[Joe Sr.]

Ahh... I stand corrected.

I did write my initial response as though all buckets have spigots...

I'm not sure if. Have any without. Maybe one. But I really only use buckets for sanitizing.

[duboman]

I use the 6.5 gallon ale pales and some from True brew, they're great, I have one with a spigot for the occasional bottled batch, the rest none.

I also have a 5 and 6 gallon better bottle but rarely use them, buckets have handles and are much easier to clean!

[morticaixavier]

I use buckets.  I know there are people who love the better bottles, but other than being unbreakable, they have all the other drawbacks that the carboy design has.

Which buckets?


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any food grade plastic bucket should work. If you look around at deli's and the like they will often have a surfeit of plastic food buckets in varying sizes they would be glad to let you have for free. some of them might smell of pickles which would be a problem but with a good soak in PBW/oxyclean or Bleach you should be able to get them clean.

I am lazy and buy 'brew buckets' or 'ale pails' with predrilled lids.

I prefer buckets because they are the easiest to clean. I go with no spigot due to concerns with sanitation (not that I actually even had an infection that I could trace to bucket spigots, just because I have seen gunk in there I could not get out) and because it's easier to stack them empty without.

Not being able to see the beer actually is a plus for me because it encourages me to just forget about the beer once it's in the fermenter. I don't need to be messing around with it while it's working and the fact that I would have to pull the lid to peek encourages me to leave well enough alone.

one minor point, if you have the choice I would get the lids that are drilled for a big stopper rather than the little gromet. I find the gromet seizes to the airlock and it is difficult to get them apart. also with the larger airlock hole you can just pop the stopper and stick a thief or siphon tube right in there without removing the lid.

[beersk]

Maybe take a look at the SS Brew Bucket.

If you can get one. They look sweet. I ferment in stainless now, 4 gallon batches in 5 gallon ball lock kegs. I don't like plastic and glass is dangerous. I handle my carboys suuuuuper carefully and never really had any close calls, but I'd just rather ferment in something that is going to last me a life time without worry.

Not being able to see the beer actually is a plus for me because it encourages me to just forget about the beer once it's in the fermenter. I don't need to be messing around with it while it's working and the fact that I would have to pull the lid to peek encourages me to leave well enough alone.

This is true for me, as well.

one minor point, if you have the choice I would get the lids that are drilled for a big stopper rather than the little gromet. I find the gromet seizes to the airlock and it is difficult to get them apart. also with the larger airlock hole you can just pop the stopper and stick a thief or siphon tube right in there without removing the lid.

That's a good point. You could even modify the stopper so you could start the siphon with co2 like the orange caps for carboys.

[weithman5]

i use buckets. various sizes. some spigots some not. i have added spigots because i am not scared of my sanitation process. as mentioned, check delis. we have an olive oil/basalmic vinegar store that gets products in 3 gallon buckets that he ends up throwing. i have a half dozen of them.

[Pinski]

I love my carboys.  I hate cleaning them.  I hate doing laundry too, but not enough to go full-on Weazeltoe. Kilts are just a gateway you know.

[Scot (one T)]

I've accumulated too many carboys over the years to change.  I've broken 1 in 12 years.

[Titanium Brewing]

To Beersk,

Morebeer is taking pre-orders on them. I signed up for mine yesterday. Of course I have no idea when it may arrive.

http://morebeer.com/category/ss-brewing-technologies-fermenters.html

[Joe Sr.]

I've accumulated too many carboys over the years to change.  I've broken 1 in 12 years.

I sold mine.  It was liberating.

[tommymorris]

To Beersk,

Morebeer is taking pre-orders on them. I signed up for mine yesterday. Of course I have no idea when it may arrive.

http://morebeer.com/category/ss-brewing-technologies-fermenters.html

What justifies the extra expense for this fermenter? It looks great. It has great bling factor. Stainless is nice. The lid coming completely off is nice.   The conical shape is interesting but the conical is not ported so you cannot evacuate the yeast. The valve to run off the beer at the bottom is cool but I would worry about it being too close to the trub to be useful (although maybe you could partially evacuate the yeast if the trub was too high).

Anyway having just spent $60 for a Speidel I don't have much room to talk since I could get everything a Speidel has for half the price with a 7.9 gallon bucket.

Just wondering.

[euge]

Spigots are fine if you use the right ones. And keep them clean just like everything else. I trust my processes. It's not like we are doing abdominal surgery; and the surgeons only sanitize the patient with a topical application.

Good on ya for getting rid of the glass. I'll take one anecdotal injury over 10 "never had a problem" type statements.

[duboman]

Spigots are fine if you use the right ones. And keep them clean just like everything else. I trust my processes. It's not like we are doing abdominal surgery; and the surgeons only sanitize the patient with a topical application.

Good on ya for getting rid of the glass. I'll take one anecdotal injury over 10 "never had a problem" type statements.

+1
My spigot just unscrews and pops apart into two easily cleanable pieces.

As well, I've read enough horror stories of broken glass car boys and emergency room visits to keep me away from them, kids in the house and everything else it's just not worth it to me

[beersk]

To Beersk,

Morebeer is taking pre-orders on them. I signed up for mine yesterday. Of course I have no idea when it may arrive.

http://morebeer.com/category/ss-brewing-technologies-fermenters.html

Thanks. I'll have to consider that. Someday...
For now, I brew 4 gallon all grain batches inside on the stove and ferment in kegs. Works out pretty well. I like a fermenter you can rely on to last a lifetime. The Brew Bucket would probably be that.

[denny]

I use buckets.  I know there are people who love the better bottles, but other than being unbreakable, they have all the other drawbacks that the carboy design has.

Which buckets?


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Just HDPE 7 gal. buckets I buy at the LHBS.

[Siamese Moose]

There's no price listed yet, but Blichamnn has the Cornical coming out:


http://www.blichmannengineering.com/new-innovations-coming-soon

Cornicaltm MODULAR KEGGING AND FERMENTING SYSTEM

The next innovation coming off our workstations is a revolutionary NEW PATENT PENDING Cornicaltm MODULAR KEGGING AND FERMENTING SYSTEM.  Built with a Corny keg at its core, we've integrated an exchangable bottom to allow you to ferment with our conical bottom, then flip it over, switch to a standard keg bottom, and you're ready to carbonate and dispense!  The beauty of this system is the elimination of transferring the beer and also the competitive price!  The keg body is Italian made on modern automated machinery - no inferior welds like other imports.  The conical bottom is one piece and made right here at home!  We'll be in production this summer - check back for updates!!!