Does anyone here homebrew beer?

[WeRQ4U]

I did quite a bit when I lived out in Oregon, and I'm going to start again now. I ordered my ingredients for a simple, hoppy pale ale, and I purchased a good carboy brush to give my secondary fermenter a good cleaning. The problem is, however, that my primary fermenter (a 6.5 gallon HDPE Plastic Bucket) is scratched, stained and old, so I need a new one. I have about 6 five gallon plastic buckets that I can use, but with a 5 gallon batch of beer the lack of head space may cause some problems. I've been looking at small plastic conical fermenters instead of buying another 7 gallon bucket, but I'm not sure. The bucketis MUCH cheaper, but the conical fermenter 1) looks like a fun gadget and 2) seems like it makes things a lot easier (no racking to secondary). Any suggestions or recommendations from other homebrewers would be appreciated.

If someone leads me in the right direction, maybe I'll send them a couple bottles when it's done. Lol.

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Yes, we have a few homebrewers here.

[m_welby]

2. plastic conical fermenters?

I have not heard of these, I've only seen the stainless ones. It does sound very intriguing. I'd like a link (if you have one) on them.

The only drawaback I see with the plastic fermenter is that it will develop the same problems as the existing bucket. i.e. scratches, stains, etc. I would probably get a bucket for now (since they're cheap) and possibly pick up a conical fermenter later once production got going.

I use a bucket (and carboy as secondary), and have not had any issues with it yet (and that's with myself and my eldest boy brewing repeatedly over the last couple years). There may be a time I'll upgrade, but every purchase is a hard sell to my (non beer drinking) SO and I have my eye on a chest freezer w/ thermostat so I can start doing lagers (and brew even in the height of summer in N.E). The fermenter will probably have to wait a while.

Good luck!

Whatever you decide I'm sure the beer will be very enjoyable as long as you remember Rule #1: Relax and Have a Homebrew!

[WeRQ4U]

4. Here's a link to one of them so that you can get the idea...

http://www.beernut.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi?page=hobby1.html&cart_id=2706840_6534

I've actually found this one for a bit cheaper, however. And there is also one that is slightly smaller, at 6.5 gallons, that would be an option.

What size plastic bucket do you use for your 5 gallon batches?

[m_welby]

7. a bit pricey for plastic, but looks cool

I use the standard 6.5 gallon bucket that comes with most kits. Here's one here...

http://www.northernbrewer.com/ferment.html

If you want to use your 5 gallon buckets you can set up a blow off tube to catch the overflow (rather than the standard airlock), but a vigorous fermentation can still be messy if it's not monitored carefully.

[WeRQ4U]

8. The pain is the shipping...

When I lived out in Oregon, there was a homebrew shop within walking distance from my apartment. But there aren't ANY where I live now. And for the life of me, I cannot find a food-grade plastic bucket that is more than 5 gallons in capacity around here. I wouldn't mind ordering one if I could find somewhere that I didn't have to pay twice or three times the price of the product in shipping charges. It seems so pointless.

[m_welby]

9. I've noticed the shipping expense as well.

I have a couple of brew shops relatively close by where I can buy equipment (and a third up in the city), all of which can be more expensive than online, but the shipping will eat up any price difference (and then some).

A couple of days ago a coworker said he picked up an entire starter kit (fermenting bucket, bottling bucket, racking cane, hydrometer, capper, airlock, etc) for $10 at a yard sale. Perhaps you should start checking out the flea markets/yard sales. Apparently you never know.

[WeRQ4U]

14. Thanks for the advice...

Actually, I already contacted the co-owner of a now-defunct old micro brewery here in town. He said that he would look in his basement for anything he still had. Hasn't called me back though.

[bif]

3. I never had a batch of homebrew I enjoyed

I made my own for several years. It sucked--but it was potent. A friend used to make it in a biology lab with state of the art equipment. It all sucked.

[WeRQ4U]

5. That's too bad...I've only had one batch that I didn't like...

I made a winter seasonal a few years back with nutmeg and cinnamon in it that was great, although the carbonation in some of the bottles was a bit too much.

I also made a brown ale that turned out fairly well.

The one that DIDN'T turn out was my first attempt at an IPA. It got infected and had stands of white goo in it. I threw it away without tasting it.

[Cathyclysmic]

6. Alton Brown had a decent show on home brewing

he has tips that actually seem helpful.

[BrotherBuzz]

10. I use a beer keg for primary fermentation (15.5 gallons)...

for ten gallon batches (I actually start with about twelve gallons of product after the brew so I have a lot of headspace. I then rack into two carboys for secondary fermentation). Just pull the valve and dip out of the keg and use a number eleven bung (same size as a wine barrel bung) with gas trap. Works well and stainless steel is easy to clean. I also use another modified beer keg to brew in in after I cut the top off.

[WeRQ4U]

18. I've seen people do that before.

Probably not a bad idea. Can you call up any distributor or liquor store and buy one?

[BrotherBuzz]

20. Well, uh, that's the rub....

We have close to two dozen kegs (we use then extensivly for winemaking - toping material for the barrels) nabed by nefarious means, most often aquired by friends willing to forgo their deposit after a kegger in exchange for a case of wine if they also help during bottling. Kegs and Cornelius kegs (5 gal soda pop things) are avilable through fermentation rag ads. Deals are few and far between, but they are out there. I place a one dollar a gallon value on containers. (15 bucks a keg, 5 dollars on carboys - and well, Cornelius kegs aren't worth dealing with unless you get into CO2 during bottling, so I place little value on them).

Check out the bulletin board at your local fermentation house to see what's happening in your area.

[regularguy]

11. I'm satisfied with my ol' 6.5 gallon food-grade bucket.

If you're worried about headroom you can attach a tube where the fermentation lock would usually go to let the foam out for the first couple of days.
You said above that without a nearby shop shipping costs are a problem; morebeer.com has a deal where if your order is $50 ($60?) or more shipping is free.

[WeRQ4U]

15. I'll definitely check that out.

Shipping is a killer to North Dakota. Thanks.

[northernsoul]

12. Get a glass carboy, brother brewer!

I hate fermenting in plastic. And remember: relax, don't worry, have a homebrew.

[WeRQ4U]

16. I have a five gallon one already...

I use it for secondary fermentation. Trying to find a glass 6-gallon carboy is impossible here. And having one shipped would be prohibitively expensive. I wish I still lived in Oregon.

[northernsoul]

21. Geez, that's too bad

Have you tried using a wide blow-off hose on your 5 gallon?

[Lautremont]

13. I used to, but when I served it up at my brother's wedding reception,

I overheard a guest call it "swill." So I quit.

I wouldn't have quit, of course, if I didn't think he was right.

[WeRQ4U]

17. There are no beer snobs here, however.

Just Bud Light drinkers. If one of them calls my beer "swill" then I REALLY have a problem.

[sweetheart]

19. A plastic bag

The big bags allow you to have no 'air' as you draw off the beer, and this allows you to keep your brew without spoilage
long better than any non-collapsable container. As i hear, its all the rage in scottish microbreweries, to not waste the
air spoilage of an undrunk open keg.

[bertha katzenengel]

22. I don't. But I sure do homedrink it.

:toast: