6 gallon carboy kit appropriate for beginners?

[150kwh]

Lurker noob here, read the pro/con thread & I searched best I could. I was gifted the same gold (BSG K6) kit as used in a nice beginner thread with this kit showing how the bottling bucket can be used for diluting the wort & filling the carboy. Also found that it might even be possible to pitch before aerating using another dude's method. But other beginners agree, the included "beginner's instructions" aren't clear--as if, they don't expect people to need them.

As a result, I'm still kind of scratching my head about my kit. I think it's because the 6 gallon carboy is... hard for my ity bitty beginner brain to reckon with.

• Ingredient sets do 5 gallons, not 6. Once I'm ready to include a secondary fermentation step, are there any pre-mixed foolproof ways to get around this math problem? After all, as they say in Fortran, (5.NE.6)
  • For example, how dumb is this: combine a 5 gallon set to a 1 gallon set (different makes) & cross fingers?
• First use: it's hard to guess whether I'll need a blow off tube vs the supplied 3 piece bubbler if/when using the carboy for primary, 5 gallon mix. Search tells me that 6.5 gal would be OK, but none of the kit threads above used a bubbler.
• Missing essential bits. Decided I needed a proper carboy brush, since only a bottle brush is included with the set--and this was before I could even start cleaning.. makes me wonder:
  • Beer thief--I'm guessing that's the vial-on-a-stick-thing to lift beer through the carboy neck for testing? Is a tube just as good here?
  • Hydrometer tube -- it is not clear if the kit's "case" tube (snug fit) would work
  • Different racking tube? -- Supplied one (plastic) has a tip that would seem to deal with about 1 cm of gunk/lees at the bottom.. is that enough? And the tube's top mount might fit the carboy lip--again, no instructions here.

I guess "gold" could have meant "you don't need anything else" instead of "capable but quirky". But before I go comlaining prematurely, I want to hear from intermediate/advanced brewers. How much better is it than the more typical "two bucket" kit? ... I'm hoping someone will tell me that after my first batch I'm going to be thanking my lucky stars!

Or is this my first home brewer lesson: that "gold" is insider lingo for "you'll need some $$ to go buy more stuff!" cheers

 

[rorypayne]

The carboy, you brew 5 gallons and put in a 6 gallon container so there is headspace and not too much issue with blow off.

They thief is to take beer out and take gravity readings during the fermentation process.

Hydrometer tube is to give and easy way to check gravity w/o wasting too much beer.

Racking cane tip works perfect for me especially if you cold crash and have a nice thick solid yeast cake.

This sounds very much like the kit I first started with. It worked great for my first 5 batches or so then I was hooked and needed more so I upgraded, then I upgraded... Then I bought more, and built this thing and that thing and now I have a whole bunch of money invested, but it is truly the greatest hobby ever!

Good luck and happy brewing.

 

[RM-MN]

You really do need a 6.5 gallon carboy (or the equivalent bucket) to brew beer because fermenting beer raises a big krausen, that bunch of foam you may see in pictures here. Sometimes that foam gets so big it goes through the airlock and makes a mess. Sometimes it carries hop particles too and those can clog the end of the airlock so badly that you will get enough pressure in the carboy to blow the airlock and stopper right off and paint the ceiling and nearby walls with krausen. That's why people suggest starting with a blow off tube. That's the reason in Fortran that 5 does equal 6.

Many of the carboy users don't bother with a carboy brush at all. They fill the carboy with water and cleaner and let it soak the krausen off. Occasionally they will push a dish cloth in there with some of the water and cleaner and swirl it around to get the really stuck krausen off.

If your hydrometer case is a full length one it will work for holding the samples for testing. Use the wine thief to get the sample and transfer them to the case or put the hydrometer in the wine thief. If using the hydrometer case, note that it tips over really easy which will spill your sample and break the hydrometer. Setting it in a beer mug (got one?) or glass will hold it from tipping while you set the wine thief down. The plug on my hydrometer case leaks a bit so the beer mug catches that too.

When your beer is done fermenting the hops will settle to the bottom and get covered by the yeast. You don't want that in the bottles so you keep it out of the bottling bucket by using that racking cane with that cap on the bottom so it sucks up the beer without getting the yeast or hops in with the beer. The mount for the racking tube is probably meant for use with a bucket fermenter. If you always use a carboy it may not be useful but it probably cost the kit producer a few cents so they included it "just in case".

I've never used a blow off tube. I guess I was lucky when I started but as soon as I learned about controlling the temperature of the ferment for the improved flavors, any need for a blowoff went away for me because my beer ferments much slower now and doesn't make that huge krausen. I usually start my beers fermenting at the bottom of the yeast's preferred temperature range and when the ferment gets past the fast stage, I let it warm up to room temp. I like the flavor of my beers much better since I learned to ferment them cool.

 

[soccerdad]

If your carboy is plastic, skip the carboy brush (IMO). Too much risk of scratches inside and nasty stuff hides in scratches. Rinse immediately after use, toss a soft cloth in and swish it in the rinse, put some Oxy in for a soak over any stuck on goo and rinse again. Should be good to go. Don't rush the Oxy soak. When SWMBO yells at you the next morning to 'get the damn beer stuff out of the shower' you'll know yer good.

 

[150kwh]

Thanks folks. I'm learning so much:

• I need a wine thief. (Silly to call it "beer thief"?)
• Temperature, temperature, temperature
  • Blow-off risk between 6 vs. 6.5 can be managed by good temp control
• No one is advocating use of the spigot bucket for primary with two extract kits (5 & 1 gal), 6 gal carboy secondary for their first brew
• I didn't need the carboy brush after all
• There are ways to make a crappy hydrometer tube work

And folks, I noticed that no one is defending the 6 gallon beginner's kit, in general. (6 gal glass carboy, bottling bucket) ... With all the extract kits, clone kits (etc) being geared to 5 gallon batches, someone like me is forced to use the carboy as primary only. It would have been helpful if the supplier had a note admitting "Most beginners will want to buy another 5 gal carboy for secondary, eventually." Or better yet, having a plastic 6.5 gal better boy primary and a 5 gal glass carboy in the kit from the get go. (Sure it'd cost more, but seems it'd be worth it.) ...

Any 6 gal gurus out there, ready to defend the marketing geniuses behind my kit? Regardless, I'm ready to get started!

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks folks. I'm learning so much:

• I need a wine thief. (Silly to call it "beer thief"?)
• Temperature, temperature, temperature
  • Blow-off risk between 6 vs. 6.5 can be managed by good temp control
• No one is advocating use of the spigot bucket for primary with two extract kits (5 & 1 gal), 6 gal carboy secondary for their first brew
• I didn't need the carboy brush after all
• There are ways to make a crappy hydrometer tube work

And folks, I noticed that no one is defending the 6 gallon beginner's kit, in general. (6 gal glass carboy, bottling bucket) ... With all the extract kits, clone kits (etc) being geared to 5 gallon batches, someone like me is forced to use the carboy as primary only. It would have been helpful if the supplier had a note admitting "Most beginners will want to buy another 5 gal carboy for secondary, eventually." Or better yet, having a plastic 6.5 gal better boy primary and a 5 gal glass carboy in the kit from the get go. (Sure it'd cost more, but seems it'd be worth it.) ...

Any 6 gal gurus out there, ready to defend the marketing geniuses behind my kit? Regardless, I'm ready to get started!

Sure, I'll take that challenge. Most beginners don't make the kind of beers that require a secondary. Very few beers really do. Why make the kit more expensive for the chance that someone *might* need to secondary their beer. Once you have brewed a few batches and read about brewing a bit more, you'll know if you need a secondary or not and if you do you'll know if you need a glass secondary carboy or if plastic would be better for your situation.

 

[andy6026]

Yeah, you don't want to use the bottling bucket as a primary if you have a carboy on hand. You can also adjust the size of the batch to suit your needs, mind you it will change the alcohol content and flavor profile somewhat. I might be wrong but I think 5 uk gallons = 6 us gallons. It wouldn't be the end of the world if you used a 6 gallon kit to make 5 gallons of beer - it would just be a little stronger. Just keep in mind, as a poster said above, that you need some headspace in the fermenter. That said, I just brewed a batch before going on holiday that I filled almost to the brim of my primary bucket. I'm expecting to go home to a mess and possibly infected beer, but then again I might get lucky. Welcome to the hobby.

 

[stratslinger]

You're making a few assumptions there, and I'll jump in here to defend those marketing geniuses for a minute...

I've been brewing for a few years now with a set of 6 gallon carboys - both glass and plastic. Yes, you do get messy fermentations most of the time (even with temperature control - don't kid yourself on that point - I have a fermentation chamber that I control to +/- .5C, and I still use a blow-off EVERY TIME and rarely do I ever not need it). But they're perfectly serviceable. And I've definitely had fermentations that would have blown off in 6.5 gallon fermenters too. If your goal is to avoid blow-offs altogether, look into 7 gallon buckets - they're out there, and they're probably your best bet. But 6 or 6.5 will probably both get the job done.

The carboy brush that came with my original kit has never been used - soak in oxyclean free, and everything comes clean, so you're on the right track there.

Now, if you do some more reading around here, you'll find a lot of opposition to your assumption about a 5 gallon secondary being necessary. While there are certain situations that call for it (additions like fruit, wood, cacao nibs, etc), the use of a secondary in general has been demonstrated by many to be mostly a waste of time, and in many cases an additional risk of oxidation or, worse yet, infection. Some people still swear by the use of a secondary, but the vast majority I know skip it altogether. My initial kit came with a 5 gallon carboy, and I have to admit it hasn't see use in about 2 years now. Your mileage may vary, and hopefully we can avoid sparking up the secondary/no secondary debate here - but you may well find that you simply don't need a secondary vessel, plain and simple.

 

[rorypayne]

I am an advocate for no secondary. I used to use them for every beer now only my specialties get it, big Belgians, RIS, stuff that I plan an doing a little extra with like fruit or spices. A glass 6g carboy is perfect, let ferment till u have no activity, check your gravity if it is where you want or need to be cold crash to clear fast and bottle or keg when you get to that point.

 

[MindenMan]

A 6 gallon carboy may be big enough if you are diligent controlling fermentation temperature. When I started brewing, I had two 6.5 gallon buckets. I guess my ADHD would have been less bothersome if I had a fermenter I could see through. Remember, just because the airlock isn't busy doesn't mean fermentation is over. When the beer clears with all the "gunk" at the bottom, then it is time to rack into your bottling bucket, after successive equal hydrometer readings.

 

[150kwh]

Sure, I'll take that challenge. Most beginners don't make the kind of beers that require a secondary. Very few beers really do. Why make the kit more expensive for the chance that someone *might* need to secondary their beer.

Thanks I will follow your advice and go with primary only (probably 2 weeks before bottling) but allow me play devil's advocate a bit. The kit in question was ordered from Amazon, sold by "Monster Brew Home Brewing Supplies" and included a $12 brew bucks coupon. The MonsterBrew page claims

The Gold Kit includes a glass carboy which may act as a primary or secondary fermentation chamber. The glass carboy adds the ability to ferment more complex beer, but is completely accessible to the new brewer. ​

However, the kit is actually BSG Handcraft K6, whose web page adds

The 6 gallon glass carboy is good for secondary fermentations, but is big enough to house primary fermentation of a standard 5 gallon batch. The 7.8 gallon bucket is perfect for bottling, and is also a great choice for primary fermentation. Moreover, with these larger-capacity containers, it's possible to brew up to 6 gallons in a single batch.​

... "It's possible"... but how possible--for a beginner? My point is, it took some extra reading to realize that I've really got a kit for a primary-to-bottle first batch. Great to hear that I probably really don't need secondary for my first batch: The ingredient kit recommended by my local store (Brewer's Best English Brown Ale) strongly recommends optional secondary fermentation. The advice in Palmer's "How to Brew" seems to say it couldn't hurt. And I figured, I have a glass carboy... why not try a secondary? Anyway, I'm glad I was wrong--single sounds much easier. Will read up on the cold crash.


@andy6026 - Thanks! Yes, for whatever reason 5 imperial gallons is nearly exactly 6 US. (6.00475 according to Google) I'm inclined to believe that the 5 evenly spaced ridges on my carboy are there for a reason!! And I love English golden ales! Hope UK kits will survive shipping to my US location. Any suggestions?