![]() ![]() You can extend the lifetime of your plastic buckets by never using a brush or scrubbing pad to clean the inside. Fortunately, these plastic buckets are inexpensive enough that they can be replaced whenever there’s a concern. Over time, you may also notice the plastic discoloring. They can be narrow enough to harbor bacteria, but surface tension can keep sanitizers from being able to get in and thoroughly clean the plastic. These scratches can be just about impossible to sanitize. More importantly, the plastic is fairly soft and easy to scratch. HDPE plastic is gas permeable, which increases the risk of oxidation during a long secondary aging. ![]() Unfortunately, the plastic has some drawbacks. Because they’re mostly opaque, you can’t actually see much detail during fermentation, but you also don’t need to worry about your beer getting lightstruck. The large opening makes it simple to fill and empty or to add things to the secondary, such as wood or fruit. They’re cheap and ubiquitous, sturdy, and easy to move around. Generations of homebrewers have gotten their start with HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic buckets. All three come in convenient sizes and will work fine as primary or secondary fermentation vessels, as long as you understand their tradeoffs. But it’s also easy to find PET plastic carboys, which are comparable in price to glass, but less fragile. Two of the big three are probably the most familiar: HDPE plastic buckets and glass carboys. At the more expensive end of the price range, you have corny kegs as well as stainless-steel and plastic conical fermentors, but entry-level brewers have more choices, too. Experienced homebrewers tend to use glass, citing concerns about sanitizing scratched plastic. Beginners often start with kits that come with plastic buckets. For the longest time, picking a fermentor was about plastic vs.
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