Primary fermentation

[penguin69]

So in my kit I have a 7.5 gallon plastic bucket and a 5 gallon carboy. My question is can I use the 5 gallon carboy for my primary fermentation or is it too small? I use the plastic bucket but just wanted to be able to see what was going on during fermentation and to also be able to check Sg easily.

 

[Golddiggie]

MAX you want to put into a 5 gallon primary is 4-4.5 gallons. Any more and you better have a blow-off tube installed and ready to go.

IMO/IME, seeing what's going on is all well and good, for noobs. I would rather have it 100% away from light (you should have it in a closet, or where light cannot get to the fermenting beer) than see what's going on inside. To this end, I ferment inside sanke kegs. It also means I normally have enough space (I use 1/4 bbl kegs for my beers) to not really worry.

I did ferment a 5 gallon batch in a 5 gallon carboy once... Once.. I had to tape the bung into place, and fit it with a blow-off tube running to a 2 gallon bucket of Star San solution. It was literally rocking as it fermented (that violent). Without the tape, I suspect it would have shot the bung to the ceiling. Just lucky it didn't blow the carboy up (it was PET, so no risk of glass shattering).

If you have a glass carboy, I would avoid doing more than 4 gallons of anything in it.

 

[penguin69]

That is what I thought. When I do a secondary in the carboy I wrap the whole carboy in a doubled up beach towel to keep the light out.
I was looking to buy a larger carboy as well.
Also I read that you should just leave the primary alone for 2 weeks. I did that and also did a secondary for another week. Is that a good idea for beers?

 

[Golddiggie]

That is what I thought. When I do a secondary in the carboy I wrap the whole carboy in a doubled up beach towel to keep the light out.
I was looking to buy a larger carboy as well.
Also I read that you should just leave the primary alone for 2 weeks. I did that and also did a secondary for another week. Is that a good idea for beers?

IME, secondary is listed in OLD instructions or by suppliers that have not updated to be current. They should either list both no secondary and using a secondary in their guidelines. Plus, times listed (except for actual dry hop times) are pure guidelines. Do NOT consider them set in stone, or requirements.

As for how long in primary. I have a English IPA I brewed on 10/6 that's still in primary. I keep intending to keg it, but things keep getting in the way. It's in the basement currently, sitting at about 52F so I have zero fears. I've had brews sit for longer, in a warmer basement before without any issue at all. My 'normal' time frame for lower OG (under 1.065) brews is 2-4 weeks. Higher OG's get more time, so that they have the time to become great.

IMO/IME, racking to a second vessel, that's not the bottles, is opening up your risks of contamination, infection, and oxidization. None of which are a good thing.

I will move a brew from fermenting vessel to aging vessel WHEN needed. This is typically when the batch is going to age for more than a couple of months, with something that works better/best when off the yeast cake. Such as with wood (oak or others). Otherwise, I would just leave it in primary and not worry. I've also dry hopped in primary without issue. Although I do dry hop in serving keg now with much better results.