Is there a consensus on the 'best' plastic carboys or fermenters?

[wasully]

And what would the qualifications be for 'best'?

It's time to do some shopping, and I'm looking for guidance.

If it makes a difference-I'm going to be primarily doing cider, not beer.

I'll also be leaving things to bulk age for months(with occasional racking for clarity and to get off the lees), so I'll be buying in multiples.

Thanks y'all!

 

[Jtk78]

Ask 6 brewers a question and get 8 different answers.....

That said, I like the Fermonsters and have 4 of them. Relatively inexpensive and easy for me to clean. Also come in a variety of sizes.

 

[BobBailey]

I agree on the Fermonsters and would recommend the ported ones.

 

[Maverick986]

I just got a Fermonster myself. From the research I did they appear to be the best bang for the buck. I have not yet used it, however am overall liking it, and hoping to put it to use this weekend.

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

I never had an issue with my cheap plastic buckets I use stainless mostly now but still have 6 buckets that get used and for the $15 they cost me I cant complain 1 bit

 

[wasully]

I never had an issue with my cheap plastic buckets I use stainless mostly now but still have 6 buckets that get used and for the $15 they cost me I cant complain 1 bit

I'm concerned about oxygen permeability for long term bulk storage in buckets, and headspace.

Or else, yeah, I'd just go for the cheap bucket route.

 

[Jag75]

Check out the fast fermenter. Really cool. However I've been eyeballing the new fermentersaures

 

[bracconiere]

i use a 13 gal one of these...

https://www.curtec.com/en/products/drums/wide-neck-drums

just drill a hole in the lid for a bubbler and your set...$20 bucks at the feed store....

 

[VTX1300]

I used a fastferment for two years before I dropped it and broke the valve off. Easy to dump sediment so no transferring to a secondary. I now use a stainless steel brew bucket.

 

[Jag75]

Yeah I like the ease of dumping the collection ball making impossible for oxygen exposure . What year VTX do you have ?. I had a 2006 c . Loved it , rode it for years .

 

[mongoose33]

I started using the Bigmouth Bubblers from Northern Brewer. Had 5 at one point. They've had some issues with the lid staying down; hasn't been a problem for me except on one lid, and there's a workaround.

That said, if I had to do it again, I'd use the Fermonster. I have spigots on my BMBs (still have two of them for use when my conical is busy), and wouldn't go back to anything not having a spigot. You can get the Fermonster with them.

Buy two of them at Morebeer and shipping is free.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I use Fermonsters. I love them.

I think Big Mouth Bubblers have issues with the lid and the bubble texture. Not a big problem though, but I also don't like to buy from AB InBev.

 

[Wally martin]

I like my speidel.. Heavy duty easy to clean and has handles.. I'm new here what is AB InBev? Also I've used 5 gallon plastic water jugs from the grocery store for secondary..

 

[RPh_Guy]

I'm new here what is AB InBev?

Anheuser-Busch InBev is the Mega Corp of beer. Besides Budweiser, Bud Lite, Busch, etc. macro brews, they have also bought up a lot of "craft" breweries and a couple large homebrew supply stores.
I'm not on a crusade. You decide whether that's something you want to support, but at least be informed.

Any PET plastic carboy is fine. Some are ported. Some have wide mouth. Some have threaded lids. Some have superfluous markings.
FYI the ported carboys with narrow mouth need a tool to install the spigot.

HDPE plastic (buckets, speidel, fast ferment brands, etc.) is significantly more oxygen-permeable than PET. Those are fine for short term, but may be a concern for longer aging.

Cheers

Edit: if you're looking at ported fermonsters, I highly recommend this spigot.

 

[wallyLOZ]

Another vote for Speidel. Heavy duty with sturdy handles. Have not had an issue with the spigot. Test with water and adjust as needed. It also comes with a solid cap for use in place of the spigot for long term storage.

 

[pbrennan10]

have speidels and a fastferment, much prefer speidels just due to shape, but no complaints about quality or cleaning.

 

[skw]

Here in rural southern Germany, home made cider is everywhere, "Most" was the drink of every farmer here (and they were all farmers) 100 years ago. After wooden barrels fell out of fashion, almost everyone uses Speidels here, they're ubiquitous.

It seems to me from the brochures that Speidel primarily targets the cider and wine market anyway, beer seems to be just an afterthought.

 

[RM-MN]

I'm concerned about oxygen permeability for long term bulk storage in buckets, and headspace.

Or else, yeah, I'd just go for the cheap bucket route.

How many years do you plan to store the cider in the fermenter? Oxygen permeability is still pretty low and for most applications it is not a problem. Neither is the head space as long as you keep the bucket closed and the airlock full.

 

[thehaze]

I have 5 Speidel fermenters and have no complaints. They are sturdy, with heavy duty handles, big mouth opening, for easy cleaning and dry hopping. The price is higher than your regular bucket, would probably be the biggest " flaw ".

 

[GPP33]

I’m partial to my fermonsters for a few reasons. Haven’t used any of the others ones, some have some of the features but I haven’t found any other one that has them all.

1) spigot so I can transfer without the use of a siphon.

2) clear so I can see when to stop transferring so I can get all of the beer without any of the trub/dry hop particles.

3) big opening and smooth sides so cleaning is a breeze.

4)compact package so I can fit two in my ferm chamber, bonus that they are cheap enough to be able to afford 2.

5) screw on cap. Why is this important? I swapped the spigot for a ball lock post and added a ball lock post to a blank cap. I can pressurize for cold crashing then use purged jumpers from my keg to drain the fermenter and exhaust the CO2 from the keg back up into the fermenter. I set it up and walk away while it drains without contacting the atmosphere. Bonus that the yeast stays in a protected atmosphere so it can sit there until you pitch a new batch on it, wash and collect it or finally get around to dumping and cleaning it.

 

[RPh_Guy]

So the answer is no, there's no consensus

 

[Novacor]

Question for those who love their Fermonsters, I was looking at one at the LHBS and it felt like it was made out of a very flimsy plastic. Do you find that to be an issue?

 

[mirthfuldragon]

Question for those who love their Fermonsters, I was looking at one at the LHBS and it felt like it was made out of a very flimsy plastic. Do you find that to be an issue?

Nope; they work very well and I have not had any problems. I also have a tendency to pick them up by the rim under the lid, which I do not recommend. I put them in milk crates before filling. I have three now, and I like them a lot.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Question for those who love their Fermonsters, I was looking at one at the LHBS and it felt like it was made out of a very flimsy plastic. Do you find that to be an issue?

Carrying it can be somewhat difficult without straps.
https://www.morebeer.com/products/fermonstercarboy-carrier.html

I have 7 fermonsters now, but the one carrier is all I need since most are sitting there with sours or wine. The 1 gal and 3 gal are easy to carry.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

+1 on The Vintage shop Fermonster and Carboys. I have one Fermonster as well as a few of their 3 and 5 gallon carboys. Some have said they have had issues with removing the Fermonster lid. I've not had that experience yet but i have large hands. The fact that they are extremely light makes them so easy to clean and handle. I do use a carboy carrier for the Fermonster and empty milk crates to carry the 5 gallon units. I do this to avoid suck back in the air lock. I also love the fact that empty they can stand upside down and drain excess starsan.

 

[GPP33]

Question for those who love their Fermonsters, I was looking at one at the LHBS and it felt like it was made out of a very flimsy plastic. Do you find that to be an issue?

They are thin, but they really don’t need to be thick to do the job. Carry them in a milk crake or a strap system like the brew hauler.

If you get one you’ll want one of these to remove the lid. For $4.99 it’s actually a really nice tool that’ll come in handy for more than just removing caps, I don’t normally recommend Harbor Freight but this is a good tool.

https://m.harborfreight.com/2-pc-rubber-strap-wrench-set-69373.html

 

[MaxStout]

Buckets are fine for primary for a month or two, but since you plan to rack and then bulk-age, I would recommend racking into glass or stainless for the long-term. Oxygen will gradually seep through plastic over time.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I would recommend using glass or stainless for the long-term. Oxygen will gradually seep through plastic over time.

How much oxygen seeps through the airlock?

 

[govner1]

I started w/ 3, 5,& 6 gal Better Bottles when I started brewing 6+ years ago. I still use the same ones with the exception of one that I damaged. I even have two 5 gal Better Bottles in their original boxes that I purchased as back ups and have not yet needed.
Easy to carry, clean, etc.

 

[MaxStout]

How much oxygen seeps through the airlock?

You're suggesting that plastic is ok for long-term aging? Not arguing, I just hear a lot of conventional wisdom to the contrary. If the "O2 permeability of plastic is a thing in long-term storage" belief is just another fallacy, that's good to know.