Glass Carboy for Primary?

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BSBrewer

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This may be a stupid Q but I just picked up a glass carboy today and I know that alot of times its used for secondary fermentation but is there anything against using it for primary or is it better for primary to be in an opaque pail to keep it darker for the yeast?
 
It's fine for primary (or secondary, for that matter). If it's in an area with light, you can just throw a towel or a blanket over it.

If it's only a 5 gallon carboy, it's kind of small though. I prefer a 6.5 gallon carboy for primary, for head space during fermentation.
 
if your worried about light expositor just keep it in the box it came in with the lid flaps shut and the airlock sticking out. beer is not like film a little light wont kill it.
 
Yeah, 6 gal should be ok for a 5 gal batch, but I'd use a blow-off tube instead of an air-lock. Some of mine pushed the air-lock out, and there are stories of people having beer splattered on their ceiling using 6.5 gal carboys with air-locks.

Also, be careful with glass carboys. I prefer to use glass over plastic, but I have a nasty scar on my wrist from one that I broke. Not to mention the lack of feeling in my index and middle fingers and my thumb due to a severed nerve. Someone started this thread about making them safer. Just something to think about...
 
I use my 6.5 gallon glass carboy for fermentation. I've been keeping my brews in there between 3 to 4 weeks before bottling. I've only done three batches but they have been turning out really well and I've been getting really clear beer too.
 
one of my LHBSs has an old green 15gal carboy with a wicker basket built around it for sale, I think the sticker on it says $50...
 
Homebrew and film processing- thats a great concept for an experimental film er I mean beer.
Its too bad film couldnt be developed with beer or at least something non toxic. I always wanted to bucket print a roll of 16mm or 8mm
cheers
Hog
 
as an update - I bought clear duct tape and wrapped almost the entire carboy in it - I left a strip about 1" wide so I can see into it and ensure its clean

can be seen sitting on the new brew supply shelf I built here:

IMG_2021.JPG
 
I was in Alpha Phi Omega at Clemson University when it was still all male - so it was more like a typical greek than the women laden 'club' co-ed chapters at many other schools.
 
Is the duct tape to keep light out? I always thought that it was sunlight that would skunk a beer, not just any light. Am I wrong on this?
 
the duct tape is more for structural support/if it cracks or gets dropped I dont lose a limb - alot of people on the boards talked about the safety issue so thats why I taped it up

They say UV light is what you need to worry about - it's down in the basement (or will be going into my keezer - so I was more concerned with structure/safety than keeping light out.
 
I don't know for sure, but you might consider one of those "Better Bottle" carboys. They don't allow oxygen to permeate like regular plastic bottles, and if they are polycarbonate plastic they will also block out almost all UV light. Glass will only block UVA, but not UVB which is more energetic and damaging to beer anyway.
 
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