Fermentation vessel size

[MountainBrothers]

I was told that the size of the primary vessel is not all that important, but the secondary is where you want to get the appropriate size. I have two 3 gallon carboys and a couple 5 gallon buckets. I am splitting a 5 gallon kit to experiment a little. I am planning on using the buckets for primary, and the carboys for secondary per recommendations. Has anyone found any cons to doing this?

 

[RM-MN]

With your experimenting, are you doing anything that would require a secondary? Most brews do not need secondary, but many brewers follow kit instructions that are out of date and rack to secondary on that instruction. If you do need to secondary, let your brew ferment to final gravity before transferring. It would be better if you had a way to purge the secondary with CO2 before racking into it to ensure that the beer was covered in CO2. Infections that occur seem to mostly be in secondary and at least part of them occur because of the lack of CO2. That's probably the major reason for the recommendation to make sure to fill the secondary to the neck because the limited CO2 dissolved in the beer will be able to completely fill that limited space.

 

[BigFloyd]

Unless your adding fruit or long-term aging, I'd probably primary 2.5 gallons in each carboy and then bottle from there when it's done.

 

[MountainBrothers]

Yes, I Am Using Fruit And Chocolate.

 

[BigFloyd]

Yes, I Am Using Fruit And Chocolate.

In that case, it looks like your original plan is the most workable.

 

[MountainBrothers]

Thanks for the reply. Fermenting 2.5 gallons of a chocolate milk stout in a 6 gallon carboy, and a chocoberry milk stout in a 6 gallon bucket. Will be racking to secondary in a week and a half or so.