Home brewing

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by Lzen

I've been doing a little reading on howtobrew.com. I have a decent idea of what I need to get started. But I'm trying to figure out something. The kits I'm looking at have one with a carboy and one without. The one with the carboy (has a few other things, as well) is about 30% more expensive. What is the benefit of a carboy?

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[Radar Chief]

Originally Posted by Lzen

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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.

[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.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Lzen

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No oxidation, easier to keep sanitary. Plastic scratches pretty easily, and those scratches are when bugs and mold and stuff can dig in an live. You're not going to have that problem with a glass carboy.