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FAQ-Stoppers & Airlocks

Question: Why is PET plastic better than glass?
Answer:

Better-Bottle carboys and fittings are actually less likely to impart or transfer flavors and colors than glass carboys and related equipment. The special PET used to make Better-Bottle carboys is pure and imparts no odors or tastes. The surfaces of Better-Bottle carboys and fittings are so non-porous and hydrophobic that they wash easily and rinse down very quickly. Glass carboys must be scrubbed with bleach to remove the build up of hydrophilic films. Also, the rubber and plastic stoppers, hoses, and siphon tubes used with glass carboys are notorious for contributing and transferring flavors....Click to Read full Answer

Question: Why are Better Bottles better than glass carboys?
Answer:

Better-Bottle fermentation carboys are: 1) Unbreakable and tough, 2) Taste- and Odor-free, 3) Virtually impermeable to oxygen, 4) Clear and colorless, 5) Incredibly light weight, and more . . . They are made from special, scientifically tested, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) co-polymer plastic that is non-absorbing, non-porous, and non-wetting (hydrophobic), so it does not do not carry over flavors from one batch of wine or beer to the next and is easy to clean and sanitize. Optional racking adapters and valves make oxygen-free racking and dispensing simple and convenient – no siphoning is necessary. Optional closures that use O-rings to make tighter seals are more easily cleaned and sanitized than conventional stoppers....Click to Read full Answer

Question: My rubber stopper is in my carboy, now what? Is my beer ruined? How do I get it out?
Answer:

RELAX. Everything's going to be just fine. This has happened once to just about everyone. -Fix another sanitized bung and airlock to the carboy and allow the primary fermentation to be completed. -Proceed to siphon it into a secondary like you normally would (if you are single stage fermenting then wait until fermentation is fully completed and then siphon to a bottling bucket and complete the bottling process. -Once the beer is in secondary or bottled you can dump and rinse out the trub that has collected at the bottom of the carboy with the bung in it. -Next invert the carboy and guide the trapped bung into the neck of the carboy so that it is as close to the opening as possible. -Then take a smaller screwdriver and insert it into the carboy opening and through the hole in the bung. -At this point it will serve you well to breathe deeply, remain calm, and BE PATIENT. -Once the screwdriver is through or at least up into the hole in the bung you can, in fulcrum fashion, CAREFULLY push the handle of the driver up against the lip of the carboy and force the carboy bung back out through the opening. Note: Please understand that this takes a little doing and you will need to be persistent and careful while doing it, but it does work. -After extricating the bung you can be fairly certain, by the very unpleasant nature of the whole experience, that you will not do that again!...Click to Read full Answer

Question: Other useful cleaning equipment we carry…
Answer:

Airlock brush: Perfect for those 3-piece airlocks when beer or wine has worked it’s way into the chamber. Buon Vino Spray Wand: The spray wand enables you to reach into your carboys and bottles more effectively than the jet bottle washer. The spray wand hooks up to your laundry sink faucet (or any internally threaded faucet with the faucet adapter) as a water source. Midwest does not recommend using very hot water with this product so as not to damage it. Double Blast Bottle Washer: Much like the jet bottle washer except more efficient. Conserve your water AND your time!!! Connects to a laundry sink faucet or internally threaded faucets if you have the faucet adapter....Click to Read full Answer

Question: What’s the difference between the three piece airlock and the S-Type airlock?
Answer:

There are no real significant differences. Both will serve the purpose just fine, although the three piece is much easier to clean, especially with the airlock brush, which was designed specifically to clean the three piece airlock. Most homebrewers use the S-Type on their secondary, as it is easy to monitor the pressure in the carboy....Click to Read full Answer