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Better Bottles

Post #1 made 9 years ago
by onkeltuka
I hope this belongs here.

I've been looking at those BB's for a while, they seem like the ideal option between glass carboys and plastic buckets. They come with all kinds of options for taps and airlocks and what not. My question is should I buy just the standard bottles or are the taps etc. worth the extra money?

EDIT: actually it dawned on me when I went and read a post about no-chilling cubes and plastic resin stamps, that I have available these 18.9 litre clear plastic bottle that are used on spring water wells/ automats (whatchacallthem?). They have a handle shaped to the side, but they are PET- plastic, just as they say on the BB- website, so if that's the only thing that's supposed to make them more airtight than regular buckets, then I might not have to buy anything in the first place.
"The rules for making hop additions during the boil are about as well defined as those for a knife fight." -Stan Hieronymus

Post #2 made 9 years ago
by onkeltuka
...nah,they aren't PET after all,that's a number 7 stamped on them. Maybe polycarbonate?
"The rules for making hop additions during the boil are about as well defined as those for a knife fight." -Stan Hieronymus

Post #3 made 9 years ago
by Rick
Better Bottles are excellent, I have two of them.

If their airlock setups are cheap, go for it. But, I use drilled #10 bungs in mine (with S-type airlock) ... which is all dirt cheap and plentiful at my LHBS.

I would just get the standard bottles, I'm anti-tap for everything that is not my bottling bucket. Just a personal preference, less to clean/worry about.

If there was a tap on my Better Bottle, no way would I ever use it as a fermenter of any kind. Imagine yourself accidentally bumping or kicking the tap, it breaks ... there goes your beer.

So, I guess what I am saying is ask yourself what you want it for. If for a fermenter, my advice is to get standard bottles, if for a bottling bucket only ... go for the tap.
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Post #5 made 9 years ago
by BobBrews
I have better bottles but now I bought this.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brew ... entor.html

It's a bit taller than a regular Better Bottle but I can clean it easier. I can reach in and softly scrub if I have to. Take a look! :peace:
Last edited by BobBrews on 17 Oct 2014, 00:08, edited 1 time in total.
tap 1 Raspberry wine
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV

http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #6 made 9 years ago
by onkeltuka
Those new bottles look great. But I even have a hard time getting the BB's,have to order them from Sweden. I'll get the regular one's without taps. I guess you could even use the BB's for really long fermentations? I have a few wild starters bubbling and would like to try a few mixed fermentations that require months and months of fermenting.
"The rules for making hop additions during the boil are about as well defined as those for a knife fight." -Stan Hieronymus

Post #7 made 9 years ago
by darrinvw02
BobBrews wrote:I have better bottles but now I bought this.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brew ... entor.html

It's a bit taller than a regular Better Bottle but I can clean it easier. I can reach in and softly scrub if I have to. Take a look! :peace:
I've wanted to get me one of those big mouth bubblers but I've heard that the plastic versions are VERY fragile and that the slightest bump against anything results in a crack. Also that they are a pain in the neck to seal correctly. Have you had any issues Bob?
Last edited by darrinvw02 on 17 Oct 2014, 23:19, edited 1 time in total.

Post #8 made 9 years ago
by joshua
Good Day, if you want to use 8.5L/2.25 gallon PET Bottles that are good To 60PSI.

See http://www.partypig.com/

That are meant to distribute Beer.

They can be used for , "Ambient and Pressure fermenting" with a some Modification.

They have side and end holding stands for multiple usage.

Also, the is a Co2 unit that allows simple carbonation.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #9 made 9 years ago
by BobBrews
darrinvw02,

They are light and seem thin. They are taller so they may fit in a keggorators for lagering. Once you fill them they seem to feel like regular bottles. I have only used mine once. I still have a "Grocery Store Challenge"* beer sitting in there now. I expect to keg it tomorrow. I can't say that I saw a problem but it didn't seem to bubble for long? I did like the fact that I could unscrew the cover and spread out the dry hops (and a box of Lemon jello) easily. With the narrow neck bottles I was shaky and always had (yeast, hops or any other powder) stick to the side of the neck.

They might be harder to seal? But you don't need to be air tight. C02 is heaver than air so the carboy or bucket fills and overflows to eliminate Oxygen. I will have to watch that next time? I bought the extra lid with a blow-off tube hole.

*Our beer club holds a Grocery Store Challenge each year. The club gives you a bag containing 6 pounds of 6 row, a packet of dry yeast and two ounces of hops. Each contestant starts the same ingredients, but must spend $10US (or less) on the rest of the ingredients. They are cereal like fruit loops, Captain Crunch or whatever. Jello, Pie filling, Fresh Fruit, Oat meal, Kool-ade, spices, sugar? Anything that will ferment! The championship will be awarded at the taste-off in November.

I used steal cut oats, 2 lbs. of table sugar and lemon jello because the hops were Sorachi Ace which has a lemon grass kinda thing going? :luck:
Last edited by BobBrews on 17 Oct 2014, 23:50, edited 1 time in total.
tap 1 Raspberry wine
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV

http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #10 made 9 years ago
by sinkas
I have been using BB's for about 5 years,
and while I virtually never brew now,
I can say they are great,
but the northern brewer monster mouth ones look bloody excellent.
also dont dump hot wort into a better bottle, as it will create a short and painful piece of performance art.
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