Carboy question

[thakoolaidkid]

I am new to brewing and am only on my second batch. My first batch that I just bottled is extremely cloudy and I know that using a secondary to condition would help that.

I was under the impression that the beer should be exposed to light as little as possible. So why are clear glass carboys the way to go? Do you need to wrap them?

Would getting another fermentation bucket, same as a traditional primary, work alright as a secondary? Because $16 compared to $40+ seems like a much better option if it does the same thing.

 

[lx302]

Check the Sticky posts above on this forum for more details.
But give the bottles 3 weeks for the yeast to settle out, so it isn't so cloudy.

If you do use a carboy, keep it out of the light, such as a closet or cover it.

Don't use a primary bucket as a secondary. Just keep the beer in the primary before bottling. If you do secondary fermentation a glass carboy is good because of less exposure to oxygen, which is bad.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

Wow, I'm just amazed that someone out there is selling carboy's for $40! I know prices were supposed to go up, but wow....

 

[syd138]

Wow, I'm just amazed that someone out there is selling carboy's for $40! I know prices were supposed to go up, but wow....

thats how much they are at the place I go to here in Chicago

 

[shadygrove96]

which homebrew shop in chicago are you going to?

what size carboy are you looking for? my assumption is that since you are asking about a secondary you want a 5 ga. is this correct?

 

[bmckee56]

Save the box that the carboy comes in and use it to cover the carboy when you use it. I cut out a square opening in the bottom and then place it over my carboy. With the hole in the bottom, you airlock will stick out and you will be protected from light problems.

Just something I use and thought might be of interest.

Salute!

 

[john from dc]

my glass carboy came in a brown cardboard box. since i was out of closet space i just sat it in a corner with the box sitting upside down over it, worked just fine. i folded the flaps out so the inside was a little taller and there was room for the airlock.

edit: ha! too slow.

 

[conpewter]

A second HDPE bucket will work fine as a secondary. If you are going to have a beer in secondary for several months you may want to look into a carboy due to oxygen permeability.

That being said, I agree with lx302 that you generally don't even need a secondary unless you need it for clearing, or making additions to the beer.

 

[monty3777]

I'm with conpewter - use a bucket and spend the money you saved on more supplies!

 

[giligson]

Two black garbage bags over the carboy if its in the light.

But you raise an interesting point about why aren't carboys brown like beerbottles. I guess its because people like to look at their brews.

 

[TeleTwanger]

I'm all for brown carboys! They would cost probably $100.

 

[thakoolaidkid]

A second HDPE bucket will work fine as a secondary. If you are going to have a beer in secondary for several months you may want to look into a carboy due to oxygen permeability.

That being said, I agree with lx302 that you generally don't even need a secondary unless you need it for clearing, or making additions to the beer.

Well for this new spiced winter ale I need to add oak chips that have been soaked in whiskey after about a week. It says to do this after siphoning to a secondary. Does anyone know if dropping them into the primary it would work out the same? I assume it would.

I would also like to clear my beers a little more, but I don't know about several months in a HDPE bucket. At most I would say a few weeks since I am just doing ales at this point in time.

 

[giligson]

In the primary is fine but it does get mixed up with the yeast and trub. Also you could have saved a step and just added whisky and oak chips instead of soaking.