Buy a three gallon carboy?

[Bheher]

Hi guys I have been brewing for a little while and I am going to start using a brew in a bag method to brew some three gallon batches this weekend. I would like to use the three gallon batches to learn to tweak recipes ect.

I am not sure if I should buy a three gallon carboy or not. I currently have an 8 gallon fermenter and two 5 gallon carboys.

I could just ferment in a 5 gallon glass carboy for a 2-3 weeks and then bottle. I hear mixed things about weather a secondary is necessary.

Has anyone else made smaller batches? What were your results?

 

[Nurmey]

I do half batches in regular buckets or carboys. Unless you are planning on aging something for 6 months or more, no need to worry about head space. 3 gallon carboys are handy for some things but not worth buying unless you have a real need.

 

[Heckle]

I have a 3 gallon carboy that I use for making some specialty wines that come in 3 gallon kits. Current one is a chocolate raspberry port. Been in the carboy for about a month now, still a few more to go before bottling.

So if you might get into wines, go ahead and grab a 3 gallon one!

 

[LandofOZ]

Two and a half gallon water bottles are your friend , been using them for a year now, but i havn't used them for long fermentetions, 4 weeks most in primary.

 

[skyzo]

I just bought a 3 gallon glass one, and I love it. I was making 5 gallon batches, but not having a kegging setup and living in an apartment, I could only store so many bottles. So the 5 gallons would take up all my bottles, and i would only have one beer at a time. now I do 2.5 gallon batches and can have two types of beer at all times, if not more. It also lets you do full boils if you have a smaller boiling bot like I do. Experimental batches are fun too at this small size.
Im not gonna go back to 5 gallons until I get a kegging setup someday

 

[mklawz]

I have a 3 gallon carboy that I use for making some specialty wines that come in 3 gallon kits. Current one is a chocolate raspberry port.

Yep. I made that same wine too! I love my 3g carboys. Great for small batches of wines, meads, and ciders, and I use them as a secondaries for really high gravity 3g batches. I dont do them often, but I like to have them.