Carboy as primary fermenter?

[XmonikerX]

Anyone ever use a 23L carboy as a ferementer for a 11.5L batch?
I figure that would give plenty of head space, without having to use a blow-off tube.

I mostly make half batches when i brew, and was just wondering if this would be okay. I might try and make two different batches in one day, but only have one primary ferementer bucket. i guess i could always just go buy another one......

[Tim Gregory]

yup, I do that all the time.

I ferment most of my half-batch beers (and some larger batches) in a carboy. Only ever had trouble once with a hefeweizen that foamed up and went through the airlock, but I caught it in time. Since then I do wheat beers and higher gravity beers in a bucket just in case.

[Garak]

I've read that if your using a carboy for primary there isn't much need to transfer to a secondary. The main reason to rack from a bucket to secondary in a carboy is that buckets are not as sealed of an environment. The other reason to rack is just to get your beer off the trub.

So my friend and myself are testing this now. We both put the same festabrew on at the same time, he racked his after 5 days to secondary, I've kept mine in a 12 gallon pyrex carboy. We plan on kegging both next weekend and seeing if anyone can tell the difference.

The next batch will be 10 gallons so I'm hoping I won't have to rack to a secondary as we only have two 12 gallon carboys and I don't want to tie them both up or split the batch.

[XmonikerX]

yup, I do that all the time.

I ferment most of my half-batch beers (and some larger batches) in a carboy. Only ever had trouble once with a hefeweizen that foamed up and went through the airlock, but I caught it in time. Since then I do wheat beers and higher gravity beers in a bucket just in case.

Cool, i'll have to try it, (as long as bBrianBoogie, isn't aging something tasty in in my carboy for the next year...)

[ratchet]

I ferment some of my 5gal batches in carbuoy (Only have 1 bucket).... For the airlock, I just use a piece of hose with one end in a stopper, and the other into some sanitized water.

That way, when it blows-off, I just change the water.

[KMcK]

I always do my primary in a carboy. I don't like the thought of fermenting in plastic and don't like the lack of a seal on a bucket. I bought a 25 litre for full sized batches or split the batch and distribute among two regular sized or smaller carboys. It saves me the step of having to rack to a secondary and I've noticed over the years that I can bring it down to its final gravity faster than if I do rack it off the trub after the primary. I do end up with more sediment in the bottled product, but that doesn't bother me.

The only reason I've heard for doing the primary in a bucket and racking for the secondary, apart from not enough head space in the carboy, is the risk of autolysis from sitting on the trub too long, but I suspect that too long may be months or years, not an extra week.

[derek]

Garak: No, I doubt anybody will be able to tell the difference, barring accident or unsanitary conditions. Of course there are always Brewnosers willing to throw themselves in front of a beer if you really need somebody to judge

Kirk: I can understand not wanting to ferment "in plastic" - that stuff's going to kill us all in the end - but the seal on an active primary is completely unimportant. Of course, that's where the "accident" can come in: when you accidentally forget to rack in time. You're right, autolysis is unlikely to happen in the time it takes to ferment a beer, but it's actually _less_ likely in a bucket, not because you have to rack, but because it's sometimes a consequence of an insufficiently aerated wort (anything that kills yeast cells causes autolysis - so lack of O2, lack of nutrients, or just time).

[akr71]

I rarely secondary anymore. I will for a lager or something that's going to be in the fermenter for a long time (barley wine, old ale, etc.). I'd like to say its so I reduce the risk of contamination, but really its because I'm lazy.

I still ferment in plastic buckets from time to time - it really depends whether or not the beer is going to be dry hopped. Its much easier to open a bucket and toss in the hop bag. Oh, and its easier (and cleaner) to harvest yeast out of the bucket than a carboy IMO.

[Jayme]

I almost only use carboys with no secondary unless lagering or adding fruit. Although I did have two beers around christmas time go soapy on me when I was away for the holidays. That's the only time I've ever had a problem and I like cutting down on transfers/risk of contamination. Plus... one less vessel to clean!

[chalmers]

I do my primary in a plastic carboy (Better Bottle). I've been happy with the results.

[derek]

I rarely secondary anymore. I will for a lager or something that's going to be in the fermenter for a long time (barley wine, old ale, etc.). I'd like to say its so I reduce the risk of contamination, but really its because I'm lazy.

yeah, right. "Reduce risk of contamination!" That's why I don't bother

I still ferment in plastic buckets from time to time - it really depends whether or not the beer is going to be dry hopped. Its much easier to open a bucket and toss in the hop bag.

LOL. The last time I was dry-hopping with whole buds, I swore I wasn't going through that again. You can get pellets into a carboy, but buds are - to say the least - awkward.

[jason.loxton]

I ferment exclusively in glass carboys, and secondary only with dry hop, after some run ins with wild yeast in my system in the past. I can manage 5 gallon batches (or split 10s) no problem with no blow off tube, using standard run of the mill ale yeasts, e.g., 1968, 1056, etc. (The only irritating thing is that the yeast from the krausen ring can be a bitch to get off without completely filling with hot water or caustic and soaking, especially in ribbed carboys.)