Can I ferment in a bottling bucket?

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lorne17

lorne17

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Hello there,

I received a brew kit for my starting equipment. I've since expanded to make my life easier. however now I want to brew two batches and I don't think I'd brew two often enough to justify buying another glass carboy. Do you recommend I use the bottleing bucket (has lid and place for bubbler)? I'm worried the spigot will be a vulnerable place for leaks and bacteria? Even though I've tested it and it doesn't leak.

Thanks,
Lorne
 
I would say you'd be fine... A bucket is a bucket... Spigot or not.
But if you do use the bottling bucket for fermentation, would are you going to do when it comes time to bottle?
Buy another fermenter.... A bucket is cheap.
Just my $.02
 
I'd be paranoid about bumping the spigot. You can pick up a 6.5 gallon Ale Pail for $12, $14 with a lid. You can pick up cheaper 6 gallon buckets at Lowes and HD. Just get a white HDPE one.
 
You could also pickup a used carboy for $15 from Craigslist or something similar. You say you won't be brewing enough to justify the second fermentation vessel... yet here we are having this discussion...
 
Give in and buy some some more fermenting vessels. I prefer Better Bottles because they are far lighter and WAY safer than glass carboys. I also prefer them over buckets because I like to see what is happening. I have 2 six gallon Better Bottles, 1 five gallon Better Bottle, 2 three gallon water bottles and 1 bucket. I have had as many as 4 in use at one time. It is also getting warmer (I brew outside) so I will be getting them filled again. I love variety so a dozen or so finished beers is nice.
 
You can ferment in a bottling bucket, I've done it. But, sooner or later the spigots will leak. Usually not much, but enough to make a small mess to clean up later and always enough to make it impossible to transfer through the spigot and maintain good sanitation. No advantage, IMO, unless that's all you have and you absolutely have to use it.
 
I would have done about 150+ brews in plastic fermentation tubs with taps. I have never owned a carboy , betta bottle or siphon and have no desire to.
Never had a problem with leaking spigots(taps) or anything else.

Sanitise it correctly and you will be fine.
 
Thanks for the replies all. I am about to brew two batches and I think i may try it in my bottling bucket cuz it's only 4 months old, and had 4 batches for bottling it it so far. So I don't think it's gonna leak. However, if I did a Cream Ale in my Bottling bucket then a hefe in my carboy, can I bottle straight from my bottling bucket on the cream ale? Or will I have issues because of all the trub? I could prop it up to the trub is not over the spigot, keep it tilted. Or i just buy a carboy and bite the bullet.

Thoughts?
 
Can I ferment in a bottling bucket?

Yes! you absolutely can...best to disassemble and clean the tap well b/w batches.

lorne17 said:
Do you go straight to bottling from your primary?
Click to expand...

Yes I belive you can, contrary to popular opnion.

I'll take it one step further, and say you can ferment in the bottling bucket and bottle from the same bucket. Just gently mix in the priming solution without disturbing the yeast cake, then wait several hours for the priming solution to "diffuse" in the beer thoroughly before fillling bottles....done!
 
lorne17 said:
Do you go straight to bottling from your primary?
Click to expand...

I do not recommend that approach.
Plastic containers are cheap and it is best to rack from your primary to a priming container. I have spigot/tap on all containers. Just connect hose from one to the other and rack it leaving behind the trub/yeast cake. Put the priming sugar solution (dextrose in 1 cup water) into the bucket and it will be mixed adequately by the flow of beer.
Do not add priming sugar to the primary as this will stir up all the crud you have wanted to settle out of suspension and you will end up with it in the bottles.
 
el_caro said:
I do not recommend that approach.
Plastic containers are cheap and it is best to rack from your primary to a priming container. I have spigot/tap on all containers. Just connect hose from one to the other and rack it leaving behind the trub/yeast cake. Put the priming sugar solution (dextrose in 1 cup water) into the bucket and it will be mixed adequately by the flow of beer.
Do not add priming sugar to the primary as this will stir up all the crud you have wanted to settle out of suspension and you will end up with it in the bottles.
Click to expand...

Right, while I no longer bottle, this is the way I would do it if I did. I keg all of my beers now, fine in the primary and after a couple days run a hose from the spigot to the keg and let gravity do it's thing
 

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