6 gallon carboy big enough for primary?

I'm going to be doing partial boils (extract) and I'm wondering if my 6 gallon carboy will be big enough for a primary fermenter? Think I'll have enough room for krausen?
I plan on rigging up a blow off tube just in case, but I'd hate to find out that it's too small once the brew is already chugging away.

Kevin

I personally think it will be fine. I've brewed about 10 batches in a 6.5 gal carboy and noone have gone over 1.5 inches of krausen. I've brewed mostly ales with moderate malt 6-7 pounds per 5 gal batch. I usually use dry yeast like safale 56. Maybe you get fatter krausen from liquid yeast.

Kevin K said:

I'm going to be doing partial boils (extract) and I'm wondering if my 6 gallon carboy will be big enough for a primary fermenter? Think I'll have enough room for krausen?
I plan on rigging up a blow off tube just in case, but I'd hate to find out that it's too small once the brew is already chugging away.

Kevin

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It'll be close. My primaries are 6.5 gallon, and I've usually got lots of room to spare at high kraeusen.

If you've got a blow-off, then there is nothing to worry about anyway. Just use it for a few batches before deciding if it's necessary or if an airlock would be fine.

I bought a 6 gallon carboy for my wine, but was thinking that I could probably use it for a beer primary if necessary.

FYI: judging by the marks I put on my carboys to measure volume, I usually get 0.5 to 1.0 gallons of kraeusen on my batches.

-walker

Sounds like I'll be close then. I'll give it a shot. (I could use my pail for primary, but I really want to see what's going on!).

Thanks Walker (& Monk).

I use a 6 gallon every time and I always use a blowoff tube whether I think I will need it or not - (I usually do because I do big starters).

Monk said:

I personally think it will be fine. I've brewed about 10 batches in a 6.5 gal carboy and noone have gone over 1.5 inches of krausen. I've brewed mostly ales with moderate malt 6-7 pounds per 5 gal batch. I usually use dry yeast like safale 56. Maybe you get fatter krausen from liquid yeast.

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I used Safale 56 for a Porter I fermented in a 5 gal carboy. Big mistake. Luckily I rigged a blowoff tube. It really went to town - started in 4 hours. I pitched the slurry from that to a Fat Tire clone in my 5 gal carboy w/blow off. this one had even higher krausen - must have blown out 1 1/2 quarts of beer along with the krausen. I'm sold on the dry yeasts from Fermentis - no hydration or starter, just sprinkle on the wort.

I'm looking for a 6 1/2 gal carboy.

I only have a 6 gallon for primary and it works fine. I've even done primary in a 5 gallon carboy before, in fact my honey pale is in the 5 gallon right now.

Thanks guys!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4451428456&sspagename=ADME:L:RTQ:US:1

ant reason these won't wok? I am thinking of picking up a couple for my first homebrew attempt. I found a few nice SS cook pots (32Qt), but I am still researching these

cheers

Those are perfect.

Monk said:

I personally think it will be fine. I've brewed about 10 batches in a 6.5 gal carboy and noone have gone over 1.5 inches of krausen. I've brewed mostly ales with moderate malt 6-7 pounds per 5 gal batch. I usually use dry yeast like safale 56. Maybe you get fatter krausen from liquid yeast.

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okay. Continuing with my personal tradition of ironic self-contradiction, I must amend this comment of mine. Approximately two days after I wrote this, I had belgiam blonde stinky krausen making disgusting noises as it oozed out of my airlock. It was a 5-5.5 gal batch in a 6.5 gal carboy. I did use a whitelabs liquid yeast, though. Apparently that made the difference.