Carboy as Primary Fermenter

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JMack

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Is a 5-gallon carboy, with a blow-off tube, large enough for a promary fermenter? Would 6-gallon be better?
 
6 gallon would be better. A 5 gallon glass primary, rigged with blowoff tube, will lose probably could lose up to a gallon I would guess. The plastic buckets most people use are actually 6 or 6.5 gallons.
 
I use 5gal carboys w/ blow-off tubs. No problems at all. You use obviously some through the blow-off but overall it's not a big problem.
 
Whoa, those could be the fastest replies I have ever gotten in a forum.

Thanks. I'm looking at getting a starter kit, just trying to get some basic ideas of what to look for.

I'm assuming whatever kit will contain:

Primary fermenter (I definitely want a carboy for the visual aspect)
Bottling bucket
Capper
Racking cane, siphon and bottle filler
Hydrometer
Cleaning/Sanitation supplies
Tubing, fittings

Any other must haves that I should look for?
 
I have always used a 5 gallon carboy because I actually LIKE to blow off some of the foam and get it out of the fermenter. I use pellet hops for the most part (convinience and storage longevity) and don't strain them from the wort usually. The blowoff helps get rid of some of this hop residue.

I will say though, sterilizing the blowoff tube once fermentation settles down is a PITA.

Dan
 
Does anyone else use Fermcap-S? Since I started using it, I've had absolutely no problems with blow off. I started using it after having a brew blow the lid off a 6.5 gallon plastic fermenter. Does Fermcap have any drawbacks?
 
After having several big blowouts in a row I decided to give fermcap S a try on my last batch. It is hard to come to a conclusion only after one batch but I was very impressed. I was nowhere near a blowout and the krausen never got any bigger than an inch tall. So far so good but I will use this a few more times before I swear by it.
 
Temp control is a huge factor. I just fermented 5.75 gallons of Wit in a 6 gallon better bottle and blew off maybe a cup of liquid though the entire ferment. I attribute that to a solid 68F controller setting.
 
I use 6.5 glass carboys to do 5 gallon primary. No blow off needed for normal size beers anyway. I also sometimes do primary in 5 gallon glass and use a blow off. I loose about a quart of beer that way and it's more of a mess.

Now a-days I just use the 6.5's for beer, and the 5's for mead or apfelwein.
 
I use 5 gallon carboys for my primary because I got them for free and haven't bought anything else to use as a fermenter. I generally lose less than a quart to blowoff
 
I use a 6.5 or 7-gallon glass carboy, and have needed a blowoff tube at times. Not at other times - depends on the batch.

5 would be fine if you brew smaller batches. I use the big one for primary and 3 5-gallons for secondaries - I aim for about 5.5 into primary so I have a full 5 at secondary. You could go with a 5 primary and 3's for secondary, if doing secondary at all.
 
i have yet to use a carboy for a primary, but just picked up a 6 gal from my lhbs. i wanted a 6.5 but they are out and don't forsee getting any in the near future. would a 6 gal with an airlock be big enough for most brews? i kinda figured with the higher gravity brews it wouldn't be, but don't plan on doing many of those in the near future.
 
i have yet to use a carboy for a primary, but just picked up a 6 gal from my lhbs. i wanted a 6.5 but they are out and don't forsee getting any in the near future. would a 6 gal with an airlock be big enough for most brews? i kinda figured with the higher gravity brews it wouldn't be, but don't plan on doing many of those in the near future.

it will be fine to do a 5 gal batch with no blow off unless you're doing a big beer.

in fact, I've done many 5 gal batches in 5 gallon carboys (with blowoff) with no problem. you're just making things a bit easier for yourself.
 

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