I have quite a few of these from the water cooler. is there any known pro’s or con’s to using as secondary fermenters? i ask because i plan on brewing alot more then i have been, and a few beers in my line up call for a long secondary i.e. 3+ months. instaed of buyin 3 or 4 more carboys, would this be suitable? any and all comments welcome and appriciated.
Obviously they are food safe, you are drinking out of them.
Likely they do not have the “oxygen barrier” that the Better Bottle has.
[quote=“Nighthawk”]Obviously they are food safe, you are drinking out of them.
Likely they do not have the “oxygen barrier” that the Better Bottle has.[/quote]
They’d probably be okay for primary, but I’m not too sure about long term.
[quote=“Rookie L A”][quote=“Nighthawk”]Obviously they are food safe, you are drinking out of them.
Likely they do not have the “oxygen barrier” that the Better Bottle has.[/quote]
They’d probably be okay for primary, but I’m not too sure about long term.[/quote]
I would agree with this.
Is there any marking on the bottle? If it is the same make up as the plastic pales you should be fine for primary use.
Thanks for all the comments. I called deer park and asked about the numbers I did find on the bottle. I was told there is a date stamp which I found. If there are numbers after the date, that indicates how many times that particular bottle has been returned and refilled and te distributed for sale. Four of the six I have we’re first time productions deer park verifys they are food grade and as long as sanitized will be good to hold liquid as good as a better bottle for a period of time up to a year. They were reluctant to comment on the " recycled" bottles. Looks like I have four “good” secondary fermenters for my lineup!!!
What would Deer Park know about Better Bottle properties and the holding of liquids other than water? You do understand that it is ok for drinking water to get oxygenated but not ok for beer?
Supposedly the plastic they make those big water jugs out of can’t even be used for soda bottles because the plastic is so gas permeable that the contents will go flat.
Maybe check the recycle bolt. Better Bottles are made of #1 (PET). If you see something else like #2 (HDPE), it might not be a good choice for bulk aging.
What would Deer Park know about Better Bottle properties and the holding of liquids other than water? You do understand that it is ok for drinking water to get oxygenated but not ok for beer?[/quote][quote=“bunderbunder”]Supposedly the plastic they make those big water jugs out of can’t even be used for soda bottles because the plastic is so gas permeable that the contents will go flat.[/quote]
valid points. thanks guys, i think i just got a big head there for a minute thinking about the money id save. but it wouldnt be worth it with the end redult being a bunch of ruined beer!
Specifications
Weight 1.54 lbs/700 grams
Insert Dimention 3.15 in.
Diameter 10.688 in.
Height 19.25 in.
Lower Neck Diameter 2.638 in.
Upper Neck Diameter 2.087 in.
Interior Mouth Diameter 1.811 in.
Exterior Mouth Diameter 2.190 in.
Neck Height 2.677 in.
Overflow Capacity 5.14 gal.
Fill Point Capacity 5.02 gal.
[u][b]Materials
Sterling bottles are manufactured with a proprietary blend of DAK Americas, LLC polyethylene terephthalate copolyester, * Lasert ® W PJ002 (F43A). (Formerly Eastman Chemical PJ002).[/b][/u]
does anybody know what this means. in the material list
In molding, Sterling uses only the highest grade PET material. This material, unlike polycarbonate material, resists stress cracking adding to number of ‘trips’ on each bottle while providing exceptional clarity. Recent improvements in PET have also increased scuff resistance making them comparable in wear to any returnable bottle available today
does this statment change anything? sorry for bugging you all and thanks for the comments
and the recycle bolt indeed has a #1
I think the key word there is “polyethylene terephthalate”. That’s PET, the same polymer they make Better Bottles out of.
BB might have something in their process that makes it super-impermeable, but it sounds like it might be worth a shot.
greatly appriciated Bunder. im gonna give it a go, and will report in the future on my results!
I know gas molecules are super small etc but I still find it weird to think about that certain plastics can let these said gases in and out without the water just leaking right of it. Just strange is all. kind of freaky to me.
as far as this topic, I don’t know nearly as much as others that have posted, but I personally would not have a lot of confidence in these bottles especially for 3-4 month fermentation.
Will the buckets work? while carboys are expensive, you can get the fermenting buckets for like $16 or so can’t you? Actually a local home be me has them for as little as $13 w/ lid (not a bad price.)
the price differential between that and the water jugs may be pretty small is my point…
[quote=“bunderbunder”]I think the key word there is “polyethylene terephthalate”. That’s PET, the same polymer they make Better Bottles out of.
BB might have something in their process that makes it super-impermeable, but it sounds like it might be worth a shot.[/quote]
My understanding is that the oxygen barrier is a “film” that is sandwiched between layers of PET plastic. I could be wrong, but I think that this essentially means you’ll have to search explicitly for the “oxygen barrier” phrase when looking for satisfactory bottles.
[quote=“bunderbunder”]
Maybe check the recycle bolt. Better Bottles are made of #1 (PET). If you see something else like #2 (HDPE), it might not be a good choice for bulk aging.[/quote]
Good info. :cheers:
