6.5 Gallon Glass Carboys

[Littlemonk]

Where can I get some 6.5 gallon glass carboys from?

Any help appreciated, I'm based in London.

Cheers.

[mysterio]

Got a homebrew shop near you? I wouldn't risk getting one mail order but I believe hop & grape do them.

Any particular reason you want one? They very difficult to clean

[tractor]

use a plastic water container, the ones that sit on top of water coolers in offices, they don't affect the flavour of whatever your brewing and you can throw them away afterwards so you don't have to clean them. just drill out the cap so it's big enough to fit a rubber bung in and an air lock

o and they're 5 gallons

[Littlemonk]

Got a homebrew shop near you? I wouldn't risk getting one mail order but I believe hop & grape do them.

Any particular reason you want one? They very difficult to clean

Thanks, I will look in to that.

The reason is so I can use them in the fermentation stage of my first all grain homebrew.

[Littlemonk]

use a plastic water container, the ones that sit on top of water coolers in offices, they don't affect the flavour of whatever your brewing and you can throw them away afterwards so you don't have to clean them. just drill out the cap so it's big enough to fit a rubber bung in and an air lock

o and they're 5 gallons

Thanks tractor. Isn't plastic more porous than glass; possibly affecting the quality of my brew?

The reason I want 6.5 gallon size is so there's plenty of room for fermentation, particularly for a stronger, extreme ale. Would these 5 gallon containers do the job?

[mysterio]

There are also plastic carboys available called 'better bottles'. Plastic is not detrimental to the beer quality, the only disadvantage is they can potentially be scratched which can harbour bacteria, but its generally not a problem unless you use something abrasive when cleaning.

Most of us use plastic buckets, they work great, are cheap, easy to lift and clean. Glass is heavy, difficult to lift, and potentially dangerous when wet and slippery, however they will potentially last longer if you dont break them

[boingy]

The standard water cooler ones are 3 gallons/15 litre. Still useful though.

[fivetide]

I used wine fermenters and clear bottles and the like, but for ease of cleaning, flexibility in brewing and value for money, you really can't beat a big plastic bucket. Get one that is slightly transparent so you can see yeast cake levels and watch vigorous fermentation (cover them with bin liners if likely to be exposed to a lot of light). Get taps fitted to them so you can use them for bottling and other transfers. They'll only cost you about tenner all in. Also, I use these buckets for all manner of jobs around the brewery and beyond, from equipment sterilising to hop picking. Just very handy thingies, whereas glass carboys, though things of beauty undeniably, are just accidents waiting to happen, and a bitch to clean.

[joe37]

I've been using plastic buckets for beer fv's for some time. Recently I've been fermenting TC in glass djs. It's really interesting to be able to see the yeast working & see how the brew clears over time.Been thinking of getting a glass CB for an ale fv (once again passion prevails over economics!) - they also make great secondary fvs owing to the sanitary qualities of glass. I've just got to sell it to the missis!. Most reputable HB shops sell them.

[grumpysod]

The standard water cooler ones are 3 gallons/15 litre. Still useful though.

All the ones that I've seen are 18.9 litre, including the 3 I've borrowed from work