Yes! I like this bucket idea. I like the ability to see the bubbles in the clear carboy, sanitizing seems like a huge pain in the ass. I will look very seriously into this bucket idea.
Speaking of sanitizing, I manage a restaurant where we have sanitizer pre mixed with water to make it food safe. Do you guys think this is good enough for beer? My plan is to just bring all my equipment into work and clean it there.
Sure, the carboy gives you a nice display of a torrent in a big glass bottle with foam and all, but realize it should be kept in a temperature controlled environment for better beer results. So it will be in a plastic tote or large cooler with water and a few ice bottles in a cool spot in the house. It should also be covered to protect from light, sunlight in particular. So much for display, unless you make a Saison, they like it warm.
Once you've seen it, the display is not that important anymore. The results, good beer, is what you're after.
Carboys, either glass or plastic, are much harder to clean than buckets. Glass is also heavy, slippery, and potentially very dangerous. Yes, it has its uses, but those are beyond basic brewing. The bucket is the easiest and cheapest alternative.
If you're really serious into home brewing, please read
John Palmer's How to Brew (linked to an older and a bit dated online edition) or better yet, buy the book (2006, 3rd edition, about $12 at B&N). It's indispensable. A new, 4th edition seems to be in the works, but that will be a while.
Sanitation:
The book goes into cleaning and sanitation. Everything that touches your wort or beer
after the boil needs to be sanitized. Everything: vessels, lids, stoppers, stirrers, hoses, funnels, strainers, hydrometer, yeast pouch, yeast re-hydration cup, air lock, thief, racking canes, siphons, tubing, bottle bucket, bottles, caps, bottle fillers... again, everything!
Sanitation also should be done immediately before you use it, so from that perspective you need to sanitize where you brew, test, rack, and bottle. Besides for food service having different sanitation standards than brewing, there's no point to schlep all that stuff back and forth, it will not remain sanitized by brewing standards. Cleaning and sanitation is way easier than it sounds. Palmer says: "After a while, it becomes 2nd nature" [sic]. And it does!
Get an 8 or 16oz bottle of Starsan. 1 oz makes 5 gallons (I usually only prepare 2.5 gallons) and you can keep it in a (covered) bucket for weeks. A spray bottle is very handy too. The stuff works quickly and your equipment remains sanitized while wet or foamed up. It's a no-rinse sanitizer, don't fear the foam!
Please read the different sections and stickies on this board. If you know a home brewer, attend a brew day with him or her, or participate in a brew class at a Brew Store if it all looks confusing. Or YouTube.
HBT and Google are your best resources.
Let's get brewing!
