Primary ferment in carboy?

[knight2255]

How many folks here do that and can you show pictures of your blow off tubes, etc?

 

[daytonlawvol]

I just did for the first time, neat to see the fermentation through glass.

Just put the stopper in the carboy, instead of a airlock, put a hose in the hole of the stopper, ran the hose to a pitcher mixed with water and vodka. No problem.

 

[jtkratzer]

Are you using a 5 gallon carboy? I just brewed my Christmas beer in a 6.5 gallon carboy and didn't have any issues, even with 2 lbs of honey and 1/2 gallon of apple cider.

 

[Nuggethead]

I always ferment in 6.5 gal. carboys and secondary in 5 gal. carboys. It's just my personal preference. I feel that they are easier to clean and sanitize although they can be more difficult to move around safely. As far as blow-off, I don't have a picture to show you, but you can get 1" tubing at most of the online supply shops. It fits great right into the neck of both sizes of carboys and makes an airtight seal. A three foot length will go from your fermenter to a small bucket filled 1/2 full of StarSan. When you no longer need it, just pull it out and replace with your airlock. I usually put the bucket on a milk crate next to the fermenter so the height is a better match.

 

[Ernst-Haeckel]

Primary fermenting in a carboy is pretty standard procedure. Definitely use a blow-off tube if you are using a 5-gallon; I find the 6.5 gallon needs a blow-off tube about half the time.

 

[AmandaK]

Who doesn't do this? I love glass carboys/better bottles. I like to see what's going on without opening up a bucket/other container. Curiousity, I guess.

But then again, I have 8 glass carboys, so I really have no excuse not to.

I usually shove a 1" diameter hose into the top and let the other end sit in a bucket of water (my airlock). Then I remove that, take my gravity reading, and fit an normal airlock.

 

[ongreystreet]

Who doesn't do this?

I think beginner might have trouble with this idea because of some of the kits. I haven't even bought my kit yet, but as I am shopping I've noticed most kits don't come with carboys for primary, and the ones that do cost much more and have a lot of other extras. I've even decided it's cheaper to buy everything separate and get a 6 gal. carboy for primary then to buy a kit +1 carboy, or buy a much larger kit just to get one.

 

[slicksmix]

I dont do this... i use a 7.9 gal bucket. So i have to ask... is it for the excess foam that will overflow from your carboy? seems like a mess to me, but i dont know. Its just easier for me to use a bucket then rack to secondary

 

[paraordnance]

I love my glass carboys and have a fleet of 4 - 6 gal carboys for all my primary and secondary needs. They work awesome with orange plastic caps where you can attach blow off tube or air lock. I also have sterile siphone to transfer beer from one vessel to another or to keg, work like a charm! No plastic buckets for me