a bit confused

I'm a bit confused on something...I have a 6 gal glass carboy and a 6 1/2 gal fermenting bucket..I see some ferment in the glass carboy and transfer into the fermemting bucket as their secondary fermenter and some ferment in the bucket and secondary ferment in the carboy..which is the right way to do this ??..logic tells me that bottling from the bucket[spigot in bottom] would be easier....??

I believe for those who use a secondary they use a bucket or carboy for the primary and then a carboy for the secondary so that they can see the beer clarify. Bottling from a container that has a spigot is definitely easier. However, I believe a lot of people have a separate and specific container that they bottle from. So they would: primary -> secondary -> bottling container. Please note that I've seen better bottles with spigots so a bottling container does not necessarily have to be a bucket.

Since primary fermentation is far more likely to overflow than secondary you would most likely want to use your largest container for primary fermentation. I believe secondary fermentation (clarification) generally doesn't have as much risk of overflow so it can be a slightly smaller container.

For beer, it's much easier not to bottle from your secondary. You either end up stirring up your sediment, or you don't get your sugar mixed in well enough.

Definitely use the bucket with a spigot for bottling.

You could either use the bucket as a primary, transfer to the carboy for clearing, and then transfer back to the bucket for bottling; or if you don't want to use a secondary, use the carboy as the fermenter, and then transfer to the bucket for bottling.

If you use the bucket as a primary, you will not be able to start a new batch until you have bottled the previous batch.

If you use the carboy as a fermenter, you may well need a blow off tube as there will not be sufficient head room to accommodate a vigorous ferment.

The other way is to get an extra fermenter. Either a bucket without spigot, or another carboy (I use a 6.5g carboy), and just use your existing bucket for bottling.

-a.

I would think that for most ales, you could ferment completely in the carboy, then rack to the bucket at bottling time. EDIT: Wow, I'm slow.

Most ferment in either a bucket or 6.5 gallon carboy. Then, if we secondary, we secondary in a 5 gallon carboy. Then, if we bottle, we rack to a bottling bucket that has a spigot.