taylornate

Recipes 

Is there any reason not to use a 5 gallon carboy with a blowoff as a primary? It would be cool to be able to see what is going on, and a 5 would give me more bang for my buck if I could use it for either primary or secondary.

Cpt_Kirks

Recipes 

I'm using a five gallon Better Bottle as a primary right now.

However, it is a four gallon batch. I brewed it for my new 3 gallon keg. Any left over will go into 2 liter bottles.

Personally, I don't like blow off tubes. I consider them a waste of good beer.

beersydoesit

Recipes 

I use 5 gal carboys and blow off tubes sometimes. It can cost some beer espescially for big beers. But I haven't experienced large losses. Still I like a 6 or 6 1/2 for primary better.

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Dave in Madison

orangeandblue302

Recipes 

yea if you are talking about a 5 gallon bucket i would say dont do it. its not worth the risk of blowing the load to the ceiling. If you use a 5 gallon your airlock and/or blowoff could get clocked and thats no fun.

Save the 5 gallon buckets for Alpfenwein


Edit - Just saw the carboy but my statement stands

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Harmony Brewing Co.

ArcaneXor

Recipes 

Use foam control, and any blow-off will be minimal. It's cheap and effective.

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The Fiesty(sic) Goat Brewery est. 2007 & Clusterfuggle Experimental Ales est. 2009
Planned: Fat Man Porter, sLambic II, Brettennial Falcon IPA, Flanders Red, Orange Blossom Mead
Primary: Winexpert Riesling Ice Wine, sLambic I
Secondary: Flanders Red
Kegged:Black or Blue EyePA, Cherrywood-aged Crystal Stout,
2013 dump volume: ~2 gallons

taylornate

Recipes 

I wouldn't think there would be any risk of a 1" blowoff clogging.

orangeandblue302

Recipes 

true but stranger things have happened. My brother uses my old 5 gallon and hasn't had any problems. I just know i lived in fear sometimes, especially with higher gravity. Nothing happened though

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Harmony Brewing Co.

Limited Visibility

Recipes 

You should be fine for most beers. Maybe when you are getting up there with the bigger beers, you might want to sleep with one eye open... and some cleaning supplies.

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Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings.

Vic_Sinclair

Recipes 

+1 on using the 5 gallon carboys for Apfelwein. However, I'm also using my 5 gal as a lagering secondary in the garage.

fratermus

Recipes 

I have generally used 5gal glass carboys for primary, and generally lose a beer's worth out the blowoff. This is probably a habit since my first garage sale carboy was a 5gal in 1989 or so.

BN: you will likely still need a blowoff with apfelwein if you use a beer yeast.

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Adequate Mousetrap brewhouse

Batch history | yeast slants | Suspending yeast