6 Gallon batch size

I have a couple questions. I found a 6 gallon recipe that I want to try, with a secondary fermentation. I have a 6.5gal primary and a 5gal secondary.

Does a 6.5gal have enough head space to do a 6 gallon batch?
Does 6.5gal have too much head space for secondary?
Should I do 5gal in secondary and bottle the rest?
Or just scale back to 5gal (less beer means less happy)

any input would be much appreciated

Mgaz,

Does a 6.5gal have enough head space to do a 6 gallon batch?

A: a 6.5 gal carboy, IMHO, has enough room for a 6 gal batch. Typically you only need a 0.5 gal headroom.

Does 6.5gal have too much head space for secondary?

a: headspace in secondary isn't really any issue, since the viral activity of primary is over. At this point you are just aging the beer.

Should I do 5gal in secondary and bottle the rest?

a: I typically ferment a 6 gal batch in a 6. 5 gal carboy for primary, then rack the balance into secondary, given the fact that i'm going to loose some beer in the tranfer.

Or just scale back to 5gal (less beer means less happy)
a: if you've got a 6.5 gal carboy use it!

Cheers
Travel_mon

if its a carboy get a bow off tube...the thin neck will make it spooge.

What exactly is this recipe? With beer, a secondary is just referring to a clearing tank, or bright tank, not an actual 2nd fermentation. Just leave it in primary twice as long then bottle.

Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: WLP550
Yeast Starter: n/a
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: n/a
Batch Size (Gallons): 6
Original Gravity: 1.051
Final Gravity: 1.010
IBU: 14.6
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: Brown
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 days @ 70 deg
Additional Fermentation: n/a
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 Days @ 70 deg
Tasting Notes: n/a

"Wit Blu Moon" Blue Moon Clone.

Split Boil

Ingredients:

6 lb Northwestern Wiezen LME
1 oz Hallertauer
1 oz Crystal
1 oz Coriander Seed
1 oz Sweet Orange Peel
1 lb Amber Candy Sugar, or Belgian Candy Sugar
Belgian Ale Yeast



1 lb Candy Sugar, LME and 1/2 oz Hallertaur@ 60 Min.
1/2 oz Hallertaur @ 45 Min.
1/2 oz Crystal, 1 oz crushed coriander, 1 oz sweet orange peel @ 30 Min.
1/2 oz crystal @ 5 Min.

Belgian yeast and the warmer fermenting temperature will create alot of krausen. You're going to need a blowoff either way.

Edit:
And you don't need a secondary for this style.

Sweeet, i already have a blow off setup due to an over active blonde.

you may loose a gal do to blow off....so the only thing you gain is a mess..

make sure you give us pics.