I went to my local brewery store to get another primary (because I’m now addicted to brewing) and the guy there said, “if you’re brewing beer you want a 6.5 gallon primary.” My current primary is a 6 gallon glass carboy from NB. Reason? Thoughts?
Thanks!
Joe
6.5 gallon carboy or better bottle has more headspace which makes less of a chance of blowoff.
that’s right on. but if you get worried about the head space, make a blow off. a lot of folks use them instead of an airlock. I usually only use mine for high OG beers.
If I use my carboy to ferment (rather than my conical, which has one) I ALWAYS use a blow off. Just worth that extra insurance. 3 foot length of 1" tubing and a bucket of water… better than cleaning yeast and trub off walls and ceilings! :lol:
Question about a blow off… do you just stick the hose into the stopper hole and then insert the stopper?
yep
I like to use the 6.5 gallon because I will primary 5.5 gallons and figure I’ll lose some to yeast cake and hop absorption from DHing.
For my blowoff, I simply drilled a hole in the top of an old extract bucket. Then drilled a smaller hole for the CO2 to escape. Here I used a racking cane but now use a hose. It’s a must when fermenting hefe yeasts.
I’ve got a pair of 6.5’s for primaries, 5.25-5.50 gallon batches.
Been using Fermcap for years and never had a blowoff.
I do have a blowoff hose, but honestly its never gotten close enough to even start to worry about it.
YMMV, but you should check that stuff out.
I use a 3 piece airlock, but not the 2 smaller pieces. You can just put a hose over the spout of the main part of the airlock. Then put the other end of the hose in a jug, bucket, whatever, with some starsan/water solution. Very easy. And when the blowoff stops, just remove the tube and put the other 2 pieces of the airlock on.
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&clie ... 3&hovw=226[quote=“Central WA Brewing”]I like to use the 6.5 gallon because I will primary 5.5 gallons and figure I’ll lose some to yeast cake and hop absorption from DHing.
For my blowoff, I simply drilled a hole in the top of an old extract bucket. Then drilled a smaller hole for the CO2 to escape. Here I used a racking cane but now use a hose. It’s a must when fermenting hefe yeasts.
[/quote]
Looks like your blowoff needs a blowoff :lol:
I have never had a problem in my 6 gal carboy either, I usually ferment at the lower end of the spectrum for the yeast, so it is not as active as it could be. The more active it is the more krausen you have.
I wouldn’t worry about the difference between the 6 and 6.5. Also with better bottles you will always have BPAs as they are plastic. You saw the craze with Nalgene! Plastic also holds flavors and can be harder to sanitize if there are micro abrasions inside. I like the idea of glass, just don’t drop it!
[quote=“brans041”]I have never had a problem in my 6 gal carboy either, I usually ferment at the lower end of the spectrum for the yeast, so it is not as active as it could be. The more active it is the more krausen you have.
I wouldn’t worry about the difference between the 6 and 6.5. Also with better bottles you will always have BPAs as they are plastic. You saw the craze with Nalgene! Plastic also holds flavors and can be harder to sanitize if there are micro abrasions inside. I like the idea of glass, just don’t drop it![/quote]
You should do some more research on better bottles before you make claims. They ARE BPA free. They do NOT hold flavors. There are many advantages to better bottles. The main one being you’ll never need a trip to the hospital if you drop one. To each his own as to what you want to ferment in. Just don’t make claims about a product that you obviously know nothing about.
Sorry Dobe12, you’re right about the BPA thing. I was told they were made out of the same material as Nalgenes, they are not. They are PET a polyethylene, not Polycarbonate, which has to have BPA in order to make it.
I don’t trust that it won’t hold flavor though, as all plastics are porous which is why the local dairy farms deliver in glass rather than plastic. Plastics are not allowed to be reused in industry because of this nature (at least to my knowledge). A company can say it won’t hold flavor, but that is a claim I am not willing to adhere to, as there is no scientific backing.
[quote=“brans041”]Sorry Dobe12, you’re right about the BPA thing. I was told they were made out of the same material as Nalgenes, they are not. They are PET a polyethylene, not Polycarbonate, which has to have BPA in order to make it.
I don’t trust that it won’t hold flavor though, as all plastics are porous which is why the local dairy farms deliver in glass rather than plastic. Plastics are not allowed to be reused in industry because of this nature (at least to my knowledge). A company can say it won’t hold flavor, but that is a claim I am not willing to adhere to, as there is no scientific backing.[/quote]
I have 3 buckets, 2 better bottles, 2 glass carboys. The carboys are only 3 gallons. I only use them for smaller experimental or split batches or for prolonged secondary or lagering of smaller batches. I normally use the buckets or better bottles by whichever I see first when I go to grab a primary. I can tell you from experience, the better bottles don’t hold odor/flavor. Yes, my buckets do big time. But it’s nothing that hurts the next batch. But, I’ve never smelled anything in a properly cleaned better bottle.
your fine with a 6 g
Depends what size batches you brew, and other details. I use them as secondaries to 7.9 gallon bucket primaries. It let’s me put 7 gallons in the primary, fill 6.5 gallon ‘acid’ carboy secondaries up to the neck, and actually bottle ~ 6.5 gallons. You could also use them as primaries, with 5 or 6 gallon secondaries, so that you get krausen space in the primary with little potentially oxidizing head-space in the secondary. Did you ask the guy what rationale he had in mind? It is entirely possible to brew good beer without them - you shouldn’t buy them if you don’t know why you’re doing it.
I can second this. My Better Bottle has no lingering smells whatsoever. Just had a Big Honkin’ Stout in there for 4 weeks, still no smell. Love these things. Just wish the accessories weren’t so damn expensive…
+1 on Better Bottles. Never had any smells after cleaning. As for micro scratches can be a concern, but I just fill them with water and Oxy clean. Usually all clean within a few hours. After 25-30 batches I have never had to scrub a carboy.
My only problem is I have creased them pretty good, gives nasties a place to hide (had batch go bad because of that). Toss them if that happens, thankfully it was only twice.
Oh hell, just go with a stainless conical. I love mine! :twisted:
+1, and if you’re worried, use Fermcap-S. I use all 6g carboys (glass & BB), and when using Fermcap-S, I’ve only had one blowoff in the last 20+ beers.
