6.5 Gallon Carboy

[ChrisTags]

I'm sure this has been covered over and over but could not find a specific answer. I am if course a newbie I bought a wine making kit and it came with a 6.5 gallon carboy. I am suddenly much more interested in making some home brew rather than wine.

I plan on using a fermenter bucket for primary, but will a 6.5 gallon carboy be too much headspace for making a 5 gallon kit for secondary? I know the headspace is needed but not sure exactly how much during secondary and worried about oxidation....

What do you guys use?

Thanks, Chris

 

[wormraper]

I'm sure this has been covered over and over but could not find a specific answer. I am if course a newbie I bought a wine making kit and it came with a 6.5 gallon carboy. I am suddenly much more interested in making some home brew rather than wine.

I plan on using a fermenter bucket for primary, but will a 6.5 gallon carboy be too much headspace for making a 5 gallon kit for secondary? I know the headspace is needed but not sure exactly how much during secondary and worried about oxidation....

What do you guys use?

Thanks, Chris

what beer are you gonna brew??? most consensus these days is that secondary isn't needed. Just leave it in primary for the same amount of time as you would for primary and secondary combined.

also for secondary you want as LITTLE head space as possible. primary you want headspace for the kinetic energy of fermenting to go on.

 

[helibrewer]

I also have a 6.5 gallon for my wine but it makes a fine primary for 5 gallons because of the extra headspace....just use it as a second primary and forget the secondary thing.

 

[ChrisTags]

It's all starting to make sense! Thanks for the quick responses. I'm going to start with a kit as soon as my apfelwein is done, just not sure which one....possibly another week.
Thanks,
Chris

 

[AnOldUR]

My opinion would be that head space has little to do with the worries of oxidation in a secondary. Surface area is what I worry about. I'd never consider using a bucket for a secondary. Too much surface area. Filling a carboy up to the neck or displacing the beer so that it reaches that level would be my choice. Even if you purge with CO2 there will be residual O2 in the head space. Reducing contact with that is my goal.

And I don't believe the stories about a CO2 blanket. Initially pure CO2 will drop but the gasses will mix in short order.

 

[GASoline71]

The only thing I use a secondary for anymore is to dry hop.

Gary

 

[ChrisTags]

Gotcha thanks!

 

[KISS Brew]

I only secondary when adding fruit.

I'd argue your 6.5 gallon carboy is more useful than a 5 gallon carboy, since you could use it for a primary for a 5 gallon batch. Good luck fermenting 5 gallons in a 5 gallon primary without making a big mess (or having having a big blowoff setup).

 

[kindrox]

I use 6.5 gallon carboys for beer, and 5 gallon carboys for cider/wine. You need the extra headspace for beer fermenting but juices don't foam up like beer. And a five gallon jug is much easier to carry than a 6.5, so I don't use the big one if I don't have too.