Carboy size question

[Staestc]

I'm trying to get ready to do a 5 gallon batch and I calibrated and marked off the carboys I have had for the last 20+ years or so. They are 5 gallon carboys.

Can I ferment a 5 gallon batch in this if I use a blow off tube? Not much headspace there!


Travis'n'Texas

 

[Medic218]

You CAN do anything you want.
I'd advise against it though. Who knows how much you'd lose though the blow-off tube.
Just drop 30.00 and get you a 6.5 gallon plastic fermenter(Big Mouth Bubbler or Better Bottle). The buckets with lids are ~20.00.
Keep the glass for the rare times you'll need to secondary.

 

[Staestc]

Kinda what I was thinking. But dropping $30 will be on top of the $120 Northern with ingredients and other tools and the KAB4 from Amazon, both that will be here tomorrow. And the 48 qt cooler and parts and fittings that I just put together, and the fermentation chiller that I built a week or two ago. Oh yeah, and another 10 gallon pot that was delivered a few days ago! lol I kinda need a short break from racking up bills, or my wife will start buying boots again!

I have no experience, but would you anticipate a lot of loss of other that Krausen given the limited head space if fermenting at a controlled temp of 66-68 degrees?

Thanks,

 

[NTXBrauer]

You will lose some to blowoff, but should be fine. I would not fill it all the way to the 5 gallon mark though. Go get you a 1 gallon carboy and ferment in 2 vessels. You can pick up a gallon bottle of apple juice, transfer the juice to something else and use the bottle..Cheers!

 

[jekeane]

I just did a search for homebrew and carboy on dallas craigslist seems like there is a ton of stuff. I am sure you could find a cheap carboy or bucket on there.

 

[jrc64]

I think you will be just fine with blow off tube.

 

[Staestc]

I think we will see. I have a 6.5 gallon bottling bucket arriving tomorrow, but I did not buy a top for it. I thought before I realized that, that I could use it as a primary then rack to the 5 gallon as a secondary. Kinda kicking myself now for not springing for the few bucks to get the top.


Travis'n'Texas

 

[rlmiller10]

Do you have temp control? If you can keep the temp down around 64 you should not lose much. I do 4.2 gal batches in a 5 gal carboy and keep the temp at 64 for the first week or so and never get more than two inches of krausen. I know I could get away with 4.5 gal ok. It is also possible that until you get all your volumes dialed in that you will not hit your full 5.0 gal anyhow.

 

[Staestc]

Good points. I have built a fermentation chiller, so can control temperature. This will be the Quaffable Irish Red recipe down in the recipes section. It's a partial boil, but a 5 gallon recipe. I thought I was supposed to add water to bring it to 5 gallons. Should I maybe just add enough water to hit close to the target OG?


Travis'n'Texas

 

[passedpawn]

Take pictures during the first few days of fermentation. Thanks.

 

[bbycrts]

Fermcap? I've been using it and even with the most vigorous fermentation never have more than an inch of krausen...

(If you don't approve of the idea of Fermcap...well, just ignore that I said that.)

 

[podz]

I kinda need a short break from racking up bills, or my wife will start buying boots again!

LOL, funniest thing I've read all day!

 

[Staestc]

Fermcap? I've been using it and even with the most vigorous fermentation never have more than an inch of krausen...

(If you don't approve of the idea of Fermcap...well, just ignore that I said that.)

Wow, I had never even heard of Fermcap, and had to google it. I have no opinion on it, but I'm sure I will find a couple of opinions in the forum It sounds cool, other than it's impact on the recipe.

 

[passedpawn]

Wow, I had never even heard of Fermcap, and had to google it. I have no opinion on it, but I'm sure I will find a couple of opinions in the forum It sounds cool, other than it's impact on the recipe.

The stuff is magic in the boil. It will blow your mind.

I never had any success with it in the fermentor.

 

[RmikeVT]

The stuff is magic in the boil. It will blow your mind.

I never had any success with it in the fermentor.

I never had any success with it in the fermentor either, until recently. Very weird, I'm not sure what I've done to transfer the stuff from the kettle to the fermentor although, I have some ideas. I've made some equipment upgrades and changed how I cooled my wort from IC to homemade CFC, starting using a dip tube in my flat bottomed kettle, pulling the wort from the side all into the CFC.

Anyway, its weird, I don't know which of the variables caused it, but I barely get a 1 inch krausen these days.

 

[Staestc]

I just checked my order and I did have the wherewithal to get a drilled lid for the 6.5 gallon bucket! So I can primary in the bucket, secondary in a carboy, then bottle from the bucket!

Looking through the order receipt, I have all kinds of cool toys being delivered today! And a KAB4 burner being delivered today as well

 

[Medic218]

That's great news!
Transferring from the bucket to secondary will be effortless now.
Just quirt the spigot with your sanitizing solution, attach your sanitized hose, run it to your sanitized carboy and open the valve.
DONE!

Just be careful not to suck out too much of the yeast cake as it will be very near the spigot. It might actually be a good idea to run the first little bit into something else until you get just beer out of the spigot so as to avoid the yeast cake. Just do this part slowly.

 

[Staestc]

Thanks for the advice! I have an advantage though. The spigot will not be installed, so I could install it a little higher than normal for use as a fermenter, then lean the bucket or put a dip tube on it somehow for bottling.

I'll figure it out when I get home and can actually look at it!

I'm getting excited about this now! Lol


Travis'n'Texas