I can get 5 gallon water cooler bottles to use a fermentation vessels very cheaply...or buy 5 gallon Better Bottles for a lot more money. Has anybody done an evaluation of the differences between these? A superficial examination of them leads me to believe that they are pretty much identical.
I haven't tried it myself, but I don't believe that water cooler bottles are designed to handle pressure that can build up in fermenters. THey are visually very similar, but, as they say, the devil is in the details. THink of a standard bucket / ale pail, and how hard the cover is to take on and off. A clogged airlock will blow the top pretty quickly. What kind of pressure are we talking about? Would a similar pressure blow just the top or the whole bottle?
Unless the plastic is the same,they are different. My water jugs are #1, better bottles are #3. Different O2 permeability.
I believe the difference is Oxygen permeability. Water bottles are typically HDPE (same as buckets) where BB is PET. PET is nearly the same as glass when it comes to Oxygen. Using the water bottles might be okay for a short fermentation period like a bucket, but not for longer fermentations, bulk aging, lagering, secondary (oaking, coffee, dry hopping, etc.) If you plan on using it to make a mild that will be ready to package in 2 weeks, you might be able to get away with it. My question is what is your plans for the water bottles? 5 gallon bottles can't ferment 5 gallons of beer so using as a primary means you don't get 5 gallons of finished beer. If for secondary, don't waste your money or your beer as it will allow too much O2 for a secondary.
There is also the nasty looking seam on water bottles. Doesn't look like it would be easy to sanitize.
Better Bottles are made of a ‘special’ PET; read below (from the Better Bottle website): “Don't think of BetterBottle carboys as plastic – think of them as better than glass, because they are made from a special, scientifically tested, polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PET), which does not have the disadvantages of other plastics. BetterBottle® fermentation carboys are: are: 1) Designed to be strong, scuff resistant, easy to handle, and essentially unbreakable, 2) Pure – Taste- and odor-free, BPA-free, DEHP-free, and plasticizer-free, 3) Virtually impermeable to oxygen, 4) Clear and colorless, 5) Incredibly light weight, and 6) Extraordinarily easy to wash and sanitize (no brushes necessary). BetterBottle carboys are not at all like other plastic carboys. The special PET, used to make BetterBottle carboys, is non-absorbing, non-porous, and non-wetting (hydrophobic), so it will not carry over flavors from one batch of wine or beer to the next and it is easier to clean and sanitize than glass or other plastics. Optional, BetterBottle racking adapters, SimpleFlo™ valves, and DryTrap™ air locks make oxygen-free racking and dispensing simple – no siphoning is necessary. Optional closures, which use O-rings to make tighter seals, are more easily cleaned and sanitized than conventional stoppers. In short, BetterBottle fermentation equipment is better – ideal for home winemaking and home brewing.” If you want to learn more about materials and oxygen permeability, there is an excellent white paper entitled Oxygen Permeation of BetterBottle® Carboys – Direct Measurement – which can be downloaded as a PDF: http://www.better-bottle.com/technical.html I have two suggestions: either buy a 6.5 gallon Better Bottle or my preferred fermenter is a 7.9 gallon HDPE bucket. Cheers!
