Mr_Moe

Recipes 

Before I start my first batch...
Is this going to cause me issues?
If I use a 5 gallon carboy and brew 5 gallons of wort will i have issues, or will i loose some h20 during the boiling process so it will all fit?

How much room should i leave at the top of the carboy? I wish I had a 6 gallon but I dont, and iIdont have the cash to buy them if I dont need it.

I was reading that I can use a blow off tube, if I do, will I loose flavour when krausen is lost?

suggestions please

poguemahone

Recipes 

You are fine.

__________________
Primary 1: Ed Wort's Apfelwein
Secondary: Belgian Saison
Conditioning Keg 1:
Conditioning Keg 2:
Conditioning Keg 3:
Kegerator Tap 1: Dry Stout
Kegerator Tap 2: Six Malt Amber Ale
Kegerator Tap 2: Optimator Lager
Just Finished: Dry Stout

Mr_Moe

Recipes 

i guess i am getting paranoid.

So i need a blow off tube or just a bubbler?

malkore

Recipes 

use a blow off tube though. you'll likely blow krausen thru the airlock/blow off tube...without one you'll just have a mess around the carboy.

6.5gal food grade buckets are cheap. i primary in that, secondary in a carboy that's only 5gal. works fine.

__________________
Malkore
Primary: English Mild
On tap: Pale Ale, Lancelot's Wheat, English Brown Ale, Steam Beer, HoovNuts IPA
Bottled: MOAM, Braggot, Raspberry Melomel, Merlot, Apfelwein, Pyment, Sweet mead, Cabernet
Gal in 2009: 27, Gal in 2010: 34, Gal in 2011: 13, Gal in 2012: 10

Barley-Davidson

Recipes 

5 gal in a carboy will come up to the shoulder, so there's a little headspace. I would definately use a blowoff tube.

__________________
NJHOPZ
North Jersey Homebrewers Organization of Practicing Zymurgists

Mr_Moe

Recipes 

I was reading the other thread about the 1-2-3 method. Now I am thinking of skipping the secondary then bottle ( non heavy beers ).


Looks like i have to go hunting for the right size blow off tubes now.
Thanks for the replies.

Blender

Recipes 

I would definately use a blow off, there just isn't going to be enough room for the krausen to go anywhere with an airlock. You may loose some volume as well if fermentation is aggressive.

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Gary

Madtown Brew

Recipes 

Werd. From what I understand, the only reason one uses a 6.5 gal primary is because with a vigorous fermentation (lots of krausen), you can lose a significant volume of brew out the blow off hose. You won't lose any flavor or anything though. In fact, much of the gunk you see in the krausen is really bitter compounds that you don't want anyways.

__________________
Fermenting:
rye farmhouse ale
Oktoberfest
flanders red
Kegged:
Oktoberfest

weetodd

Recipes 

You definately don't have to rack to a secondary, but the extra time in the carboy helps to have things clear and age. Some well respected brewers just leave their beer in the primary for several weeks then keg/bottle and like that they don't expose their beer to the elements when racking to a secondary. Others like to get the beer off of the "junk" at the bottom. I think either way your fine.

I was unclear if you meant that by "skipping" that you would do one week in primary and then to the bottles. I wouldn't recommend that as your beer will improve with aging and the two-week secondary allows you to be certain that fermentation is done (avoiding bottle bombs).

Mr_Moe

Recipes 

i would do 3-4 weeks in the primary.