Is a 6 gallon secondary ok?

I searched before asking this but only found one short thread on the subject. Is a 6 gallon better bottle ok to use as a secondary fermenter? The guy at my lhbs recommended it but now I am reading that a five gallon would be better because it allows for less head space. I already bought the 6 gallon bottle and my lhbs isn't very local so I'd lie to use it if it's safe.

I am making an American ale and adding bourbon soaked oak chips to the secondary.

Thank you.

Yep, it's fine.

When you rack to secondary you'll stir up enough CO2 to fill the head space on a 6 gallon.

Of course, you can also just skip the secondary by doing a long primary instead, and then you can use the 6 gallon as a second primary fermenter.

whatisitgoodfor said:

Of course, you can also just skip the secondary by doing a long primary instead, and then you can use the 6 gallon as a second primary fermenter.

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Can I put the oak chips right into primary for a week instead of racking to secondary? Thanks again.

Yep.

The only reason that a lot flavoring agents are recommended for the secondary instead of the primary is that bubbling CO2 through them will destroy the aroma/flavor. As long as you wait till the airlock stops bubbling furiously it will be fine.

Dry hopping is a good example of that. Oak is usually done in the secondary just because you don't want to expose the beer to it for a full 1 month primary. (1-2 weeks is plenty for infusing a sinus roaring oak flavor.)

+1 on the long primary.
Secondary? What's a secondary?

Also agreed on the primary. If you're only talking a week just toss the oak right in there.