Beer Forum

Was contemplating switching from buckets to glass for primary fermentation. I just have a couple questions for those of you out there who use glass well...

I mostly have 5 gallon carboys and 1 - 6 gall. carboy. When fermenting in primary do you use 2
5 gallon carboys and split the wort between the two or do you use a 5 gallon carboy with a blow-off hose (which I would rather not use)? I typically brew 5.5 gallon batches.

I am used to just pouring my cooled wort from my kettle into the bucket (hello, easy...) but I am
assuming if I switch to carboys, then I would have to rack it there because a funnel would probably get clogged.

Any ideas? I am leaning towards the fermentation in 2- 5 gallon carboys.

6 gallon carboys are the way to go for your primary. You could split it into two 5's but you double your work. 5's are perfect for a secondary/conditioning. You can also lower your batch size to 4.5gal and use the 5's.

As far as getting the wort into the carboy, I always used a funnel, I took my standard funnel and cut it so that the throat was really wide and it never got clogged.

BR's right, for a 5 gallon wort primary you should go with a 6 gallon primary or drop your recipe volume to 4.5 gallons. Or, you can split the wort and try two different yeasts, but that's more for experimentation than something you want to get into the habit of doing all the time.

Also, have you looked into adding a screen or using a strainer with your funnel when pouring? I siphon myself with one of Morebeer's wort sprayer siphon tips, but I strained & funneled my first couple batches. I Never had a problem with needing to widen the outflow, so if you're afraid of a hacksaw it might work a little better for you.

If a 6 gallon carboy is used for primary fermentation, don't you run the risk of high krausen and foam entering the airlock? Will a blow-off be needed (which I don't want to use) with that 6 gallon carboy most of the times or will 6 gallons be more than enough headspace for a 5.5 gallon batch?

The volume it's rated for is not the total capacity. You actually have almost a half gallon more air space. I ferment in 6 and 6.5 g carboys and usually don't have problems with the krausen in the air lock. So 5 gallons in a 6 gallon carboy really gives you about 1.5 gallons headspace. Exceptions to this are if you rack wort onto a yeast cake, or certain vigarous yeasts like Abbey Ale and 3068 Bavarian Hefe. Just throw those guys in a bucket for the primary. Also, get three piece airlocks instead of the bubbler kind. If you do get them gunked up, they can be cleaned.

Belgians and Hefe strains will usually need blow off tubes - in any "normally sized" fermenter, including a 5 gallon batch in a 6.5 gallon carboy. Unless, of course, you use some of the fabled Fermcap-S. I have used it in starters and the boil, but never in the fermenter (yet?). Others have with success. I have no idea about the dosage amount.


Mylo

I have 6 and a 6.5 gallon carboys that I sometimes use for primary. I typically don't use an airlock, but a sterilized piece of aluminum foil, based on information received from Chris White of White Labs. I've never had this clog.

foomench wrote:I have 6 and a 6.5 gallon carboys that I sometimes use for primary. I typically don't use an airlock, but a sterilized piece of aluminum foil, based on information received from Chris White of White Labs. I've never had this clog.

+1 I do this all the time for starters and primary. Air lock for long term aging though.
But Belgians and Hefes will still blow this off. So I use a 9 gallon bucket with the lid placed on, not locked down.