Different Demi-Johns

[Penny Lane]

We've always used the glass ones, only because that's all we had access to. But after my tragic loss I've been wondering if the plastic dj's are maybe the route to go?
Has anyone got experience of these ones? http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/aca ... _Bung.html

I've only got two glass dj's left - gave 3 away to a friend who's OH was
interested in homebrew (he hasn't used them yet though ) and 2 more have cracked thanks to temperature fluctuations (read - stupid woman left them out in below freezing temps).

Anyway, any thoughts?

[gregorach]

I haven't used them myself, but they seem fairly popular. My main concern would be that the corrugations might make them difficult to clean properly...

[MKG]

It sometimes happens to glass demijohns even when you don't let them get cold. I don't use glass nowadays - in fact, I don't use demijohns at all. Instead, I use the one-gallon food-grade buckets which come with a handle, a lid, spout in the lid which, with a little work, you can sit an airlock in, and a screw cap. I use an airlock only until it shows that I have a good fermentation going, and then it's replaced by that screw cap (NOT, needless to say, tightened). The buckets are cheap and so much easier to clean than a demijohn.

Mike

[Pumpkin&Piglet]

I have 2 glass demijohns and 2 of those plastic ones

I haven't finished anything int hem just yet but will let you know when I have and how it went

The only thing with them I've noticed so far is I don't think the lid creates a seal at the top so while it's very clear there's plenty going on in the demijohn the airlock isn't bubbling at all.

It doesn't feel like the lids close the top properly despite trying various pressures and tightening methods so I assume they are the reason

[merlin]

It is an interesting one.
One thing I do out here is make my own wine, we brought a vineyard a few years back, no we are not loaded, it cost about £300 ish. Anyway, it's not having a kit like the old days, I normally get around 200 -250 lts of melot juice.
When I started, I was sneering at all the locals using pop bottles for their wine, untill I tried to find 300 glass bottles to keep the stuff in. I do have a few 19 ltr glass dj's now, but I have found that using the bottles that water comes in works just fine, and they are free.

I use the 11 ltr bottles for storing the wine, it keeps just the same, I drink it on the third year now, and it's fine. I don't reuse the bottles. You can see them in the background at the end of this brandy making video.

I hope it helps, I used to be exactly the same way with it. http://inbulgaria.co.uk/Rakia.html

[irigg]

i buy the 5ltr water bottles at my local supermarket drink the water then use the bottles for brewing
you bore the top out to take a normal size bung and airlock

[Crickleymal]

I normally use glass demijohns unless I'm brewing 5 gallons or thereabouts. What I do use sometimes is just a bucket but with clingfilm stretched over the top then sellotaped arond the edge. It creates a pretty airtight seal but which should allow over pressure to escape.

[wulf]

The last two brews I made (all-grain beer and then rough cider) used three 5l containers originally used for bottled water. Two had the fermenting mixture and lids adjusted to hold a rubber hose. The third bottle has clean water and acts as a place to stick the ends of the two hoses - in other words, a simple airlock.

Wulf

[malcolmfraser]

Same as irigg - I use 5l plastic bottles from the supermarket. cut a wee hole in the lid and use a rubber ring and airlock as normal.

The ridges do catch sediment so you have to be aware of that. As for cleaning I rinse thoroughly and then use Milton liquid to sterilise. Never had any problems.

Good luck!

[Penny Lane]

Thank you everyone, some great ideas to try out!
I always thought wine should be made in the glass dj's but now I know differently I can try even more

Thanks again

[Broad Bean]

I don't like using plastic for long term storage at all and would always prefer to use glass as it's more inert.

[PlainQB]

Mr. QB has used a five gallon plastic container for wine making. It worked fine though it was designed for beer making.

[narmour]

These are a nightmare for brewing anything which will throw down a lot of sediment.. you get little layers of sediment on every ridge which don't pack as tightly as they would in the bottom of a glass DJ. I foud it impossible to rack without disturbing most of the sediment again and thus making the rack pointless and wasteful. They may be useful for secondary fermenting wines which have a primary and secondary fermenting phase, I personally dont bother as I let them brew out in a primary.

[malcolmfraser]

I recently got my hands on some glass demi-johns from a charity shop and have completely changed my opinion about the 5l plastic bottles. As others have pointed out - it's much much easier to rack the glass bottles than the plastic ones due to the ridges. I wouldn't use plastic bottles again...

[wabbit955]

glass all the way
but i alway advoid useing plastic were ever i can