switching to the carboy

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jkd3624

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How do I know when I should go from the bucket to the carboy with my beer?? What is a good time frame here
 
tou don't have to do that at all unless you want to dry hop or add some other ingredient. keep it in the bucket until you bottle.
 
Go to the carboy after a month and a half. Else make another brew to fill your empty carboy.
 
I usually do two weeks in primary bucket and 1-2 weeks in secondary carboy, Depending on what type of beer I'm doing. You should take a hydrometer reading before moving to your carboy to see if you're near your target FG.

But many people on here will tell you they never transfer to a secondary, so you could go that route if you want.

Good luck and welcome aboard!
 
OG drops to FG, and temp will drop 2-3 degrees (depending on EVERYTHING else).
I'd say "until it CLEARS", but it's in a damn bucket at that point! :)
 
You'll probably find that after a few batches the bucket will become obsolete, I would just invest in another carboy and use the buckets to store your hoses and sanitizing solution...In the long run no matter how well made the plastic is you're going to scratch it. If you're just starting out than I would wait a little to see if this is really your passion.

But to answer your question I would ferment it out and then move it to the secondary.
 
You'll probably find that after a few batches the bucket will become obsolete, I would just invest in another carboy and use the buckets to store your hoses and sanitizing solution...In the long run no matter how well made the plastic is you're going to scratch it. If you're just starting out than I would wait a little to see if this is really your passion.

But to answer your question I would ferment it out and then move it to the secondary.

It's funny, but I think just the opposite! Forget the carboy completely, unless you're a winemaker (I am) and buy more buckets!

The beer NEVER has to move to the carboy. Two to three weeks in the bucket, bottle. That works for me, and a ton of other people. Each time you move the beer (rack), you risk oxidation. But I don't like carboys- I weight 135 pounds and carboys are HEAVY and glass can break. I use them for my wine that ages for months, but not for beer any more.
 
Yooper said:
It's funny, but I think just the opposite! Forget the carboy completely, unless you're a winemaker (I am) and buy more buckets!

The beer NEVER has to move to the carboy. Two to three weeks in the bucket, bottle. That works for me, and a ton of other people. Each time you move the beer (rack), you risk oxidation. But I don't like carboys- I weight 135 pounds and carboys are HEAVY and glass can break. I use them for my wine that ages for months, but not for beer any more.

So how many batches do you use a bucket before replacing?
 
It's funny, but I think just the opposite! Forget the carboy completely, unless you're a winemaker (I am) and buy more buckets!

The beer NEVER has to move to the carboy. Two to three weeks in the bucket, bottle. That works for me, and a ton of other people. Each time you move the beer (rack), you risk oxidation. But I don't like carboys- I weight 135 pounds and carboys are HEAVY and glass can break. I use them for my wine that ages for months, but not for beer any more.

Well, I'm not so sure about the "NEVER" part, but Yooper's gist is correct. I see no need to rack a beer into a secondary vessel unless:
  1. Adding fruit
  2. Adding oak
  3. Adding some other flavor addition (vanilla bean, cocoa powder, etc)
  4. Bulk aging for months or longer
  5. Lagering
  6. Fining
  7. Dry hopping (maybe)

If I am not doing any of the above, I just leave the beer alone in the primary vessel for 2-4 weeks, rack to my bottling bucket, and bottle. With dry hopping, I'm on the fence about needing to move the beer first. And really, I rack for the first three mostly because I do not know how long it will take for the right flavor to develop - might be a week, might be a month or more. If I KNEW I was only going to add something, say oak, for just a week, I might not rack then either. Every time you rack the beer you risk oxidation and contamination.
 
Well, I'm not so sire about the "NEVER" part, but Yooper's gist is correct. I see no need to rack a beer into a secondary vessel unless:
  1. Adding fruit
  2. Adding oak
  3. Adding some other flavor addition (vanilla bean, cocoa powder, etc)
  4. Bulk aging for months or longer
  5. Lagering
  6. Fining
  7. Dry hopping (maybe)

If I am not doing any of the above, I just leave the beer alone in the primary vessel for 2-4 weeks, rack to my bottling bucket, and bottle. With dry hopping, I'm on the fence about needing to move the beer first. Every time you rack the beer you risk oxidation and contamination.

Ah, you're right. "Never" is far too strong! I do rack all of my lagers after the diacetyl rest, and lager in the carboy at times. I have oaked in the carboy, also, but that's very rare. I tend to dryhop in the primary, at the end, unless I'm washing the yeast. I don't use finings, so I don't move the beer for that.

I've been bulk aging in a keg, as it's just easier and less likely to risk oxidation.
 
Yooper said:
I have no idea. I don't think I've ever tossed a bucket yet. I've made about 300 batches, though. Most are 5 gallon batches (one bucket per batch) but some are 10 gallons (2 buckets per batch).

Thanks. Was thinking about going back to bucketing. Carboy opening is too small. Will probably use for secondarying only.
 
I started with a bucket, then moved to carboys. I then sold my 2 carboys and bought 3 Better Bottles with the same money. Then sold two of my BB's and bought two buckets and some hops with that money. Buckets are just easier in my opinion, I just can't watch the fermentation show...which I never did anyway.
 
Rapt0rBrown said:
I have a question. For all of you using a bucket, how do you control fermentation temp?

I just stick my bucket in big cooler with aquarium heater to heat. No iisues cooling because my basement is cool.
 
I've made about 300 batches, though.

I've been thinking about my own production/consumption patterns and I'd think out of every batch I drink half or less myself. Of your 300 batches what percentage would you say you give away/use for competition/drink yourself/drink with others around?
 
I have a question. For all of you using a bucket, how do you control fermentation temp?

i have two mini fridges, one with a johnson temp controller and the other is a wine chiller that does not get below the high 50's anyway.
 
My first 3-4 batches were made in buckets.. then I got a heck of a deal on some 6.5 gallon carboys and bought a ton of those...then I sold some of the carboys.. Now I am thinking that I saw no difference in bucket beer compared to carboy beer. Add to that the fact that my back makes buckets WAY WAY easier to handle I am probably gonna go to all buckets for the beer. I do however secondary and cold crash so a couple of 5 gallon carboys for that.
 
You'll probably find that after a few batches the bucket will become obsolete, I would just invest in another carboy and use the buckets to store your hoses and sanitizing solution...In the long run no matter how well made the plastic is you're going to scratch it. If you're just starting out than I would wait a little to see if this is really your passion.

But to answer your question I would ferment it out and then move it to the secondary.

i use both carboys and buckets but i prefer buckets for their ease of use and unbreakability. the whole scratch thing is something i've never worried about, it's overblown as far as i can tell.
 
I've been thinking about my own production/consumption patterns and I'd think out of every batch I drink half or less myself. Of your 300 batches what percentage would you say you give away/use for competition/drink yourself/drink with others around?

I almost never enter comps any more. But I always have a beer for friends whenever they stop by. I drink an amazing amount of beer myself, though.
 
Yooper, don't you hate it when the doctor tells you you shouldn't have any more than 2 per day. Who drinks two beers a day??

My doctor asked me how many beers I drink in a week. I told him about 20 and he gave me a lecture. Good thing I low balled my answer by about 75%.
 
Those of you who say skip the secondary....would you rack from the primary straight into a keg for conditioning or rack from primary to bottling bucket then to keg. I've always used a secondary but might prefer to skip that step.
 
Those of you who say skip the secondary....would you rack from the primary straight into a keg for conditioning or rack from primary to bottling bucket then to keg. I've always used a secondary but might prefer to skip that step.

I always go to the keg from the bucket, even with tons of hops debris! Yesterday, I racked a very hoppy beer with 2 ounces of dryhops directly to the keg. I'm very proficient with racking, though, so I can get about 98% of the beer without sucking up any hops debris. Practice makes perfect here!
 
Newb question* Aren't carboys harder to clean out than buckets? I don't have one yet so I haven't done it, but it seems that a bunch of fruit purée, hop remnants, etc would be way easier to get out of something that has a top that comes off. I'm gonna get a secondary soon, could I just save a few bucks and get another bucket?
 
bjl110 said:
Newb question* Aren't carboys harder to clean out than buckets? I don't have one yet so I haven't done it, but it seems that a bunch of fruit purée, hop remnants, etc would be way easier to get out of something that has a top that comes off. I'm gonna get a secondary soon, could I just save a few bucks and get another bucket?

Hard part is lifting and and swirling and dumping for me. Not really hard just heavy and you have to be careful not to drop it.
 
I have a carboy, but I never transfer to it these days. I even dry hop in my primary by using a hop sack and a sanitized weight to sink the hops to the bottom. Seems to work for me.

Now I still siphon into a bottling bucket for bottling purposes. But that may be the next step that I cut out.
 
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