NFamato

Recipes 

If I only have one fermenting bucket and I want to do a secondary ferment. Could I use my bottling bucket which has a plastic drain valve? I did order another fermenter, but won't get it for a other week.

Also, does everyone use a carboy for secondary fermentation or could I use another plastic fermenting bucket for transferring my primary? Will this hurt my beer?

fbold1

Recipes 

Why not? As long as you can fit it with an airlock,.

__________________
"Whoever makes a poor beer is transferred to the dung-hill." Edict in the City of Danzig, 11th Century.

Gear101

Recipes 

I have done that before, all you have to watch out for is the valve leaking.

Some people that is all they use.

__________________
Island Time Brewery

Keg 1=Black Caesar Imperial Stout by Island Time Brewery
Keg 2=(IPA) Islamorada Pale Ale by Island Time Brewery
Keg 3= Zombie Dust
Keg 4= Goose Island Matilda
Keg 5= Cigar City Jai Alai
Keg 6= Bell's Hopslam


Stainless is Painless

"I am allergic to grass. Hey, it could be worse. I could be allergic to beer." - Greg Norman

jbsg02

Recipes 

There isn't much reason to do a secondary unless you plan on adding something to your beer after primary.

brewmaster89

Recipes 

Yup my last batch of wheat was in a bottling bucket. Came out just fine.



(Not done yet, was only bottled for 3 days when I took the picture)

Shaneoco1981

Recipes 

The only problem with transferring to your bottling bucket for secondary is the size. And in the size, I mean you obviously run the risk of oxidization. With all the head room that will remain and the amount of air that is left in there, you raise the risk a little bit. Just my thoughts.

revolutioned

Recipes 

Don't listen to that anti-secondary propaganda. Rack to the secondary and it will be fine.

amandabab

Recipes 

bottling bucket will make a fine secondary if its all you have.

If your using plastic the only difference between a fermentor and a bottling bucket is they drill a hole in it.

Williams Brewing drills holes in there fermentors so they can stock 1 item and sell them under 2 names.
a "Bottling bucket" and a "siphonless fermentor"

eharlow49

Recipes 

Actually, there is a difference between the Williams bottling bucket and the siphonless fermentation bucket. I use both as fermentation buckets and went and purchased a home depot bucket I use for a bottling bucket, but Williams drills the hole on the bottling bucket much lower than on the fermentation bucket. When I use the Williams bottling bucket as a fermentation bucket, I make sure I turn the invert tube backnut sideways instead of straight down so that it does not get buried under a tightly packed yeast cake. Other than that, they're both six and a half gallon buckets.

StusBrew

Recipes 

A fermenter is a fermenter. As long is sanitary. But when done fermenting and cleaning that bottling bucket, I'd pay attention to spigot. But also, if making good beer, pretty sure you have good sanitation practices as well.