Which primary is best!!!??

[HalfPint]

Alright, I currently have two primarys (not enough) and one of them is a 6.5 gallon better bottle and the other is an Ale Pale. I also have a glass 5 gallon secondary, but I don't use it unless I'm dry hopping or something.

Anyways, my main question is which primary is best? I like the bucket for the cost, the better bottle b/c it won't break, and the glass b/c it doesn't retain flavors.

I've read a lot about the better bottles being very good, but don't they retain flavors like an ale pale? If not, this would definatley be my choice of fermenters.

What do you guys like?

 

[FishinDave07]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/vs-pro-con-analysis-109318/ A la Lazy Llama. I use buckets because they are easier to clean and because i don't have a BB yet.

 

[bob1852]

Ale Pails...

 

[defenestrate]

as far as i know better bottles dont retain anything. i've never noticed my buckets retaining anything, either. my vote goes to buckets for ease of use, cost, carrying, headspace and cleaning. i like to use bottling buckets too because you can just drain the beer right from the bottling spigot.

 

[Revvy]

Like so much in brewing there is not a "BEST," they all make beer. All that there is is what YOU the brewer prefers for your own process.

I have 9 different primarys, buckets, glass carboy, better bottles, plastic water jugs, even the veritable mr beer keg.

People have made beer in ceramic crocks, rubbermade garbage pails, aquatainers, oil jugs from restaraunts, jerry cans, really any thing.

And guess what?

Put a nicely made wort in there, and add yeast, and they all make beer.

Seriously, don't think about "best" or "-vs-" in any aspect of this hobby, neither the gear you use or the method you utilize will make the "BEST" beer, only you the brewer and YOUR individual process will determine whether or not you will make great beer.

And the only way that will happen is to try different things out, try different methods out, try different tools out, try different fermenters out, and come up with a way that feels the most comfortable to you.

Even asking us what we prefer won't really help you because, as you will find inthis hobby, if you ask 10 brewers the same question, you will get 12 different answers.

In this hobby, like so many other things, there are more than one way to skin a cat, and they all have the potential to make great beer, or crap beer, depending on who is doing it.

 

[Orfy]

No such thing has best. It's what ever suites your needs.

Budget, time, style of brewing, aversion to risk, perfectionism, etc. etc.
Answer 20 or so question then we maybe able to suggest what is best.

 

[bob1852]

Granted his title said "best" but he did finish with:

What do you guys like?

 

[Lefty]

Ale Pail for me. Easy to clean, cheap, do not burst and severe tendons, and put a spigot on them. They do tend to scratch over time, but again, they are cheap.

 

[Freddy57]

I like buckets. They make the exact same beer that a $300 conical or a $50 carboy will make. I have never, ever scratched one and if one should break or get 'flavored', I won't feel bad throwing it away and spending $6 on a new one. The only reason that I have ever thrown one away is because the handle broke off and I simply broke out a new one. I keep a stack on hand so I always have one more when I need it. I like holding my equipment costs down and having more to spend on ingredients to put in them.

 

[TheMan]

I just started using Corny Kegs to ferment in...For me, they rock! I was building a keezer and the plans got delayed. I cannot ferment in my apartment because it is too warm. I then realized I have a temperature controlled freezer that will hold 1 ale pail/carboy OR 3 kegs...easy choice. I can now ferment 15 gallons at a time. I also hate glass carboys because I dropped one and got cut up real nasty.

My point is just to illustrate what others have said, each person has their own "best" or favorite.

Given your choice, I'd say better bottle.

 

[RC0032]

I found this very interesting.

http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/550
for me its carboys; right now glass in the future Better Bottles.

 

[Freddy57]

I just started using Corny Kegs to ferment in...For me, they rock! I was building a keezer and the plans got delayed. I cannot ferment in my apartment because it is too warm. I then realized I have a temperature controlled freezer that will hold 1 ale pail/carboy OR 3 kegs...easy choice. I can now ferment 15 gallons at a time. I also hate glass carboys because I dropped one and got cut up real nasty.

My point is just to illustrate what others have said, each person has their own "best" or favorite.

Given your choice, I'd say better bottle.

Great idea for summer brewing for sure. I can get 2 kegs and 1 bucket in my freezer, I could gt 4 kegs in there which would definitely increase my capacity. I usually don't brew much in the summer because of the heat but that would give me more beer if I brewed year-around. That's something to think about for next summer. Thanks for the idea!

 

[RC0032]

They talked in that pod cast about the design (with to height) of Corny Kegs as fermentation chambers and how it puts pressure on the yeast and they dont perform as well (in theory)

 

[chemman14]

They talked in that pod cast about the design (with to height) of Corny Kegs as fermentation chambers and how it puts pressure on the yeast and they dont perform as well (in theory)

would be interesting to see a blind taste test experiment like they did with beer in primary duration

 

[HalfPint]

Alright guys. Thanks for chiming in. I think after all I've read I might go with plain ol buckets. I like to be cheap, but I just like to see my stuff fermenting and I really want to get a pipe-line going. My main issue isn't necessarily the seal from a bucket, but what just set me off is the smell that is still in my bucket from the belgian white I brewed 2 months ago. My thing is what If I want to brew a blonde...I feel like I would for sure get a hint of corriander/orange. Do you guys know what I mean?

 

[rico567]

Alright, I currently have two primarys (not enough) and one of them is a 6.5 gallon better bottle and the other is an Ale Pale. I also have a glass 5 gallon secondary, but I don't use it unless I'm dry hopping or something.

Anyways, my main question is which primary is best? I like the bucket for the cost, the better bottle b/c it won't break, and the glass b/c it doesn't retain flavors.

I've read a lot about the better bottles being very good, but don't they retain flavors like an ale pale? If not, this would definatley be my choice of fermenters.

What do you guys like?

You ask two questions; one at the beginning of your post, the other at the end. These are not in the same universe of discourse.
In the first case, which fermenter is better, you have posed a question that's impossible to answer, since, good beer is fermented in plastic buckets (my personal choice), glass & plastic carboys, no doubt completely unsanitary pickle crocks, and expensive stainless conicals. As was pointed out, the characteristics and merits of most of the common fermenters can be read in threads available in this forum
In the second case, what we all like is covered by the immortal Dirty Harry Callahan: "Opinions are like ***holes, everybody's got one."

 

[HalfPint]

You ask two questions; one at the beginning of your post, the other at the end. These are not in the same universe of discourse.
In the first case, which fermenter is better, you have posed a question that's impossible to answer, since, good beer is fermented in plastic buckets (my personal choice), glass & plastic carboys, no doubt completely unsanitary pickle crocks, and expensive stainless conicals. As was pointed out, the characteristics and merits of most of the common fermenters can be read in threads available in this forum
In the second case, what we all like is covered by the immortal Dirty Harry Callahan: "Opinions are like ***holes, everybody's got one."

Sorry, maybe I should've made it a little clealer. I guess I should have just said, which style primary fermenter do you prefer. Oh well, this post got the job done. Like you, and after reading these posts I think the cheap bucket is the right way to go. If it gets scratched or something I'll just toss it out or turn it into a utility bucket. I put a spigot on my primary Ale Pale that I have now and I don't think that I will do it again b/c it makes me paranoid. Thanks for your tips.

 

[conpewter]

Alright guys. Thanks for chiming in. I think after all I've read I might go with plain ol buckets. I like to be cheap, but I just like to see my stuff fermenting and I really want to get a pipe-line going. My main issue isn't necessarily the seal from a bucket, but what just set me off is the smell that is still in my bucket from the belgian white I brewed 2 months ago. My thing is what If I want to brew a blonde...I feel like I would for sure get a hint of corriander/orange. Do you guys know what I mean?

I understand your concern but I think you'll be fine. I actually use glass or stainless for almost all of my fermenting (I have used a HDPE 8 gallon bucket now and then). I go the carboys from buying a couple brewers out of their stuff and bought one from my LHBS. Now adays I'd probably buy a better bottle... if they came in 6.5 or 7 gallon capacities, I don't rig up blow-off tubes so prefer the extra space. I like glass because it is easy to clean and I know it is sanitary and if I take care of it I can pass it on to future generations. I don't feel that is the case with any plastic.

 

[HalfPint]

I like buckets. They make the exact same beer that a $300 conical or a $50 carboy will make. I have never, ever scratched one and if one should break or get 'flavored', I won't feel bad throwing it away and spending $6 on a new one. The only reason that I have ever thrown one away is because the handle broke off and I simply broke out a new one. I keep a stack on hand so I always have one more when I need it. I like holding my equipment costs down and having more to spend on ingredients to put in them.

Where do you get your $6 buckets?

 

[HalfPint]

I understand your concern but I think you'll be fine. I actually use glass or stainless for almost all of my fermenting (I have used a HDPE 8 gallon bucket now and then). I go the carboys from buying a couple brewers out of their stuff and bought one from my LHBS. Now adays I'd probably buy a better bottle... if they came in 6.5 or 7 gallon capacities, I don't rig up blow-off tubes so prefer the extra space. I like glass because it is easy to clean and I know it is sanitary and if I take care of it I can pass it on to future generations. I don't feel that is the case with any plastic.

Yeah, I'm with you man. I work hard on making good beer and I don't want any flavors/aromas from a previous beer. It's not about the $ b/c I take care of my equipment. I realize that making an initial investment that costs $20 more than a cheaper product that will last 1/2 or less the time is good business.

So you would go with better bottles? I know that they don't last forever, but I just like em! They're neat and if they don't retain flavors like you guys say, that seems to be the best route granted you took good care of them and didn't scratch em. I really need two more primary fermenters and I think I will be golden. That's enough for me to have one long ager and a couple of beers going at once. My goal is to keep my two tap kegerator going at all times on both lines.

Thanks,
J

 

[dontman]

better bottle for me.

 

[conpewter]

Yeah, I'm with you man. I work hard on making good beer and I don't want any flavors/aromas from a previous beer. It's not about the $ b/c I take care of my equipment. I realize that making an initial investment that costs $20 more than a cheaper product that will last 1/2 or less the time is good business.

So you would go with better bottles? I know that they don't last forever, but I just like em! They're neat and if they don't retain flavors like you guys say, that seems to be the best route granted you took good care of them and didn't scratch em. I really need two more primary fermenters and I think I will be golden. That's enough for me to have one long ager and a couple of beers going at once. My goal is to keep my two tap kegerator going at all times on both lines.

Thanks,
J

I recommend you go with better bottles, they are safer. PET plastic is seen as one of the best and doesn't release BPA into the contents etc and is very inert.

I'll stick to glass as that's what I have already. I have carboy carriers for them and also use milk crates. Still it's a hard question for me to answer, I wouldn't trade my glass straight up for BB's, I guess I just get attached to stuff easily As you can tell I'm kinda torn between the two, but with 3 primaries and 2 secondaries I don't need to add more anytime soon. I have also fermented in a corny keg with good results (use foam control drops)

 

[Sithdad]

Today I bottled a sangria kit I had made for my wife. It's been sitting in a glass carboy for a few weeks clearing up. I fermented it in an Ale Pail. The Ale Pail is, by far, the easiest to clean. I have a rubber bowl scraper that I use to scrape out the left over krausen. Depending on where the krausen deposited itself in a carboy it would be VERY difficult to clean it thoroughly. Yes, carboy's let you see the whole fermenting process take place. For me the convenience of clean-up is more important than ooh's and ahh's at the wonders of fermentation.

I've started cleaning my Ale Pail with OxiClean before it goes into storage and it doesn't retain smells anymore. I haven't had any flavors leech through to subsequent baches (and I did a stout then a weizen then a wit).

.02 deposited

 

[Pezman1]

I like my 6 gal. glass carboy. I can see my fermentation, it fits perfectly in the igloo ice cube I use as a swamp cooler, and it looks sooo much cooler than anything else.
Did I mention glass carboys look cool?

Pez.

 

[conpewter]

Today I bottled a sangria kit I had made for my wife. It's been sitting in a glass carboy for a few weeks clearing up. I fermented it in an Ale Pail. The Ale Pail is, by far, the easiest to clean. I have a rubber bowl scraper that I use to scrape out the left over krausen. Depending on where the krausen deposited itself in a carboy it would be VERY difficult to clean it thoroughly. Yes, carboy's let you see the whole fermenting process take place. For me the convenience of clean-up is more important than ooh's and ahh's at the wonders of fermentation.

I've started cleaning my Ale Pail with OxiClean before it goes into storage and it doesn't retain smells anymore. I haven't had any flavors leech through to subsequent baches (and I did a stout then a weizen then a wit).

.02 deposited

Carboys are easy, just fill with hot water and oxyclean, dump it out the next day and rinse. I've never had krausen stay after that treatment.

 

[Revvy]

Carboys are easy, just fill with hot water and oxyclean, dump it out the next day and rinse. I've never had krausen stay after that treatment.

Me neither, NOR have I ever had any "smells" from previous batches carry over into others, no matter whether or not it was plastic or glass, or bucket or better bottle. Whoever is telling the OP that there is an issue with one fermenter over another has a problem with cleanliness and sanitization, NOT the fermenter in question.

If THAT were an issue, then that particular fermenter would be off the market. Hlafpint, once again, there is noting wrong with any of the fermenters most brewers use in brewing, meaning carboys, buckets or better bottles. There are no issues NORMALLY with holding in flavors from previous batches (if cleaned properly) oxygen permeability or any of the other BS you may have heard of.

Most of the people who come up with crap like that usually have little understanding about the brewing process, and are blaming something for some mistake they made with their beers, and having just enough understanding to be dangerous come up with stuff like that, which then other ignorant brewers perpetuate. If you are using an Ale Pail, Carboy or Better Bottle, you won't have any issues.

There are various and sundry possible concerns with using non-traditional containers to brew in, which rund the gamut from having shapes that perhaps cannot be cleaned well enough to get all the biomatter out of and open the door to infections, to not being able to hold the pressure of fermentation, but even many of those concerns are over-rated, or can be overcome with extra care.

But any product sold in the market place specifically as a beer fermenter will make beer with NO CONCERNS ABOUT ANYTHING, except your preferences, and that includes,

Coopers fermenter barrell