Can I ferment 3 gallons in a 5 gallon carb? I keep reading a ton of posts about headspace issues and I wanted to get some thoughts? Im trying to scale my brewing down a bit. I just can't drink 10 gallons of beer.
3 gallons in a 5 gallon carb?
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Three gallons in a five gallon carboy is fine. Within reason, headspace in a primary is a good thing. Plenty of room for krausen to form. I regularly do 7-8 gallon batches and split between two five gallon carboys. Now, if you choose to use a secondary vessel, that is another story. There you want to minimize headspace and surface area as much as possible.
Calichusetts
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Your good...better yet, brew 3.25-3.5 gallons. This way, if you need to secondary for any reason you can use a 3 gallon and fill it up all the way. This is my plan when I go to "3 gallon" batch sizes.
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I'll sometimes do this and split between two 3 gallon carboys with different secondary additions. Most of the time I transfer the two five gallon carboys into a 6-1/2 gallon (actually holds 7 gal) for bulk dry hopping and clearing or aging. The only downside is that a topped off 6-1/2 glass carboy if pretty f'n heavy.
DSmith
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This is exactly how I brew and stay in the kitchen to do full boil all grain. 5 gallon carboy with 3.5 gallons, completely filled 3 gallon carboy for lagering. Don't be afraid to dump everything from the boil kettle into the carboy with a big funnel, whirlpooling & siphoning always wasted too much wort at this size. I bottle and get 32-34 beers from a batch.
Headspace is really a concern if you plan on long term aging, like months and months or even years...for a regular type beer, I would have no concerns at all for a few weeks...just leave the cap on and don't be meddling in the brew every day taking samples etc. Leave it be!
DSmith
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I use a refractometer for OG and a check on FG (with conversion table) long after fermenation has stopped. A minimal sample is taken with a sanitized piece of tubing with a thumb over one end. I do a hydrometer reading with the leftovers at bottling and subtract 0.002-0.003 for priming sugar after temperature correction.
Lagers need a few more samples during fermenation if you want to find 2/3rds of the way through fermenation do a diacetyl rest but CO2 is still be created and a small sample has little impact on oxidation.
Lagers need a few more samples during fermenation if you want to find 2/3rds of the way through fermenation do a diacetyl rest but CO2 is still be created and a small sample has little impact on oxidation.
I use a five gallon carboy most of time because I do 3.5 gallon batches of all grain do to my stove btu's. Usually there is plenty of space. Yesterday I did a batch and it took five hours to get going, usually it takes 2-3 hours. Went to sleep woke up twelve hours later and krausen was coming out of airlock spitting all over the place, put a blow off hose on, problem solved. So as to your question, YES fie gallon carboy is fine for a 3.5 gallon batch. Just decide what you are going to use, air lock or blow off hose. I you are a visual person as I am here is my set up.
jwalk4
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Holy Jeez, that's a lot of Krausen! Do you usually get that much?
No, that's the second time is in two years of brewing. I wish I knew why.
jwalk4
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Well, I hope your swamp cooler kept it cool. Hate for any esters to come through in a vigorous fermentation such as that one. Looks like it'll be some tasty brew! 
Well, I hope your swamp cooler kept it cool. Hate for any esters to come through in a vigorous fermentation such as that one. Looks like it'll be some tasty brew!
Swamp water was keep at 58-62, that should be cool enough, no?
Calichusetts
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Gotta love the igloo ice cube coolers...got two myself
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