Overall the choice is yours. Most inherent differences the materials make in the outcome of your beer or wine will take many months to manifest. 


Plastic is a safer option and an easy place to start. Some of the best homebrew we've ever tasted was fermented in plastic buckets.


Glass is necessary only if you have the patience to age your fermentation projects, wines, meads, ciders, spirits, and sour and strong ales.


A third option is a stainless steel, which gives you the ultimate variety of features and gadgets to try, but comes with a hefty price tag. If you're very serious about brewing and winemaking you will likely end up in stainless steel, but plastic and glass will still be necessary components to a well rounded home fermenters tool kit.



Plastic Fermenters:


Advantages:

  • 100% food grade and does not transfer any plastic flavor to beverages.
  • Plastic does not break as easily as glass.
  • Low cost to entry and expansion.
  • Light weight, while still being durable.
  • Easy to clean. Just soak overnight with an appropriate brewery cleaner.
  • Resistant to oxygen transfer for:
    • PET - 3 months
    • HDPE - 6+ months


Disadvantages:

  • Overtime will become discolored.
  • If doing sours (with lactobacillus or pediococcus cultures) the bacteria could nest in the micropores in the plastic.
  • Can become brittle if left soaking with cleaning or sanitizing chemicals for weeks.
  • Fermzilla's, when pressurized, will eventually wear out and lose structural integrity over years of use, this is why they "Expire".


Glass Fermenters:


Advantages:

  • Zero oxygen transfer forever if stored with correct closure - perfect for long term anaerobic aging.
  • Clear and see through to watch fermentation and gauge clarity.
  • Will never discolor or harbor odors or bacteria.
  • Easy to clean. Just soak overnight with an appropriate brewery cleaner.
  • All glass we use for fermenters is 100% food safe and lead free regardless of origin.
  • Insulates the contents slightly from the ambient air. 


Disadvantages:

  • Very fragile. Can chip or shatter if set down too hard, bumped, or dropped.
    • Broken glass is very sharp and can cause harm if not fully cleaned up and disposed of.
  • Quite heavy, especially once filled with liquids.
  • Very slippery when wet.
  • Fairly expensive for high quality glass.
  • Cannot be pressurized under any circumstance.



What about Stainless Steel fermenters?


Advantages:

  • Impervious to oxygen transfer indefinitely.
  • Can be cleaned and sanitized with boiling water.
  • Impervious to most chemicals (Do not use bleach, please)
  • Variety of feature sets available depending on your needs and work flow.


Disadvantages:

  • Very expensive.
  • You can't visually watch a fermentation happen.
  • Transfers heat with the ambient air.