Is a glass carboy a must?

[mrcoldone]

Sorry if this has been posted many times before. But I am wondering if getting a glass carboy for a secondary is a must? I have just the basic bucket and I am looking to get the best results. So what should I get? Is the 6.5 the norm for 5 gallons of brew? I was looking online and wasnt sure if these 6.5 gallon carboys are generally used for the primaries or for the secondaries. Im already loving this new hobbie and figure if im in, im in! With my first few batches I just fermented in the primary bucket then bottled, but I see all of you have secondaries. So do you just transfer to the secondary to clear up? Also does it really make that big of a difference to where its worth the money? Thanks.

 

[hillman1]

I'm still in the buckets, but I'm mainly brewing from kits purchased at my local brew store. I already have enough bottled beer to last me well into 2010...

 

[KYB]

I only use buckets, and only do primary for 2-4 weeks, then bottle or keg. Works for me.

 

[wild]

Is a glass carboy a must?

It is for must!

I always primary and secondary in buckets unless the beer or mead (must) needs to secondary for a few months.

 

[Zen_Brew]

The glass carboy is not a must. Some people use buckets, or you can use a plastic carboy such as the Better Bottle. When using a carboy for primary you want a 6 to 6-1/2 gallon in order to do 5 gallon batches. This gives you some breathing room in the carboy to put a little over 5 gallons in there, as you will lose some of the beer to trub loss. It also allows some head space for the krausen to form so you do not lose as much beer to blow offs during active fermentation.

If you choose to secondary, and use a carboy, you only need the 5 gallon one. Again you can go with glass, or the plastic Better Bottle carboy.

 

[Orfy]

They are good fun.

You can see the fermentation. You should see that yeast go!

 

[rico567]

I have never used anything but plastic buckets for primary fermentation. I have four carboys I used for secondary fermentation (although I'm moving away from secondary and doing primary-only for some beers). Two carboys are the 5-gallon jobs that came with my original kit, and two are Better Bottles. I only use the glass ones now for long-term secondary, and will probably retire them altogether soon.

There is NO quality issue in not fermenting in a carboy. The ony reason I can see to do it is the "beer TV" aspect, and I don't need entertainment from my beer, unless it's in a glass and I'm swallowing.

 

[hercher]

To take your questions in order:

1. Glass carboys are not necessary. In fact, I personally don't recommend them. I have 2, but don't use them. I prefer plastic buckets because they don't let light in, and have spigots for easier racking. Plus they are safer (I've dropped carboys, too.) The only real knock against plastic is that you have to be careful cleaning and sanitizing. If there is a scratch in the plastic, it can harbor bacteria. But that is easily resolved: I soak it for at least an hour in a no-rinse sanitizing solution (1 oz iodophor in 6.5 gallons of water).

2. 6.5 gallon capacity is a must -- you need headspace for fermentation.

3. Secondary fermenters are not always necessary. They are commonly used for clearing up the beer, dry hopping, adding fruits and certain spices (especially when you want to showcase the aroma). Personally, I rarely use them as I don't brew with fruit or spices, and I dry hop in a keg (I'm too lazy to bottle).

We do have a cool hobby.

 

[Pappers_]

First, I think everything posted above is accurate - i.e. nothing factually wrong it. The answer to your direct question, must you get a glass carboy for secondary, is as indicated above - no.

But . . .

I'd consider it. Having a secondary or bright tank (as they are sometimes referred) gives you some options - you can move your beer out of the primary when its done with fermentation and free up your primary vessel for another batch. When I was a new brewer a few years ago, I found that I became a much more patient brewer when I moved my beers to secondary - I had no problems leaving them in secondary for weeks and weeks, which ultimately helps many beers.

 

[ForRealBeer]

It's said that it's better to age beer in a glass or metallic carboy because they offer a better oxygen barrier. I've made good beer that had month-long secondary fermentations in both, so YMMV.

The really good reason to buy glass, however, is that over time you will inevitably scratch plastic fermenting buckets through their use and by cleaning them. You may not even be able to see the scratches, but they will be there. That makes it more difficult to thoroughly sanitize and get your bucket ready for your next batch.

Then, to add to it, plastic is far more permeable. That means that long-term use of plastic can result in a rich environment for contamination can exist inside the plastic itself. That may may be apocryphal, but I have heard it said by some pretty knowledgeable brewers over the years.

The long and short of it is this: if you are getting into the hobby, plastic is fine. Even if you have been brewing for over twenty years, plastic is still fine. But...because glass is easier to clean you may want to eventually consider upgrading. In the meantime, don't worry about it too much.

 

[Zen_Brew]

Then, to add to it, plastic is far more permeable. That means that long-term use of plastic can result in a rich environment for contamination can exist inside the plastic itself. That may may be apocryphal, but I have heard it said by some pretty knowledgeable brewers over the years.

Apocryphal? Don't come around here trying to confuse us with your big words.. It's much more efficient to confuse us with short words, and we're just as easily confused.

Actually better bottles claim 1ppm/yr oxygen permeability. I'm pretty sure that is negligeable. So nothing to be concerned about there.

 

[DrMaddVibe]

No.

I know people that are brewing fine in just buckets. People like me!

I do have a Better Bottle for a secondary, when I decide I need to even use one. Call me paranoid, but I didn't want a glass carboy wrecking my skin with nasty gashes because of a slip. That and the total weight.

For me personally, I wanted to get into making really good beer at home and if I can make it cheaper that I can buy it...see "Belgian Ales" then call me to the bar and tell me I've got some catchin' up to do!

It's all a process. One that I've found to be a lot of fun. I started off as a brew buddy and this past weekend we brought another new brewer into the fun. It's all about the process and about the fun.

 

[The Pol]

I use these $15 Winpak fermentors... they will never scratch, lightweight, can handle 200+F temps. and come with a sturdy hinged handle. What more could you ask for?

 

[TexLaw]

I don't recommend glass fermenters at all. Too many break, and too many of those breaks lead to serious injuries. Yes, many take all sorts of precautions and have never broken a carboy. I used glass for many years and never broke one. I want to keep it that way.

I moved on to Better Bottles. I use the 6 gallon ones for primaries and the 5 gallon ones for secondaries. They work great. They are virtually unbreakable, and they are much lighter. Believe me, a 6.5 gallon glass carboy with 5.5+ gallons of beer in it is a heavy, bulky, unwieldy thing to handle (especially if you are lifting it from or lowering it into a chest freezer).

They idea of the 5 gallon carboy (or Better Bottle) for a secondary is to minimize headspace and potential oxygen contact. You can get by with a bucket, but the carboy/BB is a better solution.

On the primary, I can ferment about 6 gallons in a 6 gallon Better Bottle by using Fermcap-S. I love that stuff. The 6 gallon Better Bottle actually holds more than 6 gallons, too (the carboys are the same way), so there is a little gimme space, there. Add the Fermcap, and you're all set.


TL

 

[BrewRI]

Has anyone had experience with the Better Bottle carboys, I'm looking to get more batches going and I want to try some type of carboy.

 

[Synovia]

The really good reason to buy glass, however, is that over time you will inevitably scratch plastic fermenting buckets through their use and by cleaning them. You may not even be able to see the scratches, but they will be there. That makes it more difficult to thoroughly sanitize and get your bucket ready for your next batch.

Glass scratches too.


If you really want to secondary for extrememly long term, and are worried about it, use a Cornie Keg. They won't skunk your beer from light exposure like a glass carboy will. And if you drop them, they bounce.

 

[Effington]

I've never heard of anyone scratching the inside of their glass carboy; you'd have to dig around in there with a spear.

I'm getting ready to do my first primary batch in a 6.5 gal carboy I recently procured; I'll see how it goes. Is a blowoff recommended for the 6.5 gal, or should I be ok?

 

[Synovia]

I've never heard of anyone scratching the inside of their glass carboy; you'd have to dig around in there with a spear.

No, all you need is something hard to get in there, like a piece of sand.


Scratches really shouldn't be an issue with either. (glass or plastic). There is no need to use a rag to clean anything. Just fill them up with oxyclean and let them sit a couple days.

 

[The Pol]

No, all you need is something hard to get in there, like a piece of sand.


Scratches really shouldn't be an issue with either. (glass or plastic). There is no need to use a rag to clean anything. Just fill them up with oxyclean and let them sit a couple days.

This is what I do... I have not scrubbed a fermentor all year

 

[Shoemaker]

I have both plastic and glass carboys and a bucket. All of them work the same pretty much. But, I will say glass lasts longer (if you don't break them). My Better bottles already have scratches on them and I have no idea where they came from.

In fact, I still have a 5 gallon glass carboy my dad got in the 1970s when he started brewing beer. Now thats good!

 

[flagman]

I use both 6.5 gallon glass carboys and plastic buckets that I get from a local bakery, the ones icing comes in. I prefer the glass because it is easier to make sure it is clean. All I do is rinse them out and put some PBW in them to soak and you dont have to scrub them. I use Starsan and have never had a problem with a glass carboy.

But on the other hand when I first started I scratched up my plastic buckets either by stirring in them, washing them or stacking them together. I had three batches in a row go sour on me. I even soaked them in bleach trying to clean them. I didnt see the scratches till the last batch that soured it was a Stout and the dark beer made the scratches stand out like neon. Now I never scrub the inside of the buckets, dont stack them inside of each other either. Since you can get them for free at the local cake shop I toss them after a couple brews.

So no you dont have to use glass at all, I have a buddy that brews great beer all the time and he uses a 5 gallon plastic bucket for a bright tank. He gets his buckets from the same place I do. We never buy buckets. It is all based on how much do you want to invest in the hobby and personal opinion. Just handle your buckets with care.

 

[smmcdermott]

Did not read through the thread, but, glass is not a must, I love them but most do not use them...They are easy to clean, can see fermentaion and overall look great, but are heavy and breakable.

at least 6 gal for primary and I have a 5 gal for secondary...

I do a secondary b/c it helps clear the beer even more, but again it isn't a necessary step. If you are doing a beer with a longer fermentation, then you should use secondary. I also like it b/c I only have two carboys, so it allows me to have two going at once..

 

[Hermit]

I use these $15 Winpak fermentors... they will never scratch, lightweight, can handle 200+F temps. and come with a sturdy hinged handle. What more could you ask for?

First I've seen of these. Where do you get them? First hit on google was this post!

 

[The Pol]

First I've seen of these. Where do you get them? First hit on google was this post!

USplastics.com

Search for Winpak

They are about $15, come in various sizes, they are amazing, they are all that I use.

 

[Montanaandy]

How difficult is it to clean the Winpack? Montanaandy

 

[Synovia]

My Better bottles already have scratches on them and I have no idea where they came from.

on them, or in them? On them doesn't matter. I'm not really sure that in them actually does either.

 

[kevin9167]

Some good pro/con analysis in this sticky:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/vs-pro-con-analysis-109318/

The only thing I don't like about better bottles is that you can't use vacuum pressure to degas wine. That's all.

 

[michaeltrego]

USplastics.com

Search for Winpak

They are about $15, come in various sizes, they are amazing, they are all that I use.

Pol - does the whole lid screw on/off? And is the handle heavy duty?

 

[jeffmeh]

Pol - does the whole lid screw on/off? And is the handle heavy duty?

I'll chime in. The opening is where you see the stopper and airlock in the picture. It is threaded and takes a screw on cap. I actually drilled my cap and put in a smaller stopper with the airlock, which I found to be more secure than the larger stopper (it kept trying to work its way out, and I was afraid that if I pushed it in too far that I would lose it into the container), but either way will work.

These will also tolerate heat, so they can be used for no-chill. Pol was the first guy that I saw using them to collect the hot wort and use as a fermenter. The original Aussie method transferred the cooled wort from the heat-tolerant "cube" into a carboy or the like.

I just did my first no-chill with the Winpak, and so far it has worked out great.

Edit: Oh, and the handle seems more than adequate to carry a full container, but I have not had many opportunities to abuse it yet.

 

[kevin9167]

Pol - does the whole lid screw on/off? And is the handle heavy duty?

There's no "lid". There is an opening that the bung is in. I believe the opening is internally threaded.

The handle is designed to bear the weight of a full container. I wouldn't hang a full winpak by the handle for long term storage, but it is certainly fine for lifting/moving.

 

[JVD_X]

If you want to secondary you can pick get used kegs. They are a better option than glass carboys because:

a) You can use them once you decide to start kegging.

b) You can serve directly from the secondary, which means one less transfer

c) No light can reach the beer

d) You cannot break it

e) You can fit more beer in a smaller footprint.

f) No chance of scratches.

g) Handle any temp and easy to clean.

h) You can evacuate the 02 on top and replace with nitrogen or CO2

i) You can force carb and have the beer ready 3 weeks sooner than bottling. You can still bottle from the keg if that is your goal.

With that said... I do use glass but only because I have had them sitting around for 15 years.

 

[mrcoldone]

Well, I purchased one of those 5 gal better bottles for a secondary. I also got a drilled stopper and another airlock. I hope thats right by the way. Thanks for everyone's input, if it wasn't for all of you I would have gotten a 6.5 gallon for a secondary.

 

[flyerwire]

Apocryphal? Don't come around here trying to confuse us with your big words.. It's much more efficient to confuse us with short words, and we're just as easily confused.

Actually better bottles claim 1ppm/yr oxygen permeability. I'm pretty sure that is negligeable. So nothing to be concerned about there.

i never even noticed that number anywhere before, great to know though, i figured they would be somewhere around the plastic buckets permeability, i was way off

 

[apologeticus]

I use these $15 Winpak fermentors... they will never scratch, lightweight, can handle 200+F temps. and come with a sturdy hinged handle. What more could you ask for?

very interested. thanks for the tip. but how can you say they don't scratch? they're plastic, right?

 

[The Pol]

very interested. thanks for the tip. but how can you say they don't scratch? they're plastic, right?

Of course they are plastic, but you dont have to brush them to clean them. Just use Oxi, I have not scrubbed a fermentor once this year.

 

[apologeticus]

Of course they are plastic, but you dont have to brush them to clean them. Just use Oxi, I have not scrubbed a fermentor once this year.

that makes sense, but saying there's a way to clean them w/out scrubbing them is entirely different than saying they don't scratch.

 

[JVD_X]

that makes sense, but saying there's a way to clean them w/out scrubbing them is entirely different than saying they don't scratch.

Well - you can't really get anything IN them that could scratch them... except maybe a metal racking cane without the end on.

 

[ibbones]

I don't know about scratches but I got two of them after reading the "No-Chill" thread.
I like'em and will probably get a few more to do all my fermenting in.
The handles seem weak/strong at the same time. I guess I trust them since I use them but I do wonder about the weight.
I found a couple of the 11 1/2 drilled stoppers and use them with the air lock.

 

[david_42]

I don't secondary and don't own any carboys.

Haven't had any problems with oxidation, even after months in the pail.
Haven't had problems sanitizing and buckets are much, much easier to clean.
And never heard of bacteria digging into the plastic.

People buy glass carboys because they like to watch the yeast.

 

[Montanaandy]

"People buy glass carboys because they like to watch the yeast".

Guilty as charged. I love the look of glass and I do enjoy watching the "process". However, I find myself changining over to BB's because of the weight issue (no fun lugging 40 lbs up and down 2 flights of stairs). I also can watch things in the BB but it is not as pretty as the glass. Montanaandy