Dear group,
> I have noticed my local grocery store sells 5 gallon plastic carboys
> full of water for use on water coolers. The tops are removable and would
> accept a cork and airlock. They are ~$6, much less expensive than a glass
> carboy plus shipping. Has anyone ever used these for short term storage of
> wine? It seems to me they would be food grade plastic, much like a primary
> fermenter, and shouldn't leach any off flavors into the wine. Just a
> thought, I am running out of carboys and live 2.5 hours from the closest
> brew shop. Shipping a glass carboy seems so expensive. Thanks for any > insight.
>
> Bryan
>
>
So far, I have made a grand total of 2 batches of wine, so I certainly don't claim to be an expert. The first batch was peach and the second was banana. I used all plastic until it was time to bottle. They both came out very well in the opinions of everyone who has tasted them so far. I also used no sulfites, sorbates or any other stuff we tell each other we can't live without.
Well how come you can buy these in home brew shops and so many people DO use them for bulk ageing? A five gallon glass carboy costs around 25 quid whereas a plastic one is only eight pounds!!! I have just brought three of these plastic carboys. Are you saying that they are no good?
The water bottles are not suitable for wine, at least not more than once. The first batch you make in it would leave organisms behind, in the small scratches and pores of the inside of the bottle. It's even possible that the chemicals in the wine, such as alcohol, may cause unpleasant flavours to leach out of the bottle, even the first time. Cleaning those bottles, even with a good bottle-brush and bleach or a metabisulfate solution, would be somewhat risky due to the additional scratches you are bound to introduce while cleaning. That said, there is a company in the U.S. called Better Bottle
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They claim to have developed a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate, I think) bottle which is impervious to air transfer (the first concern with the water bottles, as mentioned in some of the other posts) and will not impart off-flavours to its contents, whatever their composition. This prospect is appealing, because of the weight saving and safety (won't shatter if dropped) features, but the cost factor is presently unknown to me. Their website is limited at the moment, although they have toll-free phone numbers and e-mail addresses on the site if anyone wants to investigate. This company is running ads in hobbyist magazines and possibly elsewhere, so they either have deep pockets or have convinced someone who does that this is a viable product. Time will tell. I, for one, hope it works.
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