Bucket or Carboy?

mykayel · 03-05-2007, 03:41 AM

what's the advantave of using a carboy (or better bottle) over a plastic bucket? I'm about to buy my first kit and if there's a good reasone to pay for the carboy then I'll do so but I can't find a reason why they are better.

AleHole · 03-05-2007, 03:49 AM

Everyone has thier own opinion. I used to use buckets but switched to a Better Bottle so I could see my brew fermenting. Buckets are very practical, easy to clean, cheap to replace and work just fine. You need to make sure to not scratch the inside or you will risk contamination so you need to be gentle when cleaning and storing a bucket. Also when you seal the lid for fermentation make sure you snap the lid down so you will not have a leak from a poor seal. If you plan on transferring your beer to a secondary then a 5 gallon carboy or Better Bottle is your best bet. I would opt for the non ported BB because they are easier to carry, safer, and only cost a few bucks more than a glass carboy. Many people use bucket for primary fermentation and 5 gallon carboys/BB for secondaries. Hope this helps.

mykayel · 03-05-2007, 04:14 AM

So a carboy is good for the secondary fermentation (which I plan on doing) just so you can actually see when everything is starting to clear up (or finished clearing/floculating)? And the only advantage of using a carboy for primary is you can actually see everything going on?

Is that about correct?

AleHole · 03-05-2007, 04:23 AM

In my opinion using a carboy or a plastic bucket for primary fermentation is a matter of preference. You can brew great beers using either one. I have one bucket and one 6 gallon BB for primarys. I use the bucket only if the BB is being used. Its easier for me to inspect my beer to see if the yeast are still swimming around in the BB. If you are on a budget then go with a bucket. Just remember its a matter of preference. Many many successful brewers use buckets exclusively. So in a nutshell, if you make 10 gallons of wort, split it with 5 gallons in a bucket and 5 gallons in a glass carboy you will end up with the same beer. One does not produce a better beer than the other. The advantages/disadvanteg are subjective to your own opinion.

You need to use a 5 gallon BB or 5 gallon glass carboy as a secondary for 5 gallon batches because you do not want the extra air space that you have in a 6 or 6.5 gallon primary fermenter.

check this out
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter8-4.html

feedthebear · 03-05-2007, 04:28 AM

One advantage to a bucket for your primary: it doesn't explode if your airlock gets plugged. It just blows the lid off and beer runs out.

I use buckets for my primaries and carboys for my secondaries. I have one 6.5 gallon carboy for adding fruit during secondary fermentation.

mykayel · 03-05-2007, 04:32 AM

I'll probably end up going with carboys... budget really isn't an issue but at the same time I hate waisting money if it isn't necessary.

Thanks for the help.

Tony · 03-05-2007, 01:49 PM

Glass is easier to clean, and leaves no odors or stains. They are indeed heavy, and you must use great care when using them, but to me a little bit more care is worth it. This is personal preference, like AleHole stated.

I use 6.5 gallon glass carboys for my primarys, and 5 gallons for secondarys. I always use a blowoff set up (simple bung, with a modified air lock, and tubing) as to me it is more helpful to allow for blow offs to help get rid of excess and unwanted hop and krausen material. It allows for an easy release, and then either swap on an airlock when the primary settles, or keep it on until you transfer to the secondary.

Again...personal preference. Find what works for you, and go for it.

BarryNL · 03-05-2007, 02:17 PM

For me, buckets are the way to go mainly because you can put a tap in the bottom of them. I like to take a quick sample out regularly to check/taste/measure gravity and a tap seems the best way to do this without risking infections getting in.

Also, you can transfer the liquid to another bucket or even bottle from the tap without mucking about with siphoning.

I'm sure there are good reasons to mess around with carboys and siphons and maybe I'll learn as I go along, but I just don't see it yet.

**EdWort** · 03-05-2007, 02:27 PM

I do my primaries in a bucket with a spigot. They have plenty of room so there is not need for a blowoff tube. If I rack to a secondary, I rack to a Better Bottle, otherwise I rack to a keg. Just connect a hose to the spigot and open the valve. I always open the valve and pour out a about 4 ounces to get rid of the trub that collected, but it a system that I have used for years with great success (till I get that 14.5 Stainless Steel conical from Blichmann).

**david_42** · 03-05-2007, 03:14 PM

There are five or six opinions per homebrewer on this topic. If you have a couple months to burn, try searching.

I like buckets: cheap, unbreakable, easy to clean, dry hop, add spigots, etc. And I'm old, so lighter equipment is a plus.