Carboys
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Hockeyhunter99
Well-Known Member
i would go with a larger carboy for more headspace on a primary. secondary doesn't need alot of headspace. most batches call for 5g and you want room. if you are working on your first carboy, go with better bottle
jiggs_casey
Well-Known Member
Although I have several carboys and have been fortunate enough to not have one break on me, I would replace them in an instant for better bottles.
I like my glass carboys, it just feels right. 
If you decide to go glass be sure to also get a carboy handle (usually not included). From what I've read even with a handle you want to also hold it from the bottom to take pressure off the neck. I guess they can snap under pressure.
If you decide to go glass be sure to also get a carboy handle (usually not included). From what I've read even with a handle you want to also hold it from the bottom to take pressure off the neck. I guess they can snap under pressure.BeerBottles
Member
I have 5 glass carboys. I did one batch in a bucket once... The airlock bubbled once in 2 weeks. Drive me nuts not being able to see through the bucket... even though the beer was fine in the end.
Some people say carboys are hard to clean so they avoid them. They don't take but 5 minutes to clean. I use them for primary and secondary. Two batches have been real messy with over flows and needed blow off tubes... still weren't a pain to clean.
Which leads me to my next point and your next question... The 6 gallons like one of the other guys said, leaves more head room. So you potentially are minimizing over flow when you fermentation erupts like a root beer float. You do a 5 gallon batch and you aren't going to be over filling. Both my wheat and my stout didn't have enough room in the 5 gal carboy.
You will not blow the glass bottom out unless you dump piping hot water into a cold carboy. By the time you have cooled your wort, this shouldn't be an issue anyway.
just my 2 cents
Some people say carboys are hard to clean so they avoid them. They don't take but 5 minutes to clean. I use them for primary and secondary. Two batches have been real messy with over flows and needed blow off tubes... still weren't a pain to clean.
Which leads me to my next point and your next question... The 6 gallons like one of the other guys said, leaves more head room. So you potentially are minimizing over flow when you fermentation erupts like a root beer float. You do a 5 gallon batch and you aren't going to be over filling. Both my wheat and my stout didn't have enough room in the 5 gal carboy.
You will not blow the glass bottom out unless you dump piping hot water into a cold carboy. By the time you have cooled your wort, this shouldn't be an issue anyway.
just my 2 cents
Hoppin_Mad
Well-Known Member
+1 about the buckets driving you nuts. Nothing wrong with fermenting in one, but it sure can be annoying not to be able to see what is going on, especially if you aren't getting airlock activity. It gets very tempting to pop the top to look for krausen. I am sure once I have a few more batches under my belt this won't be as big a deal, but still being relatively new I am always paranoid about stuck fermentation and the like. As long as you clean out the carboy as soon as you are done racking out of it it isn't that much of a chore. Some hot water and bleach + some good shaking will do 90% of the work, and a carboy brush can take care of the rest.
Also you do not have to worry about scratching it and getting infections down the road.
Haven't got myself a better bottle yet but I have a feeling once I do that will be my favorite option. Still kinda cool to have the glass though. Nothing exciting about a glorified Ozarka bottle
Also you do not have to worry about scratching it and getting infections down the road.
Haven't got myself a better bottle yet but I have a feeling once I do that will be my favorite option. Still kinda cool to have the glass though. Nothing exciting about a glorified Ozarka bottle
wolverinebrewer
Well-Known Member
I could never justify spending $200 on a fragile item that has limitations especially when I could buy 5 buckets and about 3 sacks of grain with the same amount of money.
Also, will somebody please tell me what I'm missing about not being able to watch a billion yeasts eating sugar and farting CO2? What the hell is so interesting? I mean, if you did your part right, then why not assume the yeast will do theirs.
Just my $.02.
I could never justify spending $200 on a fragile item that has limitations especially when I could buy 5 buckets and about 3 sacks of grain with the same amount of money.
Also, will somebody please tell me what I'm missing about not being able to watch a billion yeasts eating sugar and farting CO2? What the hell is so interesting? I mean, if you did your part right, then why not assume the yeast will do theirs.
Just my $.02.
I bought a 6.5gl glass carboy yesterday for $50 plus $10 for the handle, that included tax. Also I just like science
Hockeyhunter99
Well-Known Member
holy crap!!!! what kind of glass is worth $200???????
$35 at the LHBS unless you are doing the 14g demi.
there are 5g for $28.95
there are 6.5g for $34.95
$35 at the LHBS unless you are doing the 14g demi.
there are 5g for $28.95
there are 6.5g for $34.95
wolverinebrewer
Well-Known Member
He said he had 5 of them. My LHBS sells them for about $38.
Hockeyhunter99
Well-Known Member
scared me for a second
Yeah For Sure
I buy all my glass Demis used off Craiglist and Kijiji. I payed $15- 20 each for each of them.
wolverinebrewer
Well-Known Member
I bought a 6.5gl glass carboy yesterday for $50 plus $10 for the handle, that included tax. Also I just like science
Look, I'm all for people buying what they want but it was threads like this that led me to believe that carboys were necessary when I was starting out last year. I have (2) 5 gal. ones and I have used one twice and the other is unused. IMO, they just aren't practical. I just don't get buying a $40 glass item and have to carry it around in a plastic milk crate. It's ridiculous. Even when I bulk age, I use a 5 gal. ACO bucket that cost me $6 including the top and I just carry it down to a corner in the basement. I monitor the airlock for drying out every couple of weeks.
Ok, sorry to get off on a rant tangent. Brew on!
6g BB.
findlaym
Well-Known Member
I love the look and feel of glass but that's just personal preference. I also think that, if taken care of, glass will last longer-forever even. I have a 6 gallon glass primary and a 6 gallon bucket to primary in. the nice thing about glass (as opposed to the bucket) is you can avoid secondary. now some very authoritative sources say you never need secondary and use better bottles.
I have used 6 gallon glass carboys to secondary in but it's not orthodox to do so.
personal preference I guess. I would rather scrub hard on glass than have to worry about scratching plastic. plus it looks better IMHO
I have used 6 gallon glass carboys to secondary in but it's not orthodox to do so.
personal preference I guess. I would rather scrub hard on glass than have to worry about scratching plastic. plus it looks better IMHO
BeerBottles
Member
I could never justify spending $200 on a fragile item that has limitations especially when I could buy 5 buckets and about 3 sacks of grain with the same amount of money.
Also, will somebody please tell me what I'm missing about not being able to watch a billion yeasts eating sugar and farting CO2? What the hell is so interesting? I mean, if you did your part right, then why not assume the yeast will do theirs.
Just my $.02.
For some people, 5 carboys doesn't pose a financial issue.
Regardless, buckets still scratch and are susceptible to bacteria issues as a result.
Nothing is interesting about watching yeast eat sugar after your first batch or two. However this is the beginner forum and he will probably find it interesting to watch the first few days of fermentation like we all do/did.
Also glass is easier to see through than a bucket when you are wondering what might be going wrong.
Finally, every beginner wants to show off his brewery to his friends... it is more appealing to show your friends a few batches of the various colored brews your are fermenting than 5 white buckets.
IF you decide to go with carboys be sure to check craigslist in your area for some good deals and check if often when you're first starting out. I once got 6 carboys for $5 each from a guy who was getting rid of all his.
