BeehiveBrewer

Recipes 

Hey guys. Thanks for all the advice to date.

I'm currently using an ale pail primary and a glass carboy secondary. I'm drinking/sharing faster than my one batch setup can handle. It is time to expand.

I'm curious why we even use carboys.

Could I just get a bunch of ale pails and use them as both primary and secondary fermenters?

They are just so cheap compared to glass or better bottle carboys.

Thanks again.

APendejo

Recipes 

If for some odd reason I decide to transfer my beer off the primary I have been known to put it into another plastic bucket.
AP

Soulive

Recipes 

I think the main reason is to move to a smaller vessel. The smaller the vessel, the less headspace, meaning less chance of oxidation...

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Green Lane Brewing
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Primary = Evan!'s Special Bitter
On Deck = EdWort's Porter / American Amber

EdWort's Haus Pale Ale Count

ohiobrewtus

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DING! DING! DING! Tell him what he's won Bob...

You certainly could rack to another bucket. It likely would not present any problems provided that you follow your normal sanitation procedures.

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BierMuncher

Recipes 

I do it all the time.

If I were to add any more equipment, it would be buckets. Certainly makes dry hopping easier.

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Bobby_M

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There are some questions about the oxygen permiability of HDPE buckets. Apparently they will allow oxygen in slowly so it's not ideal for brews you intend to secondary for more than 2 months for example.

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jdoiv

Recipes 

Which is why I just secondary in the keg. 7 to 10 days in the primary and keg it. If it needs to clear, just put those kegs in the back so I don't pull them out for a couple of months. Plus kegs have handles built in, carboys don't.

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TexLaw

Recipes 

It's not just oxygen permeability and head space (although those are HUGE reasons). It's also the quality of the seal and the ability to see how the beer clears.

I've thought about going straight to kegs, like jdoiv, and I might just do that on a beer I don't dry hop.


TL

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BierMuncher

Recipes 

It’s 30 degrees here now so my outdoors is my new unlimited crash cooler. I just racked my Munich Helles straight from the primary to the kegs (w/gelatin) and dragged em outside. It’s easier to forget about them out there and with a nice 29-24 degree temp range, they should clear up nicely without taking room in my kegerator(s)

You mean like me???

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Check Out My Rolling Kegerator

BierMuncher Tried & Trues:
Tits-Up IIPA (3-Time Medalist), Black Pearl Porter, Kona Pale Ale, Outer Limits IPA, Centennial Blonde (4.0%), Nierra Sevada (SNPA), SWMBO Slayer Belgian Blonde,

david_42

Recipes 

I really think people use glass carboys so they can watch the beer clear and take pictures. Buckets are more like ultrasound baby pics.

[Note: I don't have carboys OR babies.]

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