I have been brewing all grain BIAB for about a year. I make 5 gal batches and usually keg my beer, but I like to bottle about 2 gal from the keg. I would like to step up to a 7.5 gal batch which would allow me to bottle 2.5gal and still have a full keg. My questions is how do I ferment this? I have 2 6 gal and 2 5 gal carboys. Should I split the batch equally in 2 carboys? Can I secondary in a 5 gal carboy, or I do I need to get a 3 gal carboy and split the batch into a 5 gal and 3 gal for secondary fermentation? I do have one 2.5gal keg also.
How to ferment 7.5gal batches
- Thread starter Rxman1956
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Why not skip the 'secondary' container, and use the keg for aging if the beer needs to age? Then you have no risk of oxidation or infection from an unneeded transfer.
I'd probably do 2.5 gallons in one fermenter, and 5 gallons in the other. No real reason except that it means starting and ending a siphon only once in each fermenter.
Then, rack 5 gallons into the keg, and 2.5 gallons into the bottling bucket and package the beer. Unless I was doing something like adding wood chips or something I wouldn't bother aging in a secondary vessel.
No, not at all.
Grannyknot
Well-Known Member
Midwest has 7.9 Gallon plastic fermenters on sale right now, with a lid, for like $17.
chickens4life
Well-Known Member
yep that is just what I was going to suggest, that and a little fermcap s.
Not a primary. There'll be enough yeast activity for a good CO2 blanket. You really only run into headspace issues and oxidation worries in secondaries. Thats just one of the many reasons brewers will recommend against them nowadays.
Get a big pickle jar and use that. Use aluminum foil as an "airlock". They come in 2.5 gallon sizes. I have a 7.5 gallon split batch going right now, 5.5 gallons in a carboy and 2 gallons in an antique pickle jar.
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