Greetings,
I have a preference for the buckets. I know I know. Some O2 can seep into the bucket and affect the beer. But, it is so much easier to add and remove hop bags, fruits and such with a bucket then through the narrow top of a carboy.
Am I doing myself a disservice? Should I be Rocking my carboy more readily with my dry hopping and fruit beers? Does it matter?
Thanks and Good brewing to ya.
RH
It’s personal preference. If you have a good seal on your bucket lid, you’ll be fine. If too much O2 got into buckets no one would use them. Both buckets and carboys have advantages and disadvantages. You just need to decide which you care about more. Many people on this site (including Mr. Denny Con, I believe) have rocked buckets for years with no noticeable problems.
Ahh Thank you! I figured as much, But it’s always nice to get validation.
I was recently thinking about buying a bucket so that I can ferment in it and scope the freshest of the yeast off the top for saving. Seems easier than washing although it has more risk of contamination.
[quote=“mplsbrewer”]Seems easier than washing although it has more risk of contamination.[/quote]I find top-cropping to be much easier than rinsing because you get pure yeast from the start and there is no added risk of contamination compared to harvesting from the bottom of the fermenter.
Interesting. How does one top crop? I’m fighting the urge to buy a third primary and second secondary. Top cropping sounds like a good way to push myself to get a third primary since it will be a bucket and therefore cheaper 
.
Just found a thread about it
http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=92930
.
Can this be done with yeasts that aren’t true top-cropping yeasts? Wyeast
http://www.wyeastlab.com/com-yeast-harvest.cfm
suggests skimming the first kreusen, tossing it, then letting it form again and saving that. That seems possible for yeasts that aren’t truly top cropping, so long as you actually get a decent kreusen going the second time.
i have a 6.5, 6, and three 5 gallons carboys. haven’t broken one since my first 5 batches or so (knock on wood).
but i really wish i had some buckets. hard to motivate myself after having plenty of fermenting room. but buckets are easier, and less dangerous
pros to carboys: glass looks nice, you can watch fermentation in its full glory, and ability to make sour beers without souring a bucket. other than that, i cant think of much
cons to carboys: dangerous, heavy, small hole for hops/flavoring/harvesting yeast
IMO there’s nothing wrong with buckets. but there’s just something classy about using all glass and stainless steel
[quote=“ickyfoot”]Can this be done with yeasts that aren’t true top-cropping yeasts? Wyeast
http://www.wyeastlab.com/com-yeast-harvest.cfm
suggests skimming the first kreusen, tossing it, then letting it form again and saving that. That seems possible for yeasts that aren’t truly top cropping, so long as you actually get a decent kreusen going the second time.[/quote]I usually wait until the krausen has pushed aside the brown crud and is nice and clean, then scrape off about half of what’s covering the surface. Non-top-cropping yeasts will sometimes yield a thin, wispy krausen that takes multiple croppings to collect a reasonable amount.
The kreusen in my beers always seems to retain a layer of brownish gunk on top until it falls…maybe I’ll just gently push the very top layer aside with a sanitized spatula and then skim.
Yeah, I guess when using proper sanitation technique there isn’t really much of a risk but you’re still opening up your fermenter to the mercy of the environment, which for me is the basement. I’ll probably break down and give it a shot here in the near future since washing yeast is kind of a pain in the ass.
Top cropping is one of the reasons why I consider, on occasion, switching to buckets from carboys. The only thing I’d need is an auto siphon because I very much dislike starting a siphon the “old fashioned” way and right now I use a racking cane in the carboy caps.
[quote=“Beersk”]The only thing I’d need is an auto siphon because I very much dislike starting a siphon the “old fashioned” way and right now I use a racking cane in the carboy caps.[/quote]Got CO2? If yes, then drill a second hole in one bucket lid, insert the racking cane through one hole (with a rubber stopper to seal), attach the hose to the cane, use a clamp to hold the hose to the bucket handle (so it doesn’t wobble), put the hose end to your catching vessel (with a keg I run the hose to the out post), and use the second lid hole and CO2 to pressurize the bucket enough to start flow (I use a short piece of copper inserted in the hose to the regulator with a rubber stopper on the copper piece to make a good seal on the second hole).
As long as you haven’t scratched them, you can do sour beers in buckets.
As long as you haven’t scratched them, you can do sour beers in buckets.[/quote]
really? well that’s good to know. one more pro for the buckets
