Size of fermentation vessel

Hi guys!

I am in a situation where i have to choose between either a five liter, 16 liter vessel or a 32 liter one. I will only be brewing 5 - 10 liters of mead but since there are no homebrew stores in my town and the freight is VERY expensive im thinking of buying the 32 liter one - in case I want to brew bigger batches later on. The pro with the 16 and 32 liter vessels is that there's a hose installed in the bottom.

I want to know whether it would be possible/wise to brew in a 16 or 32 liter vessel if you are not filling it completely up? Or should I go with the 5 liter vessel for now?

Thanks in advance!

You can go with the big one for primary fermentations, as head space is irrelevant during primary. However, after fermentation is complete, you need to have it age in a container that is of the appropriate size to eliminate head space.

The cheapest and easiest large-volume fermenters are Brute trash cans (one of the food-grade ones). They hold 10 gallons (or more) and can be picked up for about $20 at places like home depot. They make excellent primary fermenters.

Thanks for your reply, MedsenFey!

I'm glad to hear that head space is irrelevant during primary fermentation (I like big toys, hehe ). When you say aging.. I thought aging was done when bottled? I am quite new to brewing mead so I'm sorry if the question is kind of newbish (which it probably is..).

Before you bottle, it is a good idea to let the mead clear and that can take months. Otherwise you will get massive amounts of sediment in your bottles. Also, I don't like to bottle something unless I'm sure it is at least decent, and sometimes waiting for a mead to finally prove that it is going to be good can take more than a year. Also, with some sweet meads, it can be wise to bulk age them for a long time to insure they don't start fermenting again unexpectedly after bottling.

So, after fermentation is complete, it is common to rack to another container (usually a glass carboy, or a stainless steel keg, or in some cases a barrel) and keep it under airlock and protected from exposure to air while it ages and clears.

Medsen

Thanks Medsen!