Dum Question

[fishinfur1]

Hey everyone I know coming form a rookie brewer this is a dum question but I'm about to step up from the simple Mr Beer setup to a 5 gallon setup. I'm looking at buying kits and the one I was looking at has a 5 gallon carboy. With the Mr. Beer setup it was just the simple one stage fermentation and bottle. What exactly does the carboy do if I do a second fermentation. Also what do people think are the most important things I should look for when getting a setup kit?

 

[BootstrapBill]

The secondary fermentation is to get the beer off the yeast to help clear it up. Also if you are looking to rack a beer for a long time period i.e. multiple months like a barley wine, you want to get it off the yeast to prevent off flavors. I am pretty sure there is a thread in either the beginners or the general discussion that goes more in depth.

 

[mikeysab]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/secondary-not-john-palmer-jamil-zainasheff-weigh-176837/

If you have some time, check out that thread.

 

[mitchcl640]

buy a kegging kit and a cheap fridge and turn into a kegerator. Kegging is way easier.

 

[mikeysab]

Wow, this isn't even a bottling thread. His question is about fermenting, not serving, dude.

 

[kh54s10]

I bought the deluxe kit from Northern Brewer. It had a 6 gallon Better Bottle and a 5 gallon Better Bottle for secondary. I quickly bought another 6 gallon, and a bucket fermenter and now rarely do a secondary. I use the 5 gallon BB for smaller batches.

If it is a glass carboy weigh the risks. They are heavy, slippery and can cause serious injury if/when they break.

 

[fishinfur1]

Thanks guys sounds like from checking out that other thread that the carboy isn't very important. But it said that it may be usefull in doing fruit. I currently have a strawberry hef fermenting and in it I just cut the fruit and boiled it into a syrup /jam type and added it into the boil did I screw up??? This is one of my new favorite websites. I'm addicted.

 

[mitchcl640]

Actually if you read the whole post he is asking about fermenting and suggestions on what to look for in brewing kits.

 

[henryred]

I would reccomed going with some 6.5 or 7.8 gal food grade buckets. Having the bottling spigot works in primarys also. Easy to clean. I have a glass carboy, and have used it twice out of 20 brews. The buckets are much more relistic. And get some airlocks and grommets for the lids. I have heard of people getting buckets from grocery stores that make food. Or order online or lhbs

 

[Genjin]

If you are doing fruit beers it is great to have an extra carboy. If you are making all malt beers, like me, I would recommend saving the money and buy an extra 6.5 gal ale pail or two. I bought a kit with a 5 gallon carboy and quickly bought another pail. If I could do it over I would have skipped the carboy and gotten three pails. My guess, having never done a fruit beer, is that you could simple rack to a pail instead of carboy as the sugar in the fruit will give you a second fermentation and make the extra headspace in the pail a non-issue.

 

[optaka]

There are only like 3 more hours on it, but this is a steal http://www.groupon.com/deals/midwest-homebrewing-springfield-mo?post_purchase=true

I am grabbing it just for the buckets and brew kits.