Home brewing

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by Radar Chief

The glass carboy will last forever with repeated scrubbing and cleansing.
The other kit must be using some kind of plastic bucket for a fermenter, right? That’s fine short term but the plastic will scratch with repeated cleaning and scratches can hide wild yeasts and bacteria that can spoil your beer.

I'm just curious of why would the plastic bucket scratch. Wouldn't you clean it with a dish rag and then sanitize it by rinsing with bleach mixture or sanitizing solution? At what point would it get scratched?

[Radar Chief]

Originally Posted by Lzen

I'm just curious of why would the plastic bucket scratch. Wouldn't you clean it with a dish rag and then sanitize it by rinsing with bleach mixture or sanitizing solution? At what point would it get scratched?

Plastic is soft, even using a soft rag and being careful you will still eventually scuff the surface.
Glass is much harder, you can use an actual carboy brush to clean it.

[1moreTRich]

Originally Posted by Radar Chief

Plastic is soft, even using a soft rag and being careful you will still eventually scuff the surface.
Glass is much harder, you can use an actual carboy brush to clean it.

Absolutely correct on this point. To clean my plastic I let it soak in oxyclean or PBW overnight, then I dump out all but just a bit of the liquid, stuff a rag in it, and use centrifugal force to clean the inside. Works very well, and no chance of a heavy, wet glass carboy slipping out of my hand. To me that is more benefit than possibly having to replace my carboys 5-10 years down the road.