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Bucket vs Carboy

KWT62

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Mar 18, 2014
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I have brewed two homebrews  ( 5 gallon batches ) thus far both in the plastic bucket. My second brew " Easy Street Strong Ale " fermented pretty aggressively. No explosions or overflows but I did have to unclog the airlock several times. Would I be better with maybe a 7 gallon carboy to allow for enough headspace to avoid this issue in the future ?
 
Be careful of head space.  Too much increases your risk for infection.
 
I like glass since it doesn't scratch.  I also worry about a tight seal on a bucket. 

I don't think you have to worry about headspace on primary due to positive pressure.  Secondary is a different matter however.  I allow 1/3 headspace on my 6 gallon carboys for true trop cropping yeasts.

IMO.

Mark
 
Hi,

A couple of advantages that I like about using a carboy (I use better bottles since they are lighter and less likely to break over glass) is that a) it is easy to see what is going on with the fermentation, and b) much easier to take a sample out of without much exposure to air.

-Dan
 
drb1215 said:
Hi,

A couple of advantages that I like about using a carboy (I use better bottles since they are lighter and less likely to break over glass) is that a) it is easy to see what is going on with the fermentation, and b) much easier to take a sample out of without much exposure to air.

-Dan

OK, thx Dan
 
Beer_Tigger said:
Be careful of head space.  Too much increases your risk for infection.

Got it, no I don't want to introduce too much air, I'm aware this is harmful to the beer. Thx
 
merfizle said:
I like glass since it doesn't scratch.  I also worry about a tight seal on a bucket. 

I don't think you have to worry about headspace on primary due to positive pressure.  Secondary is a different matter however.  I allow 1/3 headspace on my 6 gallon carboys for true trop cropping yeasts.

IMO.

Mark

OK, I have not gone the secondary fermenter route yet. I have just gone from primary to bottle conditioning. Thx
 
Buckets are fine.  Switch to a 1/2" blow off tube into a container of sanitizer if you are getting clogged airlocks. 

Keep in mind you don't need to seal the airlock bung to ward off a zombie invasion.  The point of the airlock is to keep wild yeast and bacteria from surfing into the wort on dust particles. 

Personally, I switches to using a blowoff tube after my first batch but that works on my system easily.  You need to figure out your process for your system which might not support a blowoff tube and extra container next to it.

Cheers!
 
After 23 years of home brewing I can assure you with a 100% degree of certainty that you don't even need to put the freaking lid on your bucket at all if you don't want to. Back in 1994 I spent $6000 and bought a 20 gallon gravity feed pilot brewery. I thought I was the shiznit. My fermenter is 20 gallons and made of 1/4" stainless. This thing is what every homebrewer would die for and, I have to tell you, half the damn time I don't even put the lid on it. I often just throw a towel over it. It has a connector for the blow off tube. Most of the time I just set the lid on and don't even bolt it down or hook up the blow off. When I lager, I use 4 kegs in a freezer. I don't use a blow off because when the kegs are not under high pressure they leak around the lid. Nothing blows off. Been doing it this way for over 2 decades with many, many, awards (best of show awards included) and, I have never had a bad batch. As Homebrewers I believe we try to overthink this stuff too much. Get a bigger carboy.? Fine. Use a blow off tube.? Fine. What you should do is just one time try leaving the lid off the bucket (Throw a towel over it.) and you will get the confidence in the process that I am talking about. Remember what Charlie says? "Relax. Don't Worry. Have A Homebrew." He knows (and so do I) what he is talking about. Stop trying to be a commercial brewer and be a homebrewer. Our beer is far better than theirs is anyway.
 
You haven't had a good English beer unless it's open fermentation in a bucket.  Yum.

Mark
 
I wish the "Big Mouth Bubbler" was around when I was purchasing my carboys... to me it seems like the best of both worlds minus the inexpensive part.
 
Freak said:
After 23 years of home brewing I can assure you with a 100% degree of certainty that you don't even need to put the freaking lid on your bucket at all if you don't want to. Back in 1994 I spent $6000 and bought a 20 gallon gravity feed pilot brewery. I thought I was the shiznit. My fermenter is 20 gallons and made of 1/4" stainless. This thing is what every homebrewer would die for and, I have to tell you, half the damn time I don't even put the lid on it. I often just throw a towel over it. It has a connector for the blow off tube. Most of the time I just set the lid on and don't even bolt it down or hook up the blow off. When I lager, I use 4 kegs in a freezer. I don't use a blow off because when the kegs are not under high pressure they leak around the lid. Nothing blows off. Been doing it this way for over 2 decades with many, many, awards (best of show awards included) and, I have never had a bad batch. As Homebrewers I believe we try to overthink this stuff too much. Get a bigger carboy.? Fine. Use a blow off tube.? Fine. What you should do is just one time try leaving the lid off the bucket (Throw a towel over it.) and you will get the confidence in the process that I am talking about. Remember what Charlie says? "Relax. Don't Worry. Have A Homebrew." He knows (and so do I) what he is talking about. Stop trying to be a commercial brewer and be a homebrewer. Our beer is far better than theirs is anyway.

Thanks, I will try that method next time !  ;D
 
Wow! A little truth in brewing will kill your karma. -8? That comment was probably one of the best pieces of info a homebrewer could ever get. Open fermentation is a time tested method. As I said, this is a confidence builder. I think homebrewers are way too afraid to screw up a batch so, they spend all of their time worrying about nonsense. One open fermented batch will cure you of that. So, once again I will quote Charlie (I read his book back in 1991 and always took his advice on this matter.) "RELAX, DON'T WORRY, HAVE A HOMEBREW." Give it (open fermentation) a try. The beer will be just fine.
 
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