Glass vs plastic

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jonnymorris

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Can anyone let me know why glass bottles are considered better than plastic? I have a load of plastic ones which I find easier but am thinking of investing in some glass if there is a real benefit.

Is it simply that they might last longer?
 
No real noticeable difference between the two regarding taste. Glass bottles with nice crown caps on just look nicer :D
 
I prefer glass purely due to aesthetics. I have been picking mine up from my local recycling depot.

I am a massive cheap skate :D
 
I get my glass bottle for free from the pub, cider bottles they will give you themif you ask. They are brown so help prevent light strike, not sure if brown plastic ones will.
 
I also use plastic bottles because its easier and I will move soon so can not be bothered to get lots of fliptop glass bottles. Generally I would say always go for glass.

1. Easier to clean and sanitize.
2. Feels and looks nicer.
3 Plastic is not especially healthy.

If you want to know more about plastic and what it does for your health and the environment have a look here http://www.filmsforaction.org/Watch/Addicted_to_Plastic_2008/ its a really interesting documentary.
 
Glass is non reactive, no real difference in homebrewing. Its one of the main reasons that the 'east' fell behind in chemicals in the last 200 years. They had very good 'china' and ceramics so didnt feel the need to develop glass. The west however did and used it for chemical experiments!

Plastic will leach over time smells and other bits and pieces but really for £10 for a 30l fermentor i'd go plastic everytime. Id be shaking everytime If I had to move large volumes of liquid in glass!
 
Laurin said:
1. Easier to clean and sanitize.
2. Feels and looks nicer.
3 Plastic is not especially healthy.
Thanks for your reply though I'm not sure I agree with any of your 123 (though I do accept plastic is bad for the environment).

Darcey said:
Its one of the main reasons that the 'east' fell behind in chemicals in the last 200 years. They had very good 'china' and ceramics so didnt feel the need to develop glass. The west however did and used it for chemical experiments!
This may be slightly off topic but I believe the use of glass also lead to the invention of microscopes, telescopes, mirrors, spectacles, windows and, ultimately, electronics.

That said, I think I'll stick with plastic bottles unless my local can give me some free cider bottles.
 
I use Coopers plastic bottles and if needed Coke plastic bottles, as a glass bottle nearly took my eye out when opening it in the past.

I know they won't last as long as glass but are a lot lighter and are safer in the hands of an idiot (me) ;)

Colin. :drink:
 
As an experiment on my first batch I did mostly glass bottles that I had managed to scrounge from friends recycling bins, but also did 2 x 2 litre PET bottles (I bought tesco value bottled water for the brew) and a couple of 500ml coke plastic bottles.

When bottled I kept the plastic (along with the couple of clear glass bottles I had) bottles in a large bucket under a thick towel to protect from the light.

Results? At initial opening I didn't notice any difference in quality from plastic, and as the brew was ready for a lads weekend away it made for easy quick pouring. I also used the small bottles for testing whilst it was conditioning (couldn't resist!).

Now? The glass bottled brew is aging nicely, very pleased with it. The plastic bottles got drunk so can't compare over time!
 
To my mind the texture and head is better in glass because it can't expand and so there's nowhere for the gas to go except into the beer. Also Graham wotsit that wrote the UK brewing bible reckons plastic leaks CO2 and allows oxygen in. There's plenty of info on PET bottles leaking on the web.

That said - bottling into PET for short terms seems OK, and it's a load easier. 16 x 1.5 liters is an easier sterilising task than 45 x .5 ltr bottles.
 
plastic does let co2 leak out.

i have a few hundred steel casks and over a thousand plastic firkins(bout 400 cypherco and 700 global polymer solutions) and i can tell you the steels have more pressure in em when theyre left for a few months . the plastic casks are 50 times thicker than pet bottles. clear pet is a no no for light strike(just like clear glass)

plus plastic bottles look ****! when i homebrewed i wanted the beer to at least be an equal of any pub beer in looks and taste, this included how it was presented

glass every time. use 1 pint bulmers and magners bottles from pubs, they have to pay to dispose of them, they may be grateful to put em to one side for you
 

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