First Batch Questions

Hey all, first batch is on the stove as we speak! WooHoo! Question for you advanced brewers. I feel good on the fundamentals of fermentation. I get it. It's the whole secondary fermentation and bottling that I'm a little mystified on.

I have a 6 gallon true brew plastic bucket. This bucket has a spigot at the bottom. I also have a 5 gallon glass carboy.

I'm going to pour the wort into the carboy and then after fermentation, siphon into the bucket and bottle from there. I'm not planning on secondary fermentation for this first go round. Is this correct.

question 2. If i did want to secondary ferment would i go carboy to bucket, put the lid and airlock on let ferment and bottle directly from that?

question 3. I take it the spigot is there to make bottling go easier. No need to siphon into the bottling wand. Just connect the tubing to the spigot and bottle away.

Am I correct in these assumptions?? If not please set me straight. And thank you all so much for your assistance.

The 5 gallon carboy will be very tight for primary fermentation. Need a blowoff tube and even still you'd probably lose some brew.

Maybe use the bucket for primary, then secondary to the carboy. Then when its ready to bottle put it back in the bucket with the spigot (making sure it was thoroughly cleaned).

Just my opinion.

Also don't use just the spigot. Attach the bottling wand to that to reduce spashing and oxidation.

I agree....the 5 gallon carboy will probably result in a blowoff, you would definetly need to rig a blow off tube. However, technically it is your choide whether to primary in carboy or bucket and which one you want to use as a secondary.

Question 2 - I believe if you use a bucket w/ spigot for your secondary you can bottle directly from that.

Question 3 - Correct

Nevermind Dave answered this part of my question.

And thanks both for your advice. I do have a blow off tube but I think i'm going to use the bucket for the primary and the Carboy for the secondary and then back into the bucket for bottling

Another option is to adjust the recipe to 4 gallons. This can be as simple as reducing the amount of top-off water.

That option had crossed my mind as well. What kind of flavor impacts if any will that create?

Reducing to four gallons will just make stronger beer. It still should be balanced as before. The only downside is fewer bottles of beer.

You old also use your bottling bucket for primary, do a secondary in your carboy, and then use the bottling bucket again on bottling day. (As mosquito said)

+1 on using the bucket as primary, secondary in the bottle and bottle with the bucket.

Alright, Chilling my wort now, Into the bucket it will go, then I'll use the carboy as the secondary and then off into the bottling bucket again. Thank you all so much for your help. Hope this one turns out great. Thanks again

Shoeby said:

question 3. I take it the spigot is there to make bottling go easier. No need to siphon into the bottling wand. Just connect the tubing to the spigot and bottle away.

Click to expand...

Just to clarify, you siphon your brew into your bottling bucket, connect the tubing to your bottling bucket spigot and the other end connects to your bottling wand. Flip the valve on your spigot, and begin bottling. I wouldn't try bottling with just the tubing and flipping the spigot, that'd get messy quick and would probably take a lot longer.