On 2/6/2006 12:11 PM, Ray Calvert wrote:
[thread snipped]
You are right, carboys are no longer cheap. I remember when you could pick
them up for a dollar or two. Now they are around $20. I have accumulated
15+ in sized from 3 to 13 gallons. So I have maybe $300-400 invested in
them. I would not suggest anyone start this hobby and run out and buy $300
of glassware but that is not a lot of money to invest in a hobby over a
number of years and it is reusable. I have a lot more than that invested in
fishing tackle! ;o) I have used some of mine for 30+ years. Picking up an
extra carboy or two as you need it does not cost much. One of my arguments
against making beer is that I make a batch, a few friends come over, and it
is gone in a weekend. With wine or mead, a few friends come over and we
drink 2 or 3 bottles. It takes months to go through a batch.

Keith, thanks for the info on cranberry quantity. 1-1/3 lbs might not be so
overpowering. I may have to try that one. I have made Jack's cranberry
recipe and it is may too strong for me. I cut it with a white wine. But
for some reason many women love it.

Ray

[cross-posted to rec.crafts.winemaking as a follow-up to the discussion
on Better Bottles held there in 2004]

Speaking from the point of view of one who owns several gallon,
9@5 gallon, 2@3 gallon, and a small pile of various lower volumes) glass
carboys, I'll never buy another glass carboy again. I love them, and
they have served me well over years of use, but the care in handling
them that has to exercised is a real pain. And although it hasn't
happened yet I anticipate with dread the day that one of them breaks.
Breaking while empty would be bad enough, and if full it would be a
crying shame.

The last time I wanted to add to my collection, and also needed to
transfer several carboys full of finished wine from NJ to VA, I bought
Better Bottles. These things are just great! About 10 lbs lighter than
glass, which puts a full 5 gallon carboy at about 50lbs rather than
60lbs, which is a very noticeable difference. And they are as
unbreakable as could be desired. The only drawback is the flex in the
sides, which leads to the airlock working in and out as you lift it, and
with little ullage this can shoot wine out of the airlock... But a milk
crate solves this issue nicely, or a lot of care while lifting. I now
own 2@ 6 gallons and 2@5 gallons, and I've aged wine and mead in them
since about April, 2004. With the flex of the sides I didn't have to
worry about barometric pressure changes, and used solid carboy caps to
seal them. No wine or mead I've aged in them has shown the slightest
sign of oxidation, although the ones I've stored red wine in did
discolor slightly, despite the claims of the manufacturer that they
don't pick up color.

The cost (at the time I purchased them) was very comparable to a glass
carboy (within a dollar or two, as I recall), and they can come with a
racking port which is very convenient, although this adds considerably
to the price. The racking port was leak free for the trip from NJ to
VA, but I have not done extended aging in the carboy with the racking
port. I have not purchased their "DryTrap" waterless airlock, since I
don't trust it to prevent oxidation. They claim that "it will not dry
out, blow out, or suck back", but my LHBS doesn't carry them on hand and
so I haven't been able to take a look to overcome my skepticism. But my
overall experience with the Better Bottle has been outstanding, and I'd
recommend them to anyone.


Cheers,
Ken Taborek