Glass carboy question

[Charliehart1]

The kit I got only came with one fermenting bucket and I want to get a glass. We do 5 gallon batches. Should I get a 5 gallon Carboy or bigger?

 

[rack04]

The kit I got only came with one fermenting bucket and I want to get a glass. We do 5 gallon batches. Should I get a 5 gallon Carboy or bigger?

5 gallon isn't enough as a primary for 5 gallon batches. I would get a 6 or 6.5 gallon.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

5 gallon isn't enough as a primary for 5 gallon batches. I would get a 6 or 6.5 gallon.

correct....unless you want the carboy as a bright tank or secondary THEN get the 5 gallon

 

[Dwain]

Bigger is always better. However, you can use a smaller one if you work it right.

If you're brewing 5 gal. batches, and use the bottle for secondary, you can get by because when you rack it off of the primary, you always lose a little. OTOH, if the larger (6 gal?) is about the same price, go with it. The extra capacity could come in handy (wine, mead, etc.) and would allow you to top off your 5 gal. batches.

If you're going to use it for fermenting, get a 1/4 bbl. keg and ferment in stainless. Luck - Dwain

 

[Bensiff]

Better Bottles are also a good option compared to glass. The only downfall is that they don't come in the 6.5 gallon size which would be nice for more vigorous fermentations.

 

[IXVolt]

I have a 5gal carboy I use for cider. For beer, I use 6.5gal or buckets.

As mentioned before bigger is better.

 

[Homercidal]

Personally, I prefer the bucket for primary for several reasons.

But get a 6.5 gallon carboy, not a 5 gallon, if you must have glass.

And a brewhauler to carry it, or an old milk crate...

 

[onipar]

Now, if you *do* get a 5 gallon glass carboy for secondary, and somewhere down the road decide you want to use it for primary, does it work with the blow off tube, or is 5 gallon still too small for primary, even with the blow off?

 

[Acoma]

6 or bigger

 

[jeffd10]

When my 6.5 gallon carboy is busy I use a 5...5 Gallon Carboys can be used as a primary ..BUT a Blowoff tube is Mandatory, I have a Hefe in one now and it was rockin and rollin for the first week

Blow off tube into a half full jug of Star-san or whatever sanitizer you like to use

 

[Malintent]

Now, if you *do* get a 5 gallon glass carboy for secondary, and somewhere down the road decide you want to use it for primary, does it work with the blow off tube, or is 5 gallon still too small for primary, even with the blow off?

the neck is the same size between the 5, 6, and 6.5 gallon sizes. But what you are blowing off will do better to stay IN the fermentor.

 

[Wakadaka]

I went with a 6 gallon better bottle when I was in the market for a new carboy. Gives me the option to do 5 gallon primaries, and if I want to secondary something (which I haven't yet) I would ferment ~6gallons in my bucket, then transfer to it.

 

[beergolf]

Now, if you *do* get a 5 gallon glass carboy for secondary, and somewhere down the road decide you want to use it for primary, does it work with the blow off tube, or is 5 gallon still too small for primary, even with the blow off?

I use my 5 gallon carboys for 4 gallon brews. Since I rarely transfer to a secondary I just figure I might as well use them, so 4 gal batches work great.

 

[onipar]

Right on. So all the people using blow off tubes are using them on 6-6.5 gallon carboys as a precaution?

 

[Homercidal]

Right on. So all the people using blow off tubes are using them on 6-6.5 gallon carboys as a precaution?

Yes. And even in a bucket usually.

 

[onipar]

Yes. And even in a bucket usually.

Wow, really? Are there particular yeasts or ale varieties that are more likely to blow out a fermenting bucket? I've only brewed one batch so far (Belgian white) and it didn't come anywhere near the top of the bucket.

 

[Malintent]

It is more a function of the OG of the wort... but yeast type and what mood they happen to be in is a factor too.

A Belgian white is pretty tame.

 

[Homercidal]

Wow, really? Are there particular yeasts or ale varieties that are more likely to blow out a fermenting bucket? I've only brewed one batch so far (Belgian white) and it didn't come anywhere near the top of the bucket.

There are several factors:

Yeast variety
Temperature
Wort composition (Wheat can blow off pretty good).

I've never had a problem with a wit, even though it has wheat in it, but some hefes are notorious. I had a Stout that churned like crazy for over 3 days. I think lots of hops can add to the foam as well.

I used to just keep an eye on it until the lid popped off on what I thought was going to be a tame batch, so I put one on almost every time now.

 

[BrewForMe]

I use a 6.5 gallon glass carboy with a 3 piece airlock and iI have never had to worry about a blow off tube. The 6.5 will hold 7 gallons to the bottom of the neck so there is tons of space for a 5 gallon batch and no worries.

 

[Malintent]

I use a 6.5 gallon glass carboy with a 3 piece airlock and iI have never had to worry about a blow off tube. The 6.5 will hold 7 gallons to the bottom of the neck so there is tons of space for a 5 gallon batch and no worries.

I use a 6.5 glass carboy for primary and I need to use a blowoff when making 5.5 gallons of my 1.075 stout using WLP001. Reducing to 5.0 gallons wouldn't make me comfortable with just an airlock... a lot of krausen is ejected.

 

[emjay]

Bigger is always better with two big caveats... this truism only applies to typical beers, in primary fermenters.

With secondaries, being able to fill it up to the neck is ideal to minimize oxygen exposure.

Wild beers are often best filled up as much as possible - to the neck, if you can deal with the blowoff, if you plan on using a carboy at all (lambic producers just let it bubble out the bunghole and all over the barrel and cellar floor, allowing the crud to dry up around the bunghole as a sort of natural seal). Speaking of which, lambic ESPECIALLY should have minimal oxygen contact, and so it's doubly important to use a small primary because lambic is NEVER supposed to be racked to secondary, even though it can remain in the primary for over 3 years.

Also, wine and other fermented beverages should generally be filled to the neck, if you plan on moving to other stuff as well, which many people here, if not most, do (even if it's just apfelwein!)