Carboy Cleaner Better Bottle 3 gl. Better Bottle 5 gl. Better Bottle 6 gl. Carboy Glass 3 gl. Carboy Glass 5 gl. Carboy Glass 6 gl. Carboy Cleaning Brush Carboy Dryer Stand Burgundy Carboy Cap Carboy Handle (orange) Carboy Shield Brew Belt Jet Carboy & Bottle Washer Brew Hauler Orange Carboy Cap Universal BB Stopper Drilled Screw Cap Black 28mm (12) Screw Cap Black 28mm (144) Screw Cap 38mm w/hole Half Gallon Glass Jug each Half Gallon Glass Jug case Glass Jug 1 gl. (each) Glass Jug 1 gl. (case) Screw Cap 38mm (72) Screw Cap 38mm (ea)Secondary Fermentation of Homebrewed Beer
If you are using single stage fermentation, the best investment you can make is to add a secondary fermenter. All you will need is a five gallon carboy, stopper, and an airlock. The investment is less than $30, and your beer will improve greatly. Secondary fermentation provides many advantages, not the least of which is flexibility in bottling. Single stage fermentation requires that you bottle your beer within 7-10 days of brewing to avoid yeast bite. By transferring (racking) the beer to a secondary fermenter you can hold off the bottling for as long as three weeks. The time your beer spends in the secondary fermenter allows it to mellow and clear. Hops can be added to the secondary fermenter (dry hopping) to enhance the aroma and flavor of the finished beer. The advantages and options go on and on. You don't have to buy the brewery to make better beer.
The Better Bottle
Dont think of Better-Bottle carboys as plastic, think of them as better than glass. They are made from a special type of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which make them acceptable for fermenting wine or beer.
The Better Bottle has the advantage of being light weight compared to glass. When cleaning, you can invert the bottle and using a pistol-grip garden hose nozzle, direct a stream of water into the bottle to rinse out. There are also many commercial bottle rinsing attachments available for sink faucets. You can also simply fill partially with hot water, hold a towel over the open end and shake vigorously to rinse out. Invert and air dry.
Better-Bottle PET carboys are rated to 60°C (140°F), the highest temperature recommended for home hot water heaters. Higher temperatures are unsafe, unnecessary and likely to distort the carboy.
Glass Carboys
Five gallon glass water bottles were once a must-have for homebrewers. Glass is easy to clean and sanitize and will last a life time if cared for. Remember safety first. Never put boiling water into a glass vessel. The high temperature will cause the glass to expand quickly and break.