple of days. I then drain out half of the PBW and add a wash rag to the mixture. I swish the rag around the interior to dislodge any remaining residue. I give them a final rinse and let them drain dry. When I am ready to use them, I spray some star san and they are ready to go.

[Don]

Do yo use their BetterBottle DryTrap or just a regular one.
They show when you lift the better bottle up (when it's full) it will suck the fluid back into the bottle.
http://www.better-bottle.com/products_master.html

[Dwayne_Delaney]

I don't have any of the special better bottle accessories.(way too expensive)


The contents of the airlock will get sucked into the bottle if you lift it up. I just remove the airlock before I pick it up.

[Michael Erwin]

...better bottle accessories.(way too expensive)

+1

The contents of the airlock will get sucked into the bottle if you lift it up. I just remove the airlock before I pick it up.

+1

I use them, and will never look back at glass. They're just too damn light to think. I worry about durability, but I don't need them to last forever. I've been using mine for two years so far, no problems. I am a little annoyed that they don't have a 6.5-gallon model.

[Chris Alvey]

I really recommend these. PBW + rag inside gets them clean. Also remember to clean right after you bottle as well.

I use those orange caps with some tubing attached that goes into a growler of water a my airlock and it works great.

When it's time to keg just lift it up, sanitize some 1/2" tube and attach it to the spigot and go.

The downsides are the cleaning and the cost but the upsides (weight, won't break and cut me up, spigot, cost) far outweigh the cons in my experience.

[Don]

Does anyone use the blue handles they sell, and how well do they work?

[Dwayne_Delaney]

Does anyone use the blue handles they sell, and how well do they work?

Sounds like someone is making their x-mas wish list.....

[Don]

Sort of, I was thinking if I went with the Better Bottle (for safety) I would sell my 6 I have now and that would make others a good Christmas.

[Chris Alvey]

I've never used the blue handle but I could see where it would help.

[ArtCox]

My secondary is a 6gal. Better Bottle. I love it, no chance of it breaking and it's lighter than a glass carboy.

[msjulian]

Just finished up my first brew in a 6 gal that Jack ordered for me. I must say is sure was a lot nicer carrying it downstairs to the fermentation fridge... The simple flow valve and racking adaptor are the way to go... Cleaning was pretty easy as well...

[Don]

Well I did it, I brewed last week and used my first BB, then ordered a second one today..

[Chris Alvey]

Here's a life-lesson for Better Bottle owners as well: Make 100% sure your chiller is chilling and your wort is cool before putting it into your Better Bottle. Let's just say, for the sake of argument, that an inattentive brewer where to hook up his cooling rig in such a manner that it did little to no cooling at all. Let's further say that said brewer then turned on his pump and let the hot wort flow right into the better bottle from the kettle. Well, that would warp and eventually crack said Better Bottle thus making it inoperable ... in theory, of course.

Just sayin'

[Don]

Wow! Just to say if that ever happened to you I bet you had a mess on your hands just to say!
But that is good advise and something I did think of right before I started filling my bottle.