Christmas present?

[yankfan9]

How did no one think of this before.. Just genius

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/big-mout ... -8420.html

[berryman]

Hmm, you got me thinking, going to order a 6.5 when I get my Christmas bonus, it is more money, But could clean easier.

[FedoraDave]

If these had been around when I got my five-gallon equipment, I definitely would have opted for it. As it is, my Better Bottle carboys are working just fine, so I don't see a need to change.

Whenever I'm ready to get new carboys, though, I'll definitely be getting these. It really is a great idea.

Edited to add:

Hmm...I see that it's glass. This changes things drastically. I ferment my beer in my basement, which has a concrete slab floor. I've accidentally dropped my Better Bottles (empty, thank Ninkasi) more than once. No harm came to them, which I can't say for glass. No thank you, ma'am, unless and until they come out with food-grade plastic ones.

[packerduf]

The wide mouth is a great idea, especially for cleaning. I like it! But it is a little pricey, IMO. But then again, glass does last forever - unless it breaks.

[DirtRacer]

Saw this deal on the Homebrew Finds site today and it got me interested too. I wasn't really planning on jumping to 5 gal but seeing these makes it more tempting.

[yankfan9]

My thoughts exactly, I am not a big fan of using the brush to clean my carboy, especially from the really messy fermentations. Being able to reach inside would be awesome.

[berryman]

Dec 4 I get my bonus check and I was planning to buy a new 6.5 glass carboy to replace the one I broke last spring. If nobody gets one of these new ones before that, I'll be the guinea pig and get one and try it and give a review. looks like it will work for me, I still don't see where it says its glass or plastic though.

[yankfan9]

Berryman, if you don't get one before I do (christmas) then I will also gladly be a guinea pig. And when you click the link, the title of the product has "glass" in it

[FedoraDave]

My thoughts exactly, I am not a big fan of using the brush to clean my carboy, especially from the really messy fermentations. Being able to reach inside would be awesome.

I read this from time to time, and I can understand the sentiment, but I also think it's not that tough to work around it.

I let my carboy soak for a while in soapy water, and that softens up most of the dried-on gunk. Triple-rinsing with clean water and vigorous shaking loosens a lot of it. And only then do I use the carboy brush, and I don't need to scrub. I can carefully maneuver the soft bristles without scratching anything.

Yes, it takes longer, but to me, this is just part of the hobby. It's a part I'm not crazy about, but you take the bitter with the sweet. Would I like a carboy that's easier to clean? You bet. Does the fact that it's glass override the easy-clean factor? For me, it does. Frankly, I'd rather kludge an airlock onto a lid and use an Ale Pale than risk breakage.

[Kealia]

This really is one of those facepalm moments when you say, "Why didn't I think of that?"

I'm not going to swap out my carboys but if I ever need a new one this is certainly intriguing.

[berryman]

An update on this product: I'm putting together an order from Midwest and I am going to get one of these jugs, I also am going with the harness for it. I really hate to spend the extra $20, but I think this fermenter might be harder to handle then a regular carboy and I don't want to break this one. I'm also getting a 5 gal. PET to replace the 5 gal. glass one I broke.
I've never had a auto-siphon, just a regular racking cane so I'm getting one now.
Beer supply shopping is fun, I can't wait to start brewing hard again