Looking for wine fermenter.

[jcs401]

Hello,
I'm going to be making my first wine kit this weekend but need a big enough fermenter to yield 6 gallon kit. Right now I have a 6gallon bucket, or 6.5 gallon glass carboy I use for beer brewing. I know the 6gallon bucket is a no go and don't really wanna mess with the carboy as it has a small hole. Besides a local brew store is there anywhere locally I could get a bucket big enough and is food grade?? Also is a 7 gallon volume big enough or do I need bigger??

 

[Honda88]

7.8 gallon bucket is what i use for primary fermentation. I have no clue where you would find something that big. The biggest buckets i can buy are 5 gallon at the farm store.

 

[botigol]

My bucket is 7.9 gals and I don't think that I would want to go much smaller for a six-gallon batch. LHBS is your best bet, unless you are willing to get a little unconventional...I read recently that Sterilite storage containers are food-safe.

 

[Yooper]

If you're going to do a wine kit, you need a 6 gallon carboy for after primary fermentation (NOT a bucket!). You can use a bucket, or the 6.5 gallon carboy, initially, but by about day 7-10, it goes into a 6 gallon carboy. Plastic carboys, called Better Bottles, are available if you don't want to go with glass. But a 6 gallon carboy is a requirement for 6 gallons of wine.

 

[jensmith]

Split your must into two buckets for fermentaion. Lows has food grade five gal pails. Or use a new trash can for fermentaion. Brute makes a nice mid size one. You will not be leaving the wine in for long. I have done this with a ten gal batch of wine. No off flavors or taste.
Or you can just suck up and buy the large wine fermenter if your local home brew shop has them. Most places have them in stock. Especially if they sell the six gal wine kits.


Sent from my iPod touch using Home Brew

 

[WI_Wino]

X2 on the Brute trash can. I have a 20 gallon I use and it works pretty good.