New Carboy Question

[DaksBrew]

I started fermenting 2 weeks ago and when I started I only had a single stage fermenting bucket. I just bought 2 glass carboys and was wondering if I should switch the beer into the new carboy for the last week. Or if It too late? Or maybe it won't have much of an effect?

Any thoughts? All help is appreciated

 

[Golddiggie]

What size are the carboys?? I would just use them as primaries (I don't secondary, since I'm brewing with ale yeast)... With the glass ones, you can get tubing that fits tight into the opening, and make a large blow-off tube if you put 5 gallons of wort into a 5 gallon carboy. I've done that with mead before (mead goes NUTS when you aerate them)... I've also used smaller OD tubing for PET carboys, fitting the tubing into the bungs (using the hole for the airlock)...

If you account for the foam, you can ferment in almost anything. If you use fermcap you can usually not worry (or worry so much) about the krausen pushing the airlock into your ceiling.

I actually picked up four 5.16 gallon Sanke kegs today. Already pulled the spears, ran the keg cleaner in them, and have them soaking with some PBW in them... I intend to use these for fermenting and aging in... :rockin:

 

[BendBrewer]

I would only move it into the carboy if I needed the bucket for another batch.

 

[paraordnance]

Just leave it in primary for another week or so, check your gravity readings, if they consistent for three days - bottle it. Use new carboy for next batch :rockin:

 

[Golddiggie]

Without knowing WHAT is in the bucket, it's hard to give a time frame... I've been leaving my brews on the yeast for 3-6 weeks with great results. I also have more fermenters to use, so I'm typically not pushing to use one before the brew has been bottled... I actually have one empty, with another that should be empty by the end of this weekend, or early next. So that's two carboy's that will be available before the next brew day... I'll also have the Sanke kegs fully ready before then (just need to get more caps to put airlocks in, and a few more airlocks and I'm set)...

You don't HAVE to use a bucket, or specific size carboy (like the 6+ gallon sized) for fermenting. As long as you plan for it, you can use things just a hair over 5 gallons (the 5 gallon carboy's hit 5 gallons before they taper towards the bung hole neck)... Really depends more on what yeast you'll be using, and how IT starts fermenting...

 

[Kaz]

Its seems like he is asking if there is an advantage to moving the beer from the bucket to carboy. There is nothing wrong with leaving a beer fermenting in a bucket for at least 4 weeks. Lots of people (including myself) ferment in buckets. I have 3 x 5 gal. carboys that I could use as secondaries but only have once and that was to dry hop a pale ale and free up a primary. Usually the primary fermenters are larger to allow for the rising krausen in a 5 gallon fermentation and the secondaries are closer to 5 gallons to keep headspace to a minimum while the beer ages.

 

[Golddiggie]

Kaz, true, but there's also no reason why he couldn't use a 5 gallon carboy as another primary... I've done many batches that way...

Personally, I don't have an issue putting just 5 gallons into a primary. I know some people like to put more in, so that they have closer to a full 5 gallons for bottles/keg... If I'm shy a bottle or two, no big deal...

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

I personally DO secondary .. which in my case is actually a misnomer... I ferment in 6.5 gallon glass carboys then after fermentation is complete ( 2-4 weeks depending on the beer) I rack to a 5 gallon carboy and stick it in the beer fridge for a few days. I feel like I get less trub in the bottling bucket while getting all of the beer. Others do it differently.... I also have fermented in buckets and see zero difference. BUT I do believe the secondary and cold crash makes a cleaner beer for ME.

 

[Gordzilla]

buy some more kits/ingredients and brew 2 more batches

 

[Golddiggie]

OHIOSTEVE, that's really just putting it into a smaller carboy so that you CAN cold crash it...

Since going 3+ weeks on the yeast, I've had VERY clear brews... Of course, I'm also chilling bottles for at least 5 days and them pouring into room temp glasses to drink them from. Leaving the bottles in the fridge over a week makes even clearer brews in the glass.

Some people like to cold crash, some use other fining agents, I have yet to have a need to do either.

It really is a personal preference for what you brew in and how long you let it sit on the yeast. But, taking it off the yeast too early is usually the origin of many posts here...