upgrading

I have been using a small 2.5 gallon setup for a couple months now to get started and want to go to 5 gal like the rest of the world. I was given a 3 gallon kettle and want to know if I use one of my 5 gallon food grade buckets I have around the hous; if that will be large enough to be a fermenter. I see online that all of the commercial ones are 6.5 gallon. I am truly brewing on a tight budget.

Unfortunately, no.

As you have probably noticed, there is a lot of activity in the fermentor. This will translate into your kruesen blowing up into your air lock and puking all over the place or blowing the top off, creating an even bigger mess.

You need some head space in the bucket.

You shouldn't pay more than $12- $15 for a decent fermenting bucket.

If you are that strapped for cash, just save up for a bit.

Yes,the 5 gallon bucket will have no head space at all. you need the 6.5 gallon bucket for said head space to make life cleaner & easier. You'd still need to start ferments with a blow off rig though. At least for piece of mind. A kettle bigger than 3 gallons would be better. But if you dtir a lot,use a spray bottle of water,you should be able to do 2.5 gallons in the 3 gallon kettle. you just need good hot break control with the smaller kettle.

kdrenshaw said:

I have been using a small 2.5 gallon setup for a couple months now to get started and want to go to 5 gal like the rest of the world. I was given a 3 gallon kettle and want to know if I use one of my 5 gallon food grade buckets I have around the hous; if that will be large enough to be a fermenter. I see online that all of the commercial ones are 6.5 gallon. I am truly brewing on a tight budget.

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I just upgraded from MrBeer 2.5 to this kit I got from Midwest Supplies through a Groupon.

http://www.groupon.com/deals/midwes...lies-llc?pt=aUUNRAzAAAABgvXwzMUvBrLG1JMFnTwbh

$62 + $12 shipping (unless you can pick up in store).

• Your choice of ingredient kit: Irish Red Ale, the Autumn Amber Ale, or the Irish Stout.
• $25 Recipe Kit Voucher for a future recipe kit
• 6.5 Gallon Fermenter and Lid
• 6.5 Gallon Bottling Bucket with Spigot
• 4 Oz. of Easy Clean No-Rinse Cleanser
• Airlock (Keeps air out of the fermenter)
• Hydrometer (Determines alcohol content)
• Bottle Brush
• Twin Lever Black Beauty Bottle Capper
• Bottle Caps
• Liquid Crystal Thermometer
• Bottle Filler
• Racking Tube with Bucket Clip
• Siphon Tubing

May be out of your budget, and/or you may already have some of the included parts. But it's a pretty good deal.

If you do go this route, you have to phone the order in since it says it's for in-store purchases only.

That groupon deal is good. I've used it once as well to get a 2nd setup.

You could probably brew a 4 gallon batch in a 5 gallon bucket, but no more. If you did this, you'd want to use Fermcap-S to avoid blowing the lid (high gravity Belgians excluded). I brew 5.75 gallon batches and pour into my 6.5 routinely.

That said, I'd probably just save for a 6.5 bucket. You get more product for all of your work, and they cost less than half an extract batch anyway.

On that groupon deal, if you phone it in you get the deal and they will ship? It becomes less if a deal if I have to drive 500 miles to pick it up.

dawalkertiger said:

On that groupon deal, if you phone it in you get the deal and they will ship? It becomes less if a deal if I have to drive 500 miles to pick it up.

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They charge $12 for flat rate shipping on that kit.

I also bough the auto-siphon and a wine thief and they will throw it in the box for the same shipping.