6.5 gallon secondary???

[spazus_maximus]

Hello Everyone....

I am in the process of brewing my first batch an irish stout. I have the brew fermenting in a 6.5 gallon glass carboy. The gravity is getting close to where it needs to be & I want to proceed with a secondary fermenter.

Can i use a 6.5 gallon bucket for this? Everything I have read says to keep the secondary as close to 5 gallons as possible in an attempt to minimize oxygen.

or would i be better off to finish out the fermentation in the primary?

I just want the first batch to be successful.

 

[Iordz]

I always let fermentation finish in the primary and then leave it alone for a couple of days so that the yeast can clean the beer up. Once I feel the beer is ready I either bottle/keg or transfer into a conditioning carboy and let the beer mellow. I think you should let the beer finish and then bottle it.

 

[Benny Blanco]

Go out and spend 20ish bucks on a 5 gallon carboy. I did after my first brew and it's great. Plus, during secondary you should be able to see it seeing as how it's the clearing stage of the process.

 

[Brakeman_Brewing]

you really want to cut back as much headspace as possible if your going to be clearing in secondary, although i have heard people fermenting out and clearing strictly in primary as well.

 

[c.n.budz]

Everything I have read says to keep the secondary as close to 5 gallons as possible in an attempt to minimize oxygen.

Yup.

Since it's a stout, a secondary(or clearing tank) isn't really necessary. I don't even bother with a secondary for stouts and porters anymore. I just leave then in the primary for an extra week then keg/bottle

 

[Beerrific]

Always let fermentation finish in the primary. Then, if you choose, move it to a 'secondary' for clearing. You can search...this is topic that gets a lot of talk (whether to move it for clearing or not).

You right, a lot of people say it is better to minimize the head space in this so not to expose the beer too much oxygen. I am not sure that it make a huge difference (5gallon vs. 6.5 gallon).

 

[spazus_maximus]

Thanks for all of your input....I think ill stick with the primary for this batch.

I'll get me a 5 gall cboy next time i visit the brew store(an hour away)

Again Thanks to all

 

[BierMuncher]

To answer your original question, the bucket is just fine for a secondary.

There is still substantial CO2 being produced and that will provide the "blanket" your beer needs to avoid O2.

I use the buckets for secondary all the time if I'm dryhopping.

PS - I use secondaries. Breweries (large and small) also use secondariies...they're called "bright" or "clearing" tanks.