5 or 6 Gal Carboy

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pilotgarren

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Looking to upgrade from the Ale Pale one day and and wondering whether I should get a 5 or 6 gal carboy. Is there an advantage of going to the 6 gal? It's only a few dollars difference, but that's all money I can add up for my next upgrade. I don't have any immediate plans to make wine and would buy a 6 gal one then if I hadn't prior.
 
I would go with the 6 gallon. If you make a yeast starter and aerate, then you will need the extra space.
 
I recommend doing your primary fermentation in a bucket and using a 5G glass carboy for any secondary.

But, don't be in a huge rush to move to carboys. I know many award-winning homebrewers that use both but tend to prefer their buckets (including me - though no awards). Buckets are cheap, light, easy to clean, easier to store, and safe. If I secondary, I use a glass carboy- or may even bottle and "secondary" in the bottle by letting it sit longer if it just needs to age. -My personal preference is to get the beer packaged and under CO2 as fast as possible and handle it openly as little as possible.. not using secondary saves a racking.

Cleaning a carboy after primary fermentation is more work than a bucket... most of my secondaries leave the carboy pretty clean so a quick rinse and mild bleach swirl is all that's needed. When I primary I fill the carboy with bleach water, let it soak a day and still need to scrub to get all the krausen residue completely clean. I don't have a drill powered "carboy cleaner" yet but building one is on my list.

With a normal 6-7G bucket, you can fill a 5 gallon carboy very full leaving very little room for O2. Same logic applies all glass, if you primary in a carboy get a 6-6.5G, if you are using it to secondary a 5G batch, get a 5G carboy so you don't leave much headspace in secondary.
 
I use an HDPE bucket, IMHO there is no practical advantage to a carboy since I do not age my beer in the bucket. Primary only takes three weeks so oxygen permeablity is not an issue. It's far easier to get inside and clean a bucket, and I don't have to worry about foam/blow off.

However if you get a carboy get a 6g, space is nice.
 
6.5gal carboys are typically used as a primary fermentor.

The extra 1½ gallons of space seems like less of a luxury when you have to deal with the blow-off in a 5gal carboy :D
 
Yes. If you're heart is set on carboys, get the 6 gal. I have 3 6gal Better Bottles and they work great and I had less beer-canos. I got tired of cleaning up after what seemed to be the inevitable beer fountain with the 5 gal BB. But for the most part I just use them for wine, ciders, meads and secondaries.

But honestly, I prefer to use buckets. Plain old 7.5 gal bucket fermentors. Like someone said earlier. They're easy to way f'n easier to clean, easy to handle, tough and cheap.
 
If you're buying glass, get the 6.5 gallon. If plastic, then 6 gallon. I prefer carboys because I push the beer out and in to a keg using CO2. It helps to be able to see the bottom of the racking cane to keep it out of the yeast cake/trub.
 
6.5 glass carboy is what you should use for primary. Also a blow off tube. 5 gallon is for secondary as others have said. You want less head room when using secondary so you have as little O2 as possible.

I also prefer buckets as that is what I started with and I can get about 3 or 4 for the price of one carboy. Plus they give you more room inside (I get the 7.5 gallon).

The nice thing about carboys is you can see the fermentation and you can see the trub so when you rack you know where the cane should go.

So to answer your question, for primary definitely a 6 but I would go 6.5. Secondary use a 5. The advantage is the head room you will need when fermentation goes crazy.
 
I'll add my 2 cents, I've got a few 5 gallon carboys and when you get a batch that calls for 5.5 you are going to be short. You can fit 5 or 5.5 in a 6 gallon carboy but you can't put 6 gallons in a 5 gallon carboy. Go BIG
 
I use all 6 gallon glass carboys and put them in milk creates (for safety and simplicity). Milk creates make it very easy to lower into fermentation chamber. Some people don't like glass so to each their own. I love it and wouldn't do it any other way. if you do get glass trust me on the milk creates...
 
You want less head room when using secondary so you have as little O2 as possible.

I ran a thread asking about the head space in a 6 gallon Better Bottle for secondary and the consensus was that co2 is still being produced and will displace any o2 in the headspace. I have added another 6 gallon BB and will now mostly skip the secondary unless aging or dry hopping.


The nice thing about carboys is you can see the fermentation and you can see the trub so when you rack you know where the cane should go.

My kit from NB gave the option of glass or Better Bottles. I was not at all interested in glass. I like the BB, for the above reasons, but would consider buckets.

:mug:
 
goose1873 said:
I use all 6 gallon glass carboys and put them in milk creates (for safety and simplicity). Milk creates make it very easy to lower into fermentation chamber. Some people don't like glass so to each their own. I love it and wouldn't do it any other way. if you do get glass trust me on the milk creates...

5.5gal in a 6gal is still REALLY pushing it. Heck, even 5gal can be a bit much. There's really no reason IMO not to go for the 6.5gal.carboys.

As for carrying the carboy around, you definitely need SOMETHING if you're using glass. They're heavy, awkward, and sometimes even slippery, and dropping all that glass can actually be VERY dangerous. Milk crates work alright, but I prefer not to compromise when it comes to safety, and so I always recommend using something like a BrewHauler - those things are just fantastic.
 
I use 6g b/c they work fine and the winery down the road sells them for under $30.

never had any issues with milk creates...also all my carboys are in a separate milk creates so I don't need to do anything but pick them up. I agree the brewHauler makes them easier to carry but they are more work and imo no safer. If/when the weight becomes a problem (and it will eventually), I will definitely be purchasing a Hauler.
 
First, the BrewHauler is awesome. If you use carboys, I suggest getting one.

Second, I started with a Cooper's starter kit that my girlfriend bought for me. The big plastic fermenter that comes with that kit is great. Maybe not as easy to clean as a bucket, but easy to handle, and enough room even for a 6.5 gallon batch plus headspace.

I like using a secondary, because moving my brew from primary to secondary because it lets me get another batch started while the previous batch gets another week or two to sit before bottling. At the rate I drink, that's all the pipeline I need. And though I'm a relative n00b, I've never had a problem with oxidation from racking to secondary.
 
Couple of things......

I like the buckets if I am washing or harvesting yeast from fermenter.
I like better bottles over glass every time - don't forget glass can break. Especially if you use a pool to help cool (pre-chiller). Don't ask how I know this.
Get something to carry it with. I like the handles, just carry it about 3 inches off the ground.
No need to secondary anymore, so get the 6g size.
 
arggg...i agree brewhauler is awesome...but i always have 6+ full carboys and not having to move my hauler from one to another to another is easier (4 me). I have a brewhauler (and never use it except for bringing cider home from the mill)...to each their own.

i also only make 5 to 5.5g gallon batch b/c i keg everything and kegs hold 5g....
 

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