Zwan05
Active Member
i was thinking of just picking up a 5g bucket from lowes with top for like 4bucks. do i need an air lock for a secondary?
Do secondaries need air locks?
- Thread starter Zwan05
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If I was using a secondary, I'd use an airlock.
You didn't ask this, but I wouldn't use a bucket. The headspace in a bucket is however wide the bucket is, plus a few inches deep. The headspace in a carboy is just about an inch or two wided. I don't use secondary vessels often for beer, but if I did I'd make sure it was a carboy in the proper size with an airlock.
You didn't ask this, but I wouldn't use a bucket. The headspace in a bucket is however wide the bucket is, plus a few inches deep. The headspace in a carboy is just about an inch or two wided. I don't use secondary vessels often for beer, but if I did I'd make sure it was a carboy in the proper size with an airlock.
PT Ray
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Yes but you might get away without one. If you were using a carboy and plugged with a solid stopper, it would pop out. If you get a bucket and lid from Lowe's you might be fine. At least in my market Lowe's is carrying the lids that don't have a gasket and don't look as if they really give a very tight seal.
Scooby_Brew
Well-Known Member
When I started out with my brewing adventure about 10 years ago, the common wisdom at the time was to ferment in the primary for 2 weeks and after that rack it into a secondary for 2 weeks. My LHBS gave me a kit with 1 "primary" fermenter with an airlock and 1 "secondary" without one. This setup worked pretty well, I guess there isn't enough CO2 produced to demand an airlock in the secondary.
Of course now i use a primary fermentation for a month and after that the beer goes into kegs... Things had changed a little since then I guess
I do secondary in a Home Depot bucket and a lid with a gasket in it. It works perfect. It's over 5 gal up to the brim so I've always gotten all my beer in there and never had it explode on me. I would suggest using a carboy for long secondarys though. I use my Homer bucket only for short term for dry hopping, herbs, and such.
iron_city_ap
Well-Known Member
This will probably get me shunned, but I bought a plastic water jug, think office water cooler type, at Wal Mart for about $7. I picked up a couple 3/8" inner diameter gasket at Lowes for about $2. Drilled a hole in the lid for the water jug, inserted the gasket and TA DAAA!!!!! It looks like a carboy, you can see your beer to check its clarity, screw off lid (its watertight so it must be airtight too), nice big handle built into the side, and if it goes bad or breaks or whatever, I'm out less than $10.
I think you'd be fine with the bucket from Lowes. Like I said, they also have gaskets. Its real easy to set it up if you want to use the airlock.
I think you'd be fine with the bucket from Lowes. Like I said, they also have gaskets. Its real easy to set it up if you want to use the airlock.
impatient
Well-Known Member
Beer should maintain positive pressure from start thru consumption. So, yes.
I've been wondering if I could use this type of water bottle. Anybody know any reason not to?
ReverseApacheMaster
Well-Known Member
there are some threads about it -- if the plastic type is 7 (and it probably is) you risk the plastic breaking down into the beer, which can contribute off flavors and possibly lethal compounds into your beer.
Check the bottom of the jug for the number.
Check the bottom of the jug for the number.
Arkador
Well-Known Member
you can always just throw a piece of sanitized aluminum foil over the top of a carboy. It will keep the nasties out, and allow it to vent
iron_city_ap
Well-Known Member
I guess I assumed that since it was good enough for drinking water that it would be good enough for beer. This thread got me thinking and checking. Turns out, the jug I have is #3 plastic. I can't find anything good written about it. Luckily I have only run 2 batches through it. 1 batch was BAD (pitched it) and the 2nd has been bottled for a week.
Needless to say, its going in the garbage. The jug, not the beer, hopefully.
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