When to put into Carboy?

[hevnsnt]

ok first time brewer, sorry for the silly question.

I have read a lot, thought I had it all down, and ready to go.. However... I dont know when to put into the carboy?

My setup:
• Two 5 Gallon Better Bottles
• 6.5 Gallon Plastic Fermenter
• 6.5 Gallon Bottling Bucket with Spigot

(I bought the Midwest Intermediate kit)

So I boil my wort in my brew pot, etc.. Then do I put it into the 6.5 Gallon Plastic Fermenter, or the Carboy (5 Gallon Better Bottle)

 

[Tinga]

well i suppose ost kits would have a bucket for primary and carboy for secondary but most of us homebrewers would say that the use of a secondary is only for dry hopping adding fruit or other post fermentation additions. so unless youre doing that you don't need to use the carboy.

or you could start with the carboy and not use the bucket. either way.

the bucket may also be a bottling bucket which is nice to have clean before bottling.

 

[Coldies]

Due to the size of your fermenting bucket I would say it goes in there first and you would use the better bottles for your secondary.

 

[hevnsnt]

Ok thanks all..

 

[loh777]

put it in the 6.5 gallon fermenter with an airlock and let it sit for a couple weeks. I usually do 14-21 days before I transfer to the better bottle. The method I use is 3 weeks primary, at least on week secondary (better bottle), then 2 weeks in bottles before consumption begins. I am no expert though and maybe some one else has a better method then me.

 

[JLem]

a lot of folks here, me included, do not use a secondary unless dry hopping or adding fruit or bulk aging for an extended time. Most brews can go into primary for 3 weeks and then bottled. No need to go to secondary, which risks both contamination and oxidation.