Anyone else having this problem? Shortage of fermenters...

Well, I'm currently running full time 2 fermenters - as one empties, it gets filled same night, since I use tinkered can kits, my brew day is pretty short - can get all done in one hour. And I'm really happy with results.

But, I never expected my wifey will step on my brews, so basically I'm drying out really fast.

Must Have More Fermenters! Must Brew Mowe!!!

Anyone else having similar problem? Like, when you started brewing, you started drinking bit more (like 1-3 beer bottles day in cold climate - is a big step up for me) and end up needin' more beer just because now someone else starts stepping on your brews.. nevermind all the thirsty friends and neighbors who just cant leave your house without a beer or two?

Its fascinating. Like some upwards spiral progression.

Just buy more buckets. They are cheap. I normally have 4 in use at all times.

Hmm, that answers it, I was thinking stepping up to one new, but guess picking up two will save me time running back to store week later

I only have room for 4 carboys in my temperature controlled spaces. I am thinking about how to use the space better or to get a bigger refrigerator. I would like to be able to fit 6-8.

I have 5 primaries (all filled right now) and 4 secondaries (for the big beers and lagers that need a few months extra, 2 full right now) and three 3-gallon secondaries for meads and wines (2 full right now). Yes, I need more primaries, but the bigger concern is that I'm actually out of CO2 seals. 2 of my primaries are on blow off tubes into sanitizer buckets and one of those was rigged with a brass nipple stuffed into a rubber bung since I didn't have the right equipment to do it properly.

I'm placing an order tomorrow for some more supplies...

I only have 2 myself, But thats all I need.....for now...

Im waiting for Revvy's respond and picture. IIRC hes around 14 of them.....

I have 8 total primarys and have only one filled right now. I'm having issues finding the time to brew!!

I'm up to 4 fermenters, 1 bucket, 1 carboy, and 2 new BB's. Bottled 3 batches last weekend so I'm down to 1 full carboy. The BB's and carboy are interchangeable as primary/secondary and I use the bucket for primary only (I think I like the bucket best believe it or not...) I may need to buy more when I start making sour and bugged beers that will have to sit for a year or so, but 4 is all I can fit (or am allowed) in the kitchen where I ferment!

I also have 8. Probably need to get a few more!

Mischief_Brewing said:

a brass nipple stuffed into a rubber bung

Click to expand...

I love it when you talk dirty!

I have 12 carboys, but since I bought my 15 gallon conical, I mostly use the carboys for bulk-aging wine or for mead.

I'm not even adding to this one, because after reading that people have 8 or 12 fermentors, I'm ashamed that I only have 4. and one is a bottling bucket that "I could use as a primary". Heads up online vendors, I'm placing an order.

Just one now, and it has the first beer I ever made in it. I have another bucket on order. I think I will work up to four buckets. That way I can brew one batch a weekend and have enough buckets for them to ferment a month. That would be 20 gallons of beer a month. That should be more than enough to keep me, my wife, and our friends satiated.

I have capacity for 4 with 3 6G BB's and one 5G glass carboy. I currently have 3 beers fermenting. Unfortunately it's way too warm here to ferment in a closet/basement/etc so I have a full sized freezer temp controlled.

Too warm I wish I had that problem! It's gotten down to 58 in my fermenting area and will stay there till summer....I have 3 buckets for beer, 2 6.5 carboys and 2 wine buckets.... 1 5gallon carboy and one 3gall and 5 kegs but one tap and one picnic tap so I can only serve 2 at a time....and use the other 3 fir clearing/aging

So yeah....I've only had them ALL filled up at the same time once and then I let it all drain out till I had no alcohol in the apartment....it took quite a bit with me being the only drinker

Yeah I have a carefully calibrated brew calendar & all 10 will be full in 2 weeks, leaving me with nowhere to make a stout recipe I really want to try. And the dubbel will just have to wait until...January, I guess. Funny, I started brewing because I thought it would save me money. Now I not only drink more beer than I used to, I also BUY more beer than I used to because I love geeking out and trying things that microbreweries are doing. Oh well. Full fermenters is a good problem to have.

Four 5gal, one 6.5gal and two 2.5gal glass carboys are in my arsenal.

I wish I had enough time to have a 'shortage'.

I have found the US Plastics 7-gallon bucket to be a very good fermenter. They are larger than the standard 6.5 gal. "Ale Pail," and I've found that the extra headspace means no more foam spewing out of the airlock. You can choose from a variety of colored lids, and they use a real rubber O-ring gasket in the lid, so that it actually seals. I got mine, 3 buckets + lids for $32-33, delivered.

rico567 said:

I have found the US Plastics 7-gallon bucket to be a very good fermenter. They are larger than the standard 6.5 gal. "Ale Pail," and I've found that the extra headspace means no more foam spewing out of the airlock. You can choose from a variety of colored lids, and they use a real rubber O-ring gasket in the lid, so that it actually seals. I got mine, 3 buckets + lids for $32-33, delivered.

Click to expand...

Really? Not bad. Not bad at all.

I have one fermenter that I brew approximately 15 us gallons in at a time. It can take 17 gallons, but with headspace for foam I only tend to push it to 15 or so.

It keeps me and the wife going, that said, I've cut back considerably on my consumption.

I have to many, 1 SS Conical, (1) bucket (2) 6.5 gallon (4) 5 gallon and (2) 6 gallon (2) 3 gallon carboys.

I make do with less than most of the posters in this thread: two better bottle carboys, one five gallon glass carboy, and one three gallon glass carboy. I will often have two batches going at the same time, but have never needed more than I have.

1st year brewing I had 4 buckets and a 10gal tub. 2nd year brewing I had a 15gal fermenter and 8 buckets and 4 carboys and the tub. But I haven’t noticed any trend. And yes I have had them all filled at the same time except for the tub since I use that was my washing tub now.

I've got one 7 gallon and one 6 gallon plastic bucket fermenter. Oh and one 6.5 two 6 and ten 5 gallon carboys, ten 1 gallon glass fermenters and a 5gallon barrel. I still want more.

I currently have 3, 6.5 gallon fermentors, a 5 gallon secondary, and 2 gallon experimental fermentor. Seems like this is as many as I'll ever need although I am considering buying another 5 gallon glass carboy to condition the sour beers I've been making lately. When a beer needs to sit in secondary for 6 months you may as well dedicate a glass carboy to sours.

I'm feeling the same pinch as the OP. I have 1x6 gal better bottle and 1x6.5 bucket, and both are full. Saturday I'll be bottling from the bucket and will immediately re-fill with pumpkin porter. The better bottle has apfelwein so I know it's out of commission for a couple months. I do have some 1gal bottles I plan on experimenting with, but as soon as I get my fermenting closet temp controlled I'll probably get 2-4 more buckets so I can make some long brews without affecting my normal brew schedule.

<not bragging />

I've got 38 glass carboys, 10 - 6.5 gallon and the rest in 5 gallon. I am just having a hard time filling them all.

I usually do 15 gallon brews, so sometimes I will split the 15 gallons amongst 4 x 5 gallon carboys and don't secondary. The garage and laundry room are sometimes a sea of full carboys and old t-shirts.

The one barrel conical is currently full of Irish Dry Stout. The 1/2 barrel sanke keg fermenter is currently full of Oxyclean. I've had them both full at the same time, but I've never felt I needed another fermenter when that's been the case.