Smaller fermentation vessels

What do you guys use for smaller fermentation vessels? For say, smaller or split batches?

The old Mr beer keg works great ( and the neat thing is that you can lager in your fridge with it.) As well as 3 gallon water bottles, 3 gallon better bottles, you can get 3 gallon sized frosting buckets from most bakery sections of grocery stores. If you are going for 6 pack test batches or mead/ciders or even wines 1 gallon glass jugs for cheap wine works great.

I have a 5 gallon Better Bottle which I can use for secondary on 5g batches or primary on smaller batches. There's no reason a 2.5g batch can't ferment in a 5g pail. I also have a 3 gallon glass carboy which can secondary 3g batches or primary even smaller batches.

I hear people mention the Carlo Rossi wine jugs, but those are only a bargain if you like the wine.

McGarnigle said:

I have a 5 gallon Better Bottle which I can use for secondary on 5g batches or primary on smaller batches. There's no reason a 2.5g batch can't ferment in a 5g pail. I also have a 3 gallon glass carboy which can secondary 3g batches or primary even smaller batches.

I hear people mention the Carlo Rossi wine jugs, but those are only a bargain if you like the wine.

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As Revvy stated , its something I can fit in my fridge for lagering. My main concern is lagering in my keezer, which cannot fit 2 5 gal cornies, my tank and another 5 gallon vessel. Ok, so 3 gallon jugs, anything that is plastic that food comes in essentially?

Perfect

*starts brainstorming*

I totally forgot about the Montana Jars....They come in all different sizes.




From here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/tepache-200053/

And here's info on turning one into a fermenter...


2 1/2 gallon Montana Jar Fermenter

Of course the metal lid in the one from the thread (from target) is important for making an airlock grommet space. Can't easily do it with a glass top.

Revvy, wtf is in there?

Nevermind. I just read the link. :-D

So, I am looking into getting 2, 2.5 gallon jars or mr beer kegs, and the whole purpose it so I can lager in my keezer. I don't have enough space for a 5 gallon carboy/pail, but I could fit 2 jars or mr.beer's in there. My question is, for a lager , if splitting a normal 5 gallon batch between the 2, will there be a lot of blow off?
When I first started brewing, I was told by my LHBS that I should use something with a lot of head space so a lot of my beer won't blow off and be wasted. My concern, is filling 2 2.5 containers will put them almost at the brim, and they will probably end up coming through my airlock. How much beer will blow off? I have been considering 3 gallon plastic jugs that house water for water coolers, but they arent food grade . . .

Edit: I have always used 6.5 gallons for primary, and I have 1 5 gal carboy for secondary, so I have never had to use a blow off rig, and have no experience with it.

wulfsburg said:

So, I am looking into getting 2, 2.5 gallon jars or mr beer kegs, and the whole purpose it so I can lager in my keezer. I don't have enough space for a 5 gallon carboy/pail, but I could fit 2 jars or mr.beer's in there. My question is, for a lager , if splitting a normal 5 gallon batch between the 2, will there be a lot of blow off?
When I first started brewing, I was told by my LHBS that I should use something with a lot of head space so a lot of my beer won't blow off and be wasted. My concern, is filling 2 2.5 containers will put them almost at the brim, and they will probably end up coming through my airlock. How much beer will blow off? I have been considering 3 gallon plastic jugs that house water for water coolers, but they arent food grade . . .

Edit: I have always used 6.5 gallons for primary, and I have 1 5 gal carboy for secondary, so I have never had to use a blow off rig, and have no experience with it.

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You're talking about the lager phase, right? Not primary fermentation....if it's just lagering you don't need to worry about blowoff, you actually wanna eliminate as much headspace as possible-Lagering is just a secondary in the cold, really. Are you going to primary in as 5 gallons?

Yeah, well I have an Oktoberfest kit (that came with lager yeast) that has been in my primary, fermenting it at an average 60-65 degrees during the day, dipping colder during the night. The kit instructions suggested I do it at ale temps cause I cannot maintain at the suggest lager fermentation temp (50 degrees).

It said the yeast is ideal for lagering/fermenting 50-59 degrees or 64-72 degrees. It has been in for 9 days now. I know fermentation is done, and I was planning on throwing it in my other corny to drink this weekend, but I didn't know if it is ok to drink it that soon, or if it will lager in the secondary, or if lagering is even out of the question due to my primary ferm temps. I am not worried about it, but have never really done a lager before. I would do another lager and adjust my keezer to a steady 50 degrees, and let it ferment in the keezer. Is that not the right thing to do?

I am not 100% sure what lagering is, as to my understanding it is a slow fermentation and aging process in cold temps.

I really dont care about the "intended style and flavor" of the beer, just as long as it tastes good, I don't give a crap. I initially brewed it hoping i could fit it in my keezer, but I can't so it was fermed at ale temps. . .

McGarnigle said:

I hear people mention the Carlo Rossi wine jugs, but those are only a bargain if you like the wine.

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You can get similar jugs without that crap in it for 4 or 5 bucks at a LHBS.

Gallon jugs, glass, ~$3.00 at LHBS.

wulfsburg said:

I am not 100% sure what lagering is, as to my understanding it is a slow fermentation and aging process in cold temps.

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Lagering isn't really a fermentation, it is cold conditioning to get rid of the sulphuric and other compounds which are produced during the fermentation of lager yeasts. It;s really just a cold secondarying. So fermentation should really be complete by the time you rack it to your lager vessels. So headspace is more important, less is better.

So I just through my brew into a corny and put it in my keezer to lager. If I carb it, will it not properly condition?