5 gallon jug

[jrebubula]

Is it ok to use a 5 gallon plastic water jug for secondary fermentation? It looks like a glass carboy.

 

[El Pistolero]

Probably not a good idea...they're oxygen permeable.

 

[Orfy]

Why not make a cheap brew in it and see?

 

[AllHoppedUp]

Yikes! I don't know if I could bring myself to risk even a cheap batch, Orfy. Sounds like alcohol abuse to me . . .

AHU

 

[Truble]

IMHO:

glass carboy: $15 to $20
ingredients for even a cheap extract batch: at least $20

you can invest in just ingredients, and not be sure, or spend less "experiment" money, and know that the $20+ that spend in ingredients is well spent. For my first batch, instead of doing a secondary, which I did not have, I just went an extra in the primary, as my starter instructions recommended (j. Palmer's How to Brew)...it was great. I am now using secondaries, which are 2 5G glass carboys, and I have confidence that my beer is safe when I rack; I have a stout starting week #4 in the sec and just sampled it 10 minutes ago........Whooohooo!

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

some do, but i wouldn't. spend the extra cash and get a glass carboy. your beer will love u for it!

 

[homebrewer_99]

Is it ok to use a 5 gallon plastic water jug for secondary fermentation? It looks like a glass carboy.

Like a 72 Volkswagen Beetle looks like a 2005 Corvette?
Paint job, 4 wheels, windows, seats...?

Buy a carboy...you're going to anyway!

I had a friend tell me...buy cheap, you buy twice. That means you'll have to replace it with what you SHOULD HAVE purchased in the first place.

 

[rhinostylee]

Like a 72 Volkswagen Beetle looks like a 2005 Corvette?
Paint job, 4 wheels, windows, seats...?

Buy a carboy...you're going to anyway!

Wow, this whole time I've been using a 2005 Corvette of a carboy? I feel so priveleged!

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Wow, this whole time I've been using a 2005 Corvette of a carboy? I feel so priveleged!

My bucket is a sleeper! Want to ferment for pink slips?

 

[Darth Konvel]

My bucket is a sleeper!

ROFL!

If you want to get really expensive, you could use a corvette as a carboy, but you might get off tastes from the interior.

 

[Dude]

I had a friend tell me...buy cheap, you buy twice. That means you'll have to replace it with what you SHOULD HAVE purchased in the first place.

That is invaluable advice. If I had a dollar for everytime I went the cheap route and then fixed my error by doing it right.......

That is why I'm so adamant on the sabco kettles. I wish I would have saved the money on the first pot I bought.....errrr.....

 

[El Pistolero]

That is invaluable advice. If I had a dollar for everytime I went the cheap route and then fixed my error by doing it right.......

That is why I'm so adamant on the sabco kettles. I wish I would have saved the money on the first pot I bought.....errrr.....

Well, I think you've convinced me...I'm fixin to order a sabco. I'm still conflicted about it tho...I just can't imagine ever doing an 11 gallon batch, and it seems like mammoth overkill for 5.5.

 

[Orfy]

I'd think for a 5 gallon batch you need to boil 6.5g so a 10 or 11g boil kettle isn't over kill.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Yeah, I'm boiling 7g down to 5.5 in a 7.5g kettle and I'd kill for a big kettle! Getting past hot break is the biggest PITA I face on brewday. I'd love to just be able to let it rip and thumb my nose at it (no need to worry about sanitation since I'll be boiling...).

I can't imagine doing 10g batches, either, but I bet a kegging setup and kettle capacity would broaden my horizons rather quickly.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

hey, even w/ the 15.5 kettle conversion, you still have to watch for boil overs when brewing 5 g! when that puppy first starts to roll, it comes up fast. my normal starting boil level is 6.5 - 7.5 gallons and i LOVE having a big kettle. the wee heavy i just did had almost 17 lbs of grain. with water and all, the 15.5 g mash lauter tun was nice too.

 

[El Pistolero]

I'd think for a 5 gallon batch you need to boil 6.5g so a 10 or 11g boil kettle isn't over kill.

Yeah but this is 15g...that's what a keggle is, isn't it?

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

15.5. EP, join my HBC, make a couple meetings, and our club blacksmith w/ build a system for ya!

 

[Orfy]

Most UK kegs are 10 or 11 gallon. Where's the word keggle come from, I've never heard that before.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

just a combo of keg and kettle. i think Mindflux conjured that one up (at least he was the 1st one i saw using it!)?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Keg -> kettle = keggle

 

[Orfy]

Right,

Yep mine's a keggle.