New guy, questions, fyi - I refuse to buy Budweiser.

Alright I read the howtobrew site, I have an idea now of what I want/need. I'd like to Do It Myself as much as possible - 15-20 bucks for a plastic bucket is no joke.

I have some questions I can't seem to answer via search:

Does my fermentation bucket HAVE to be 6+gal? Or would a 5gal with an air-lock suffice?

I want two buckets so I can set up secondary fermentation.

How do I transfer from one bucket to the next, is siphon the ONLY way? I want to be clear that I only need an air-lock and siphon on one, and an air lock and spigot on the other bucket.

I wanted to keg it up, but I don't think I have the space for a keg.. I wanted EZ cap bottles, but they are expensive.. Think I'm going to have to buy my own bottles, I don't see myself buying a case or two of beer any time soon... (i'm really into dark beers, the lack of them around me makes me a very very light drinker).

Also there is a Red Ale on AHS I want to try, its like 9 or 11 ABV - do I need to do anything different?? I hear some of you guys talk about high alcohol using different equipment??? I saw it in the extract brews.. I want something strong but not so dark for my first run.. Red Ale seems about right?

Vessel size depends on your batch size...a 5 gal batch in a 5 gal bucket is asking for trouble when the krausen (foam) starts building.

You could use gravity or co2 to transfer besides a siphon but yeah, a bucket with a lock and one with a spigot will get you going.

Bars toss bottles all the time....

El_Borracho said:

Alright I read the howtobrew site, I have an idea now of what I want/need. I'd like to Do It Myself as much as possible - 15-20 bucks for a plastic bucket is no joke.

I have some questions I can't seem to answer via search:

Does my fermentation bucket HAVE to be 6+gal? Or would a 5gal with an air-lock suffice?

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Bigger is better if you're doing 5 gal batches. If you use as smaller bucket, you're going to blow off quite a bit of during fermentation

El_Borracho said:

I want two buckets so I can set up secondary fermentation.

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Don't use a bucket for a secondary. Use either a glass carboy or a better bottle

El_Borracho said:

How do I transfer from one bucket to the next, is siphon the ONLY way? I want to be clear that I only need an air-lock and siphon on one, and an air lock and spigot on the other bucket.

Click to expand...

I like the auto siphon, but you can use a ported bucket for transfes too.

El_Borracho said:

Also there is a Red Ale on AHS I want to try, its like 9 or 11 ABV - do I need to do anything different?? I hear some of you guys talk about high alcohol using different equipment??? I saw it in the extract brews.. I want something strong but not so dark for my first run.. Red Ale seems about right?

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A Red Ale isn't what I'd consider dark, but as long as you follow their instructions, you'll be fine. AHS puts together a nice kit.

rdwj said:

Don't use a bucket for a secondary. Use either a glass carboy or a better bottle

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Why not? I use one all the time without problems.

Cheesefood said:

Why not? I use one all the time without problems.

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There's a concern with O2 permeability. As long as you're not bulk aging for longer than a few weeks, it's not a big deal. For meads, wines, and other brews requiring a lengthy aging period, glass is recommended.

El_Borracho said:

Does my fermentation bucket HAVE to be 6+gal? Or would a 5gal with an air-lock suffice?

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As beer ferments a thick foam called krausen forms. In a quick, active fermentation this can rise up and begin spilling out of the airlock. This has known to clog the airlock and cause a pressure build up and subsequent "explosion" - beer all over the floor, walls and ceiling.

If you're going to use a plastic bucket, check out the "Ale Pale" or similar bucket designed for brewing. The high-quality plastic will ensure your beer doesn't take up odors, colors and flavours. Brewing buckets designed for that purpose are usually 6.5 to 7.5 gallons. Austin Home Brew, for instance has a 6.7 found http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_464&products_id=10713

El_Borracho said:

How do I transfer from one bucket to the next, is siphon the ONLY way?

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It is important that you do not expose your beer to oxygen once fermentation has begun. Oxygen destroys beer. Methods like pouring the beer from one bucket to another introduce a LOT of oxygen into your beer, even if you pour as gently as possible. The second consideration is that when you siphon off the beer, you're leaving "junk" behind, pouring would transfer that stuff over too - defeating the purpose of transfering at all.

The only other option I can think of is a spigot to transfer the beer off but buying a bucket or bottle with a spigot costs more than buying an auto-siphon in most cases. My autosiphon was about $6 and is one of my most important pieces of equipment without question. WELL worth it.

El_Borracho said:

I want to be clear that I only need an air-lock and siphon on one, and an air lock and spigot on the other bucket.

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Yes and no. You mentioning wanting to use a secondary. This is sometimes called a "clearing tank". If this is the case, then you will need a primary fermenter (plus airlock for that), a clearing tank plus airlock(someone recommended glass or Better Bottle rather than a bucket. I'll agree, only because I like to see what is happening.) and a THIRD bucket with spigot to do your bottling with.

If you're interested in doing this with as little equipment to start then you do not HAVE to use a secondary fermenter. You can ferment in a single bucket (with airlock) and keep it there for 3 weeks rather than 7-10 days and then siphon that into the bottling bucket (the one with the spigot) to mix it with the priming sugar and then bottle. That only requires two buckets, a single airlock and a siphon.

El_Borracho said:

Think I'm going to have to buy my own bottles

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I keg myself, but i bottled a batch of Pumpkin Ale last weekend and I had to buy bottles myself. Honestly, though, a keg takes up about as much space as a few cases of beer bottles. I personally avoid screw-on bottles. My home brew supplier sells cases of 12 22oz bottles for $10 so it wasn't too hard or expensive getting the bottles.

El-Borracho said:

I want something strong but not so dark for my first run.

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Strong beers aren't always dark beers. I had a Kolsh yesterday that was the highest on a menu of a few beers, side-by-side with a porter and a stout. Barleywines can be "light" and they're pretty potent.

I'd personally recommend not factoring ABV into your brew. You're making 5 gallons (give or take) of beer. That's more than enough to get buzzed very nicely every night for a while. Over time, you'll need a little more beer each time and flavour will slowly begin beating out ABV. If, on the other hand, you make a balanced beer that you enjoy drinking day after day you'll get buzzed and enjoy the flavour (and pride) of your own home brew. Of course, that's my opinion based on my experiences - it's your brew, your home and your pallete.

El_Borracho said:

Also there is a Red Ale on AHS I want to try, its like 9 or 11 ABV - do I need to do anything different?? I hear some of you guys talk about high alcohol using different equipment??? I saw it in the extract brews.. I want something strong but not so dark for my first run.. Red Ale seems about right?

Click to expand...

I would NOT recommend going with a high-gravity beer for your first brew. They aren't nearly as easy/foolproof, and perhaps just as importantly they take a LOT more time to ferment and condition - most people are anxious to try their first brew as soon as possible, which isn't so bad for average-gravity beers which can be ready in 4-6 weeks, but with a high-gravity beer you may need to wait several months at least. In your first batch you're doing a lot of learning, and are likely to make some mistakes, and it would sure suck to wait several months only to find out your beer turned out poorly.

Secondly, not to dissuade you from homebrewing, because it's an awesome hobby, however it is not exactly a cheap hobby for most of us, at least in terms of equipment investment. There are some homebrewers who buy just the basic equipment and manage to stick with it, but for many of us it becomes more of an addiction and we end up spending a lot more on equipment - to make the brewing process easier, faster, and produce better beer more reliably. If you are only interested in getting cheap equipment because you want to find out if you like brewing before investing in more equipment, then forget I mentioned it - many of us (myself included) started out with a very basic starter kit of equipment and did a few batches before buying more. If, on the other hand, you don't ever plan to spend any more money than necessary, it might not be the ideal hobby, because it'll likely be sort of frustrating living without most of the gadgets which make the brewing process easier. Of course, this is just my 2 cents worth.

I don't know much about secondary fermentation, I'm going on Palmer's website.

Do they make toppers/lids for the plastic 5gal water jugs? I see a lot of folks fermenting in those, that seems a bit more secure for a secondary if it's that much of an importance.

I doubt I'd need to do a secondary fermentation of more than a week or two - whatever the recipe recommends, or what you guys suggest to me.

Wait, do I even need to do secondary fermentation if I'm bottling? I wanted a keg but I don't think I have the room... So I was going to do as palmer suggests.. And add my bottling yeast when I transfer, then bottle it for another week or two..So in reality my secondary fermentation container is really just a place to siphon in from my first container to add more sugar for the yeast, before I bottle..

About the beer I chose, I want something others I know ill drink. Figure a red ale would give me the strength and flavor I want..w/ some compromise. I'm the only guy I know who can regularly drink Guiness - it's not all that strong but everyone I know consumes Miller Lite as their primary flavor. Mind you its 90 degrees and humid all year round here.

Hey Cheesefood, how do I make your Vanilla Caramel Cream ale with extracts?

Thanks for the input guys, still learning!

Edit: just noticed two new posts as soon I turned this one in

Kevin, you explained a lot, thanks! I think that about sums it up.

Funk, thank you for the advice.. I'm involved in a few other hobbies that cost me constantly. I don't mind really, but I figure to start off with I don't need to jump in head first. I'll try it out, make a few runs, then start upgrading as I go..

I'm a bit of addict myself when it comes to anything I do.. Lol.. My wife says "you're going to end up making 20 gallons of beer to over run my fridge and you're going to end up watching your friends drink it.." I think it's a good deal!

Also, have you guys ever been on http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/default.asp ??

They have all sorts of containers, I noticed about 60 different carboy models.. Plastic, Acrylic, Glass, clear, opaque, spigot, no spigot, built in air release, all sorts of things really..

6 Gal Buckets, $7.00
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/pr...USPlastic&category_name=20327&product_id=9746

Also most dairy queens sell off their plastic buckets for $1.00, I think those may be 5gal..

I got a parts list to make..

All good tips, but what it comes down to is use the right tools for the job. Skrimping on your tools and your end results may suffer...

homebrewer_99 said:

All good tips, but what it comes down to is use the right tools for the job. Skrimping on your tools and your end results may suffer...

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Actually that us plastics site I posted has a lot of carboy options. I mean they may not all be functional for the task? The plastic buckets are the right size and material - but at half the price. Mind you, they don't specify anything about the lids. Do fermenting buckets have some sort of seals?

I don't want to save 20 bucks here, to lose it all making crappy beer. I just want to know what I should and shouldn't spend my money on and what I can do myself and be better off.

I know I need an auto-siphon kit. Air-locks are worth buying. A better-bottle/plastic carboy for secondary/bottling (glass is too dangerous in my home). I have scales, I have a 24" plastic spoon. I need a strainer. I have a huge turkey fryer. I guess all I need to know is if the bucket matters, or should any do, are the seals different in fermenting buckets?

I mean maybe I'm wrong, can you suggest a kit that has all I need?

Can I use a carboy with a spigot and serve out of that? If not, what if I transfer to it (so there is no bottom sediment)?

I really appreciate the advice.. Trying to not spend on the stuff I don't need.. I don't have a brew shop near..

Well your going to need to bottle to get carbonation, so serving out of the carboy is out. Not to mention the trub on the bottom would get in your beer.

As far as the carboys for secondary, if you're using plastic make sure it's PET. Also, you'll need a rubber bunge and airlock on top of it. As for the primary, same thing, PET plastic, 6.5 gallons is about best for a 5gallon beer.
The seals aren't really different you just have to make sure they're airtight and wont let pressure inside the bucket blow off the lid.

You will also need a bottle capper.

basic kit http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6873 has just the basic set-up get ya going

upgrade: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6874 auto siphon and better bottle included

also if your area has bottle return laws most beer stores will let you but them back to( iv'e goit 24 of the ez-cap styles for 2.40)

Heh.. you got me.

I think I'll take that second option erik posted.. Figure a better-bottle, or carboy and a better siphon would run me an extra 30 bucks..

I decided on a Hefe for my first brew. I think it should be pretty simple to get right? I don't want to make a ****ty first brew, but I know I don't want to make something I can grab at the store..

Can you suggest something from these Midwest guys?? That way I can get the equipment kit, and the ingredients all at once.. Thanks!

here http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/RecipeKits.aspx?SubCat=170

remember hefe's have a lot of aroma from yeast kinda banana/cloves

if you want to minmize that use the nottingham yeast. maximum use the liquid yeasts


happy brewing:rockin:

I had found that page on the site, but was unsure with all the options. Think I'll go with Hank's Hefe w/ the Nottingham yeast. By cloves you mean like a grolsh?

El_Borracho said:

I had found that page on the site, but was unsure with all the options. Think I'll go with Hank's Hefe w/ the Nottingham yeast. By cloves you mean like a grolsh?

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Clove flavor in a hefe isn't anything like a Grolsch. To me, Grolsch has a skunky flavor. The clove flavor tastes, well, like cloves. Think cloves like on a ham, or the clove gum that used to be around.

Notthingham will be clean tasting, without any left behind flavors. Hefe yeasts are what make hefes taste like hefes- that distinctive banana-y, bubblegum-y flavor.

I just made a hefe with the nottingham yeast and I think its a great almost largery beer but it tastes very little like a hefe IMHO. I think hefe is a great first beer just make a second beer right away because you may find you are drinking a lot more beer.

Yooper and Fish, thanks for the clarification. Think I would rather the more clove/fruitish flavors in my beer. So what yeast should I go with, or rather maybe you can suggest a kit?

I was trying to be simple and get the kit from the place i order the equipment from...considering the prices online I may just take a drive north and pick everything up at the local brew shop (68miles away).