I hate carboys.

[Zamial]

I LOVE my 6.5 gallon glass carboy (and my 6 gallon). One day, I will get 1 more 6.5 gallon and retire the 6 to "back up" status. I have decided that the very best fermentors to use, are the ones the brewer feels the most confident using and fits into their brewery the best. For me this is the 6.5 gallon glass carboys. since mostly I make 12 gallon batches.

I am currently checking into using 1/2 bbl sanke kegs as a fermentor. (I have 1 that is itching to go now at the moment!) I know lots of brewers use these this way already. This seems to be the next logical step to me...

I have seen pics of people using pumpkins as fermentors so I am convinced that really anything can be used as one. I built a giant one from a 30 gallon food grade bbl. and have plenty of ale pails laying about. I have just come to the point where it is time for me to move on and away from plastics...but IMO 1 is not superior to the other.

 

[AugustDerleth]

For those that prefer glass, or even those that would like to use glass but have problems with it, there are a few things that can help considerably with moving your carboy.
These small variations may seem like common sense, but I've noticed a lot of people don't do these things which can help.
Most obvious, place the fermenter in a milk crate. This will really help you be able to move the carboy, and feel like you have a much better grip rather than trying to pick up a huge glass carboy full of liquid which is probably wet on the outside as well. Everyone's heard of people dropping theirs, which is not only terrible but also dangerous.
Secondly, take an old t-shirt, preferably black, and place it around the carboy. This serves two functions. One, it keeps light off of your carboy and its contents. Two, while cleaning the carboy out, you'll have to remove it from the crate at some point. With the t-shirt available, you can place that on the ground or even use the overhang to place the carboy onto your hard surfaced ground, without having to strain so hard to make sure you place the glass against the concrete really gently. This definitely helps ease the amount of strain on your muscles, as well as helping prevent chipping and cracking.
Hope this helps ya. Good luck out there!

Fermenter as described, and in a swamp cooler. =)

 

[StMarcos]

I recommend people try fermenting in stainless buckets/pots. I converted a 25 update international (same as megapot) to hold 3psi, enough to pressure rack. Bought some silicone oring stock of the correct size (had to try a couple different ones) and stuck the ends together using superglue. There is some slop in the lid of those stockpots, where the oring will fit. It won't leak under normal airlock pressure, but you need clamps around the edge if you want to transfer out under pressure. Prob. only need 1psi - I got it too 3. Bear in mind that this was a 25G pot - an 8G will be MUCH easier.

Easy to crop
Easy clean
Easy to pressure transfer wort with pass-through compression fitting on lid
Won't leak O2
Not soft like buckets
Cheap conversion - only really need oring stock and a hole drilled for airlock

You obviously don't need a clad bottom, so no need to spend $$ for megapot

I'm surprised more people don't do this!

 

[emjay]

I use plastic buckets almost exclusively. Mostly, 6.5gal Ale Pails although I also have another bucket that doesn't use an airlock, but a different-fitting cap that is only meant to be loosely sealed.

Cheaper, easier to clean, not susceptible to light, and far easier to put and remove extra ingredients during fermentation. I don't care about seeing it, but the main issue I had was killing my hands trying to open them - a recently acquired pail opening tool helps a lot though.

I DO use 5 gallon glass carboys I got for free from my father's friend though, as a secondary vessel for beers which need to age a long time, especially sours. The CO2 blanket requires fermentation to develop, and I prefer not to keep a beer on the yeast for 6+ months, so when racking to a secondary (which I don't do for most beers), I DO want to minimize headspace, and the lack of oxygen permeability allows me to have some control over gas exchange, which I feel is especially important for sours sitting in there for a long time, one of the reasons being to control acetic acid production.

For a typical fermentation though, gas permeability is really a non-issue.

 

[triangulum33]

What are the benefits for using a corny/sanke?

 

[DemonIAm]

No light getting in at all. Stainless steel stay colder, at room temp, than glass, and it has nice comfy handles, when you need to move it. The only real disadvantages are that it's harder to clean, and lack of visibility.

 

[Northcalais40]

Old water bottles, 5gallon. People just leave these sitting in the street <wink!>

 

[emjay]

No light getting in at all. Stainless steel stay colder, at room temp, than glass, and it has nice comfy handles, when you need to move it. The only real disadvantages are that it's harder to clean, and lack of visibility.

Actually, cleaning is generally seen as an advantage with cornies. Plastic is pretty much screwed when it comes to infections, even deliberate ones (this also applies to any other plastic equipment it contacts), as it's nearly impossible to clean REALLY WELL, and they're definitely easier to clean than carboys. With the right methods, equipment and cleaners/sanitizers, cornies can actually be cleaned damn well with minimal effort.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Actually, cleaning is generally seen as an advantage with cornies. Plastic is pretty much screwed when it comes to infections, even deliberate ones (this also applies to any other plastic equipment it contacts), as it's nearly impossible to clean REALLY WELL, and they're definitely easier to clean than carboys. With the right methods, equipment and cleaners/sanitizers, cornies can actually be cleaned damn well with minimal effort.

I clean both glass carboys (for fermenting) and cornies (for kegging) all the time and ime glass carboys are easier to clean than cornies. Fill it to just over half-full with PBW, put a bucket over the carboy and invert the whole thing; let sit (overnight if it's got krausen gunk), rinse, done. Couldn't be much easier than that. Having to clean the dip tubes, relief valve, and posts/poppets on cornies makes them more difficult imo (you could just do the same PBW process as with carboys but imo this doesn't render it as clean or 'sanitizable' with Starsan).

That's why I was surprised at the OP's (old) lament: glass carboys are the easiest to clean and washing yeast from them is a breeze. I'll give him the 'pita to carry' point, ALWAYS fully dry a glass carboy and your hands before you lift it.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Just rigged a double pulley system rigt in front of my fridge for lifting buckets and cornies.

Awesome for syphoning or lifting cornies in or out.

No WAY I would ever hoist glass full of beer with it.

 

[jturie]

Glass carboys scare the crap out of me. Years ago one slipped out of my hands (my stupid fault), but happened to fall on the carpet and didn't break. I've recently switched from buckets to 6 gal Better Bottles and I really like them. Even then, I bought that carboy carrier product to haul full ones around.

They all work just fine for a normal beer fermentation step; it's a matter of personal preference in terms of portability, ease of cleaning and dollars. Look at Lonnie Mac, the Brutus 10 guy: he ferments in his MLT kettle! If I ever do a Belgian sour or something that needs to sit for several months in my nice cool and dark crawl space, I would probably snag a glass carboy, because my humble opinion is that glass would be best for a months-long ageing.

Of course, I would love to get a stainless conical, but I'm not putting out those bucks.

 

[Golddiggie]

I've used the plastic bucket that was part of my first kit, hated it since it was a total PITA to get the lid on and off (wasn't about to buy a tool to make it easier)... Been using plastic carboys for beer, and glass ones for mead (put my hard lemonade batch in a 3 gallon Better Bottle)... I'm fermenting a batch in a corny for the first time now (~5 gallons of a honey cream ale started on Saturday)... Used the foamcap drops in the boil, so we'll see how it goes. Just have an airlock installed, and I'm keeping a close watch on it.

I plan to never ferment in a plastic bucket again. After this test in the corny, I'll decide if I want to ferment in corny kegs again. If not, then I'll use them for long term aging.

I do need to get some 3 gallon corny kegs for my first batches of mead. They're almost ready for more bulk aging, being about 3-1/2 months old now. Probably be looking to bulk age them within another couple of months. Until then, they're sitting in glass carboy's out of the way.

I think if you're careful, you won't drop anything you ferment in. When I move the carboy's around, I typically slide them close to where they will be lifted, on a towel. makes it VERY easy to move them. Then you just lift them up and set them down (short movement)... Such as what I'll be doing in a little while, today, since I need to bottle a batch of beer.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

...and never, ever, ever try to lift glass carboys when druck.

 

[Golddiggie]

...and never, ever, ever try to lift glass carboys when druck.

LMAO!!! I make sure I'm at least close to sober before I move any of my home brew... Too much time, effort, and finances has gone into the batch to let it slip away... Not to mention, I'd be without that batch of home brew to DRINK until I made it again...

I think the biggest crime agains home brew is spilling perfectly good home brew because you're too F'd up on other home brew... It's so sad when HB consumption causes HB loss...

 

[TheSeether]

I just read this whole thread and no one pointed out storage. Buckets stack into one another, carboys and sankes do not.

I reconsider my personal preference towards buckets the day I get an infection that can be attributed to scratching.

 

[gunner65]

Just a note I will take any "retired" glass carboys anyone has decided they no longer want.

 

[android]

Just a note I will take any "retired" glass carboys anyone has decided they no longer want.

fo real... i love me some carboy.

 

[Yambor44]

For those having trouble getting the lids off the buckets, lay your forearms across the lid to steady the bucket then pry up with your hands/fingers. I usually take mine off when the bucket is on top of the deep freezer. If I need to add dry hops while it is inside the deep freezer I remove the airlock and add them (pellets). Same offer here; any one wanting to retire some buckets, PM me.

 

[Golddiggie]

@Yambor44... Yeah, that's not gonna happen... Few issues...
1. no chest freezer here.
2. not using buckets anymore to ferment in.
3. plan to use the bucket to catch the grain as I mill it moving forward, so no buckets to 'retire' just going to re-purpose it..

 

[beerchemist]

Old water bottles, 5gallon. People just leave these sitting in the street <wink!>

I just discovered* that my local grocery store sells 4-gal Monadnock spring water bottles for $4.99, with no deposit. They're made of PET, just like the better bottles, but thinner (for comparison, my 3-gal Better Bottle was $23.95 at the LHBS). At that price, I don't feel bad chucking it if it gets nasty after several batches.

* a quick search shows that this was discovered over 2 years ago, back when they were only $3.99.

 

[Golddiggie]

I just discovered* that my local grocery store sells 4-gal Monadnock spring water bottles for $4.99, with no deposit. They're made of PET, just like the better bottles, but thinner (for comparison, my 3-gal Better Bottle was $23.95 at the LHBS). At that price, I don't feel bad chucking it if it gets nasty after several batches.

* a quick search shows that this was discovered over 2 years ago, back when they were only $3.99.

Is that a chain??

 

[bovineblitz]

<3 for plastic carboys

 

[CharlesB]

I'm wondering why more people aren't just repairing the scratches in their buckets? I've previously used flame polishing to take scratches out of plexiglass and I did the same to some "ruined" buckets that another brewer was throwing away. They went from scratched and ugly to smooth as glass inside and don't seem to have contaminated anything so far.

 

[beerchemist]

Is that a chain??

I got mine at Johnny's Foodmaster in Somerville. One day I just noticed the giant rack of bottles by the checkout--Monadnock Spring as above; Poland Spring 5gal/$5.99, plus $5 deposit.

 

[Golddiggie]

I got mine at Johnny's Foodmaster in Somerville. One day I just noticed the giant rack of bottles by the checkout--Monadnock Spring as above; Poland Spring 5gal/$5.99, plus $5 deposit.

Going to have to get there one of these days, soon... Thinking that they will come in handy come the next time I go to make mead... Not sure if I'll ferment beer in them, but I could... All depends on how soon I start working again and get into a new place to live...

 

[AugustDerleth]

I'm wondering why more people aren't just repairing the scratches in their buckets?

Probably because buckets are cheap as dirt, and most would rather not risk infecting $20-$50 worth of beer, the time and energy put into creating it to try a possible way to fix scratches. You can get a 5 gallon HDPE bucket at lowe's for a little over $6.00. Buy a lid for $.50-$1.00, drill a hole in it drop in a grommet and an airlock and boom. If the bucket gets scratched, trash it, buy another one and keep your custom lid. :fro:

 

[Golddiggie]

Probably because buckets are cheap as dirt, and most would rather not risk infecting $20-$50 worth of beer, the time and energy put into creating it to try a possible way to fix scratches. You can get a 5 gallon bucket at lowe's for a little over $2.00. Buy a lid for $.50-$1.00, drill a hole in it drop in a grommet and an airlock and boom. If the bucket gets scratched, trash it, buy another one and keep your custom lid. :fro:

I've not looked at the bottom of the buckets at Lowe's but somehow I doubt they are actually food safe.

 

[AugustDerleth]

I've not looked at the bottom of the buckets at Lowe's but somehow I doubt they are actually food safe.

Um. . .I wouldn't have bought them if they weren't food grade. They were HDPE #2, so I'm fairly certain they are food grade, but doubt away sir! Leaves more buckets for me!

 

[Golddiggie]

Um. . .I wouldn't have bought them if they weren't food grade. They were HDPE #2, so I'm fairly certain they are food grade, but doubt away sir! Leaves more buckets for me!

The only ones listed (only) for the Lowe's in my area (all 5 of them) are recycled, for $2.54 each...

Next time I get to Lowe's I'll see what the ones in the store are. Still won't ferment in them, but could be used to catch milled grain.

 

[AugustDerleth]

The only ones listed (only) for the Lowe's in my area (all 5 of them) are recycled, for $2.54 each...

Next time I get to Lowe's I'll see what the ones in the store are. Still won't ferment in them, but could be used to catch milled grain.

Suppose another reason I'm glad I'm not a yank, the Lowe's here has food grade buckets for cheap.
I bought mine some time ago, and when I looked just now the price has gone up to about $7.00, but that's still not terrible, especially compared to buying the same thing from LHBS for $20.+

If nothing else, you can go to ANY baker's or doughnut shop, and they'll typically give away and/or sell buckets for cheap, which have been used to hold icing.