Plastic Big Mouth Bubbler

Would you expect there to be a difference in beer quality or yeast performance?[/quote]
Possibly. I can’t speak from personal experience, but Jamil and John Palmer have talked about how fermenter geometry can affect the final product. It may not be worse…just different. I suspect any effects would be negligible on a homebrew scale.

Just when I thought I was about done spending money for awhile on equipment for this “Hobby” (i.e. obsession…)

Well, someone does have a birthday and Father’s Day all in the next 30 days or so… :stuck_out_tongue:

Honestly the think I like the most I think it the duel cap feature where I can add or take samples without prying that tight lid off my bucket. I have 2 buckets and 1 6.5 gal better bottle that I alternate using.

Anyone have a verdict yet?

I just receive the 6.5 gal. version today. I like the dual port lid option. Not sure if I’ll have time this weekend, but am hoping to take it out for a maiden voyage soon.

The plastic seems to be more flexible (thinner?) than Better Bottle, but maybe that’s just because of the extra height.

Just used mine for the first time this past Sunday. Dual port lid is great. What I find nice is that I can lift the thing by “strangling” the big neck, so I can lift it straight up or down without tilting and sloshing the beer around. After krausen fell, was able to move it from swamp cooler to countertop pretty easily (that’s only about 8 feet, though). And it’s just nice to know that if I do have an accident, there’ll be no glass shards! Seems plenty sturdy.

Cheers,
Ron

With my first batch in a BMB for just over a week, I went ahead and ordered a second one. It seems as sturdy as a Better Bottle with obvious design improvements. The thing I like most is how much roomer these are (6.5 gal) while not being as dangerous as glass.

Put me down as a fan. I will report back if that changes.

[quote=“kcbeersnob”]With my first batch in a BMB for just over a week, I went ahead and ordered a second one. It seems as sturdy as a Better Bottle with obvious design improvements. The thing I like most is how much roomer these are (6.5 gal) while not being as dangerous as glass.

Put me down as a fan. I will report back if that changes.[/quote]

I’m sure this has probably been asked but will a standard adjustable Brew Hauler fit around one of these?

I’m very tempted to pull the trigger on one but really dont want to drop another $15 on a special harness when i already have 2 brew haulers

Sorry, I couldn’t tell you. I don’t use a hauler.

I just finished bottling my first brew in one of these.

The good:

The lid: It is much easier to pop out the airlock stopper to take a gravity sample than to pry the lid off a bucket. Its is also easy to take off the whole lid if you like. There is also plenty of headspace.

The weight: Like a bucket, the weight is negligible compared to the liquid inside.

You can see inside: fun, but not critical.

Punted bottom: this worked nicely for racking.

The bad:

No handle. I ended up picking it up by the lid. Definitely going to need a brew hauler.

The price: especially once you add in a brew hauler, it is quite a bit more expensive than a bucket. It isn’t terribly expensive in the scheme of brewing equipment, but enough to be a factor.

Even with the stiffening contours, it seems more flexible than a bucket. I don’t know if that is real, or just because it doesn’t have a handle so you are more likely to want to balance it by applying force on the side of the vessel.

Too soon to tell:

Cleanliness. I don’t know susceptible to staining and scratching it will be compared to a bucket. The large opening makes cleaning easier than a carboy, but the bumps and ridges are slightly harder to clean with a sponge than a smooth bucket.

Overall, I probably won’t buy another. The bucket seems like a better value for money, and even if price were no object it isn’t clear cut.

I’m going with the advice of my homebrew store. 9 gal wine bucket. Comes with a nifty handle and don’t need a blow off tube for a 5-6 gal batch.

I just realized another benefit compared to a carboy. Obviously the wide mouth can be helpful for cleaning. It will also make it easier to harvest yeast. You can reach in there with a sanitized cup (spoon, jar, etc.) and scoop out what you need.

How hard would it be to install a spigot in the bottom of the plastic fermenter? Sure would be easier than a racking cane and taking hydro samples.

If a spigot is the main feature you’re after and you want a carboy, I suggest going with a ported Better Bottle.

Well…last night I noticed that the vodka in the S shaped airlock on my BMB has not been pushed to one side, indicating that the seal on the carboy is faulty. Everything (lid, two stoppers and airlock) seem secure. Not a mark in favor of the BMB.

It’s been two weeks and it has started to clear, so I’ll go ahead and rack to a keg to minimize risk of oxidation.

Same problem using the Big Mouth 6.5 plastic, crazy fermentation, no air lock activity at all. Called NB, they said they have had a “few” problems with the seal and they would send me a new lid. What I got was a new screw on cap without a plate. Put it on last night, no difference. They told me they would replace the whole deal if the fix did not work.

Matt, the standard carboy hauler works just fine with the plastic BMB. I did not have any seal issues others reported that I noticed.

I wonder if it would help to apply keg lube to the lid prior to screwing it on. Also, I’ve never been a fan of the bungs they ship with the BMB. I might replace them with rubber bungs.

This appears to have worked for me. I applied just a bit of keg lube around the outer part of the lip on the plate and then screwed it on. Airlock activity is raging.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/petr ... -4-oz.html

I’ve used mine three different times. The first two batches, I saw no airlock activity. The last most recent batch however, the airlock was like a machine gun. I can’t explain it, but maybe one of my lids isn’t sealing. I have two of the BMBs, but I can’t remember which one I used for what. In the end, I’m not going to worry about it. I have four small 2 gallon buckets that I use for one gallon batches and I have yet to see airlock activity out of them. I’ve still gotten good beer from them, so no worries I guess.

For now, I love the BMBs. I may see if my cousin, who also brews, is interested in my Better Bottles though I’m not ready to part with them just yet. Cleaning the BMBs is a heck of a lot easier, that’s for sure.

I’m thinking about pulling the trigger on a 5 gallon BMB since my 5 gallon glass carboy was destroyed. It’s definitely cheaper. Thoughts?

Just got an email today saying if you spent $125 you get a free BMB. So if you’ve been putting off that big upgrade to your brewing equipment, now might be the time to consider it if you are in the market for a BMB anyway.