Better Bottle Carboys and Accessories

Better-Bottle® PET carboys are: 1) Tough and essentially unbreakable, 2) Pure: Taste- and odor-free, BPA-free, DEHP-free, plasticizer-free, 3) Virtually impermeable to oxygen, 4) Clear and colorless, 5) Incredibly light weight, and 6) Easy to wash. Better-Bottle carboys are not at all like other plastic carboys. The special PET from which these carboys are made is non-absorbing, non-porous, and non-wetting (hydrophobic), so it will not carry over flavors from one batch of wine or beer to the next and it is easier to clean and sanitize than glass or other plastics. Better-Bottle carboys are ideal for home winemaking and home brewing. Note: PORTED = Drilled hole on side to accept Better Bottle Racking Outlet Assembly (BB21+BB22). PLAIN (non-ported) = No drilled hole, same as a standard glass carboy. ALL accessories and adaptors must be purchased separately.

MEDIUM Universal Better Bottle Bung (Stopper) - Fits ALL Better Bottles. Drilled to accept any of our airlocks. Replaces a number 10 bung and a much better fit! Will not dry out like natural rubber stoppers! Choose drilled or solid.

RED Carboy Handle for All Better Bottles. Fits ALL Better Bottles! A must for maneuvering carboys. When installing on Better Bottles, install below the last ridge closest to the body. Tighten snugly. Do not over tighten. Red, bolt-on handles are made of vinyl-covered, plated steel and they fasten to the necks of all sizes of Better-Bottle carboys with a bolt and wing nut. Red handles do not interfere with fermentation locks and they can be used to lift carboys even when the carboys are tilted. Color may vary.

Better Bottle Racking Outlet COMPLETE ASSEMBLY - (BB21+BB22). Includes items BB21 & BB22. Better-Bottle Racking Outlets have been designed so they are very easy to install, operate, and service. Be certain all of the component parts are installed in the correct order. Racking Outlet Assembly contains: Quick-disconnect hose barb adapter, Valved quick-disconnect socket, Buna-N O-ring(s), Teflon slip washers, Teflon-encapsulated Viton O-ring. Fits all Ported Better Bottles.

Better Bottle Ported Closure (includes plug #BB09). Universal Closure – This PET closure is designed with 1/2 inch port and comes with a removable plug installed. The port is designed so a 1/2 inch OD tube can be inserted to blow off foam during primary fermentations. Optional, compatible fittings include: 1/8 inch NPT threaded plugs, equipped with 90 degree or T hose-barb adapters, and the low-profile Better-Bottle DryTrap fermentation lock, which requires no liquid. The hose-barb adapters are generally used for connecting 1/4 inch ID gas purging and pressure balancing hoses. As a rule, the hose-barb fittings are only used during racking, so no more than one or two sets are required.

Better Bottle Replacement Plug. Just in case you lose your original.

Better Bottle Dry Tap Fermentation Lock. DryTraps Cannot Go Dry. DryTrap air locks do not use liquid, so there is nothing to suck back, blow out, or evaporate. Evaporation is often blamed for the loss of liquid from a liquid-filled air lock, but pressure changes are a more likely cause. A gust of wind entering an open door, a temperature drop of just a few degrees, or moving a carboy can easily cause a pressure differential of 0.005 bar. This is all it takes to lift a 2 inch column of water and pump the liquid out of liquid-filled air locks and into fermenters, contaminating the wine or beer with the liquid in the trap and letting in oxygen. Is it any wonder so many winemakers and brewers use vodka to fill their liquid-filled air locks in order to prevent mold and bacterial growth rather than solutions such as sodium bisulfite. Dry Traps Save Space. A DryTrap only stands 1.4 inches above the top of a closure. Better-Bottle carboys fitted with DryTraps and Better-Bottle O-ring Closures are only about 21 inches tall. This means that Better-Bottle carboys will fit into many small refrigerators and they can be conveniently placed on 4-high shelves.

Better Bottle Snap on Handle (BLUE). Blue, snap-on handles fit the necks of all sizes of Better-Bottle carboys, and you will only need a few for all of your carboys. The blue handles have a comfortable grip and are made of durable, reinforced plastic. Carboys do not tip when they are lifted with the blue handles, so their contents are not be disturbed. Blue handles are designed for carrying Better-Bottle carboys in suitcase fashion. Blue handles are not designed for lifting full carboys at an angle or using both handle and hand in order to place the carboys on a shelf or workbench or to pour from the neck of the carboys. Incorrect usage may cause the handle to disengage from neck.

Better Bottle Installation Rod for Racking Adaptor (BB22). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! For use with the BB22 Racking Adaptor to make installation easier. Better-Bottle makes a plastic installation tube for installing Carboy Racking Adapters. In a pinch, it is also possible to use a 20 inch length of 1/4 inch diameter steel plated or stainless rod or an 18 inch length of 3/8 inch ID (clearance) rigid tubing, both of which can be purchased at most hardware stores.

Better Bottle Simple High Flow Valve. The Better-Bottle SimpleFlo Valve, Racking Adapter and Pail Adapter make up the first valve system that addresses the specialized needs of home winemakers and home brewers. Now, it is possible to rack and bottle professionally without siphons or pumps. The SimpleFlo Valve has a simple flow path, to prevent clogging, and is simple to operate, disassemble, and sanitize. The components are made of an incredibly tough, proprietary PET that does not stain or impart flavors. The Better-Bottle SimpleFlo valve can be used in line with hoses or as an outlet for pails and Better-Bottle carboys. The valve can be opened for partial or full flow and closed in the blink of an eye. Its wide, simple flow path resists clogging and it can be disassembled and reassembled for cleaning or inspection in a matter of seconds – without tools.

Better Bottle Carboy Racking Adaptor. Better-Bottle Carboy Racking Adapters couple SimpleFlo valves to any ported Better-Bottle carboy, and the combination makes professional racking and bottling quick and easy. The Carboy Racking Adapter uses a Teflon-encapsulated Viton O-ring to make a tight hydrophobic seal against the inside wall of a Better-Bottle carboy. This very special O-ring also makes it possible to rotate the body of the Racking Adapter, without the need for lubrication. Racking is accomplished by simply rotating the Adapter so the tip of its intake stem is just above the sediment layer, opening the SimpleFlo valve, and letting gravity go to work – there is no need for siphons or pumps. During filling and fermentation, the stem of the Racking Adapter should be tilted slightly downward (about 3:30 or 8:30) to prevent sediments from settling inside it. The external pointer makes it possible to adjust the position of the stem even if the stem cannot be seen through a dark wine or beer. The Carboy Racking Adapter is especially popular with winemakers and brewers who ferment on shelves, because carboys can be racked without having to move them to a surface with head room for racking canes. The Better-Bottle Carboy Racking Adapter has been designed so it is easy to install and service. Be certain all of the component parts are installed in the correct order. Do not attempt to drill ports in unported Better-Bottle carboys, because the special PET from which the carboys are made is very tough and specialized tools are required to make sufficiently smooth holes.

Better Bottle Pail (Bucket) Racking Adaptor. Pail Racking Adapter. Better-Bottle Pail Racking Adapters couple SimpleFlo valves to any plastic pail, and the combination makes racking from a pail into a Better-Bottle carboy for secondary fermentation clean and simple. The Pail Racking Adapter uses a Viton O-ring to make a tight, static seal against the inside wall of a pail. Racking simply requires opening the SimpleFlo valve, and letting gravity go to work, there is no need for siphons or pumps. Usually, the Pail Adapter is installed so that a level pail will drain to just above the expected level of the sediment layer. If some usable liquid remains above the sediment layer, the pail can be tipped slightly in order to recover this liquid. The Better-Bottle Pail Racking Adapter has been designed so it is easy to install and service. Be certain all of the component parts are installed in the correct order. Hold the body of the Pail Adapter in place and install the Teflon slip washer and locking O-ring in that order. Apply a little water to the threads and install the nut. Finger tighten the nut, using enough force so the Pail Adapter makes a good seal. A sticky pad (jar opener) will make tightening much easier. Most pails used for winemaking and brewing are made of HDPE and it is easy to make a 3/4inch (2 cm) hole in their sides for a Better-Bottle Pail Adapter. The depth of liquid left in a pail, when it is level and drained through a Pail Adapter and SimpleFlo valve, will be 1/8inch (0.3 cm) below the center of the hole. The center of the hole must be at least 3/4 inch (2 cm) above the bottom of the pail so the wall can flex and seal with the Pail Adapter O-ring. At this height, the residual liquid will be 5/8 inch (1.6 cm) deep. The sediment produced by most wine kits started in 30 liter pails is approximately that deep. If the center of the hole in the pail is 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the bottom of the pail, the residual liquid will be 7/8 inch (2.2 cm) deep. Because the bottoms of pails vary in thickness and are usually recessed, it is best to make the measurement for the center of the hole from the inside of a pail and press a sharp pointed tool through the wall to locate the center from the outside.

Better Bottle BIG BLOW OFF Closure. Big Blow Closure. The 3/4 inch pipe thread port in this PET closure makes it possible to attach large diameter, rigid pipe or tubing (not included) to Better Bottle carboys for blowing off the thick foams that develop during primary fermentations of some beers and even some wines. The following 3/4 inch, threaded or solvent-weld pipe and fittings will make a simple blow-off tube: a 90 degree street elbow with a 3/4 inch male thread; a 6 inch nipple; a 90 degree elbow; and a 18 inch length of pipe, threaded on one end. Most hardware stores carry PVC pipe that can withstand chlorine based sanitizers. Do not use iodophore sanitizers with rigid or flexible PVC materials.

Better Bottle Wide Mouth Funnel. A new 124 mm (4.88 inch), heavy-wall funnel for Better-Bottle carboys makes filling easier than ever. It is made of sturdy, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and fits snugly into the necks of the carboys, so there is no bubbling around the stem, during fast filling, and none of the slopping that occurs when funnels rock back and forth.

1/4 inch ID tubing for Better Bottle hose barbs. Oderless, tasteless, non - contaminating. Resists cracking. SOLD BY THE FOOT. CB5600

Carboy Cap - Red Rubber - Single Hole. Fits most 3, 5, 6 and 6.5 gallon glass carboys. Also fits ALL Better Bottles. Almost odor free compared to the orange carboy cap. Soft natural rubber material is pliable and easy to clean.

Contains clip, pull ring, two small o-rings and one large o-ring. For high flow and simple flow reapair.