brew bucket?

[George7845]

I dont have 2 carboys, i only have a brew bucket and a better bottle. I wanted to make a 5 gallon batch of joes quick grape mead, and you have to rack in 7-14 days. So i was wondering if i could go first 2 weeks in brew bucket, then rack into better bottle? Anyone ever use brew bucket for first two weeks with any meads? Or would 2 inches of headspace be a issue?

 

[BBBF]

Buckets work great for primary fermentation. I always start my meads in them and rack into a carboy later.

 

[MeadWitch]

Buckets work great for primary fermentation. I always start my meads in them and rack into a carboy later.

After several batches of melomel and struggling to get the fruit out of the carboys after fermentation (especially JAOM), I switched to bucket fermentation as a rule. Much, much easier all the way round. Once I start to bulk age, then I use the carboys. I have smallish carboys I use for bulk aging, 2 1/2 & 3 gallons.

 

[biochemedic]

I generally use glass all around, primary included, but I think plastic is probably OK for primary. I wouldn't worry about the headspace for primary...the active fermentation will get rid of any oxygen...you should be more concerned about that after you start racking....

 

[summersolstice]

I've always used a pail or plastic trash can covered with a t-shirt for my primaries for both wine and mead. It's so much easier.

 

[Indian_villager]

Just to quell any of my paranoia what do you do to the t shirt to "sanitize"?

 

[Yooper]

Just to quell any of my paranoia what do you do to the t shirt to "sanitize"?

Nothing. I mean, don't pull a nasty dirty towel or t-shirt out of the dirty laundry. But clean is fine. I use clean towels to cover my primary for wine, mead, and cider. If you're truly paranoid, you can put some sanitizing solution in a spray bottle and spritz it but it's not necessary. The only reason to cover it at all is to keep fruitflies and other critters out. The towel does that.

 

[MeadWitch]

Summer, I like that spout, long enough to fit in the mouth of a bottle (or human for that matter). LOL Did you engineer that or buy it like that?

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

I have always used plastic buckets for primaries of meads, ciders and wines.
I use a standard airlock with a plastic cover because if I did not I think the ants would go to town on it.
I usually rack to a carboy around a week after fermentation is completed for ageing.

 

[summersolstice]

Summer, I like that spout, long enough to fit in the mouth of a bottle (or human for that matter). LOL Did you engineer that or buy it like that?

Hi Witch, I bought it a few years ago and I'm sorry I don't know where. Maybe this one? Drill a 1" hole about 3 inches above the bottom of the primary and leave the lees behind. I use a plastic tube for transferring to a glass secondary.

 

[drummerguysteve]

I've yet to make a mead, but am going to pick up some honey and give it a try today. Can you leave it in a plastic fermenter w/ airlock for a couple months to clarify, or should you move it to a glass secondary right after fermentation?

I could start with very little headroom in the bucket, but I'd imagine after fermentation is done, all the headroom remaining would be CO2 anyways...

 

[Yooper]

I've yet to make a mead, but am going to pick up some honey and give it a try today. Can you leave it in a plastic fermenter w/ airlock for a couple months to clarify, or should you move it to a glass secondary right after fermentation?

I could start with very little headroom in the bucket, but I'd imagine after fermentation is done, all the headroom remaining would be CO2 anyways...

I've had good luck with those plastic "Better Bottles" but not with the plastic carboy cap. If you use a Better Bottle, make sure you have the right size bung. I think it's a size 11, but I'm not sure. I would NOT leave it in a bucket fermenter with a wide headspace.

 

[drummerguysteve]

Good to know, thanks.