Bucket vs Carboy Fermentation - What's the difference?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2024
- Today we are testing the difference between Bucket and Carboy Fermentation. This is another mead Myth Buster that I can't wait to try! I've always wondered if there was a difference between how these 2 things ferment. So, let's test and see if there is a difference between bucket and carboy fermenting!
One cautionary thing for you to consider: Make sure you don't age in a plastic fermenting bucket because that can lead to some off flavors!
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I use buckets in primary and carboys for secondary and aging. Buckets allow me to brew a bit more than a gallon, degassing / adding nutrients is a lot easier, and I can put a lot of fruits / punch the cap without any problems, but once the primary is finished (and unless I add a ton of fruit again in secondary) it goes into carboys. And I'll only age in carboys.
This is my plan for when I begin making mead and my current quest is to find a good bucket with a flexible lid. Would you happen to have any recommendations as to where I might find one or how I should work out the primary?
@@joducc4978 It's going to depend on where you live, I'm in France and I bought mine on an online beer brewing shop, they have buckets made for beer that are pretty large usually and they are affordable.
@@NomadeDigital Ahhh okay. Here in the states we don't seem to have any buckets of the same nature. A leftover from prohibition I imagine. Thank you for your response though!
@joducc4978 4 months late to the party. However, my local homebrew supply shop sells the same food and beverage grade buckets that Lowes does but at a higher price. I use them in combination with the leaktite screw-top lid.
More beer has good ones!! Using my beer ones for mead
man, I watch a LOT of DYI on all subjects... yours are gold, straight to the subject no random rants, and on-point content. Great job sir! Thank you.
Thank you so much!
I respect that even thought the results go counter to you intuition, you upheld the result.
2 things that are great about buckets are ease of cleaning and storage. When you’re not using the buckets you can stack them all inside a single bucket and pile the lids on top so your hobby doesn’t take up valuable space when you’re not actively fermenting.
Thanks for doing this MMM, I appreciate your contribution and your content!
Happy to help!
I appreciate info in other's comments. I much more appreciate MM for taking the time to make these vids.
I'm happy to help!
I've just started using buckets for my primary. I like it so much better. I have been getting a much better fermentation out of the buckets.
One other possible pro ( at least for me) is the ease of cleaning the bucket.
Absolutely!
Nothing is easier to clean than a plastic bucket.
@@DragonsinGenesisPodcast but you will never get it as clean as you can a carboy. Plastic scratches too easily, even when you clean it with plastic utensils.
I feel like you should do this again after aged for like 6 mos or a year.
I would be interested if there is any difference over time.
One will taste like Plastic
@@magacop5180Cause you tried it and know? Or you're just super good with a keyboard
Thanks man 👌🏻 please would u make video step by step mention all the tools needed for beginners? I saw the testing juice but I can’t figure out all the steps . Will appreciate
ferment in buckets for 3 weeks and trandfer to carboy for 60 days then rack and age, and I am a Master Mead maker. the main benefit is cleaning and volume.
Best Mead channel ever
Great information. I appreciate it.
I'm happy to help!
If you like to add fruit in secondary the bucket is the best option. However, it's good to do primary fermentation in a glass carboy and use a bucket for secondary for the fruit steeping/fermentation. The glass fermenter is better because it seals more effectively, has a smaller opening to stop "things" falling into the must while you are first working with it and while it is still vulnerable to infections due to low or no alcohol.... The plastic bucket is great for adding fruit and mashes for secondary fermentation because you really do need a bigger opening for the fruit, also it already has most of its alcohol content so it will be relatively safe from infections.
It’s 25% probability to get that set! That’s cool ❤️ and I appreciate your honest opinion about this difference, I am not sure if I want to get a bucket for it as I like the “tradition” of brewing in glass growlers. Also I have been just brewing since April 19, 24, which finding your videos it’s a treasure. Thanks!
Ferment in bucket but age in carboys, buckets have micro pores which allow oxygen in and could oxidize the mead with enough time, it's great for primary though since the wide mouths help with rigorous fermentation
Plastic over time will leach into a container.... like if you eat half a can of something and eat the other half the next day, you can definitely taste the can/metal the next day after it's opened
@@mycrazylifewfawnlisette3582 You'll be able to taste a difference if you eat half the second day if it's in a glass container as well, I don't see your point. If plastic taste leaches out into the food or drink you're looking at inappropriate plastic for the job.
@@patmog half my point exactly, metal leaches taste very quickly. Plastic takes longer (although I'm not sure how long), and I personally haven't had any negative tastes from glass. So plastic in primary, in my experience, has little or no effect on taste for primary fermentation. (I may be mixing up conversations for what I say next, however)I would suggest secondary/Conditioning in glass, and definitely aging in glass.
I recently bought a 750ml plastic bottle and I am thinking I should set one of my gallons to age a year in glass and another (of the same) in plastic and see if I can taste a difference. Chances are most people wouldn't taste a difference, however I can taste the difference between different brands of water.
Science has shown that plastic will leach harmful chemicals into liquids over time. Even marine life (from human plastic trash) is showing fertility issues from plastic particles that are in the ocean. So whether a taste can be percieved or not, probably not a good idea to store in plastic.
@@mycrazylifewfawnlisette3582 that depends on what type of plastic you use. Plastic containers are made for a specific PH value or a specific product. Which is why you shouldn't store cola in a water bottle. Or leftovers in ice cream containers
@@mycrazylifewfawnlisette3582 If you use PET plastic for fermenting, it is like using glass. Ask your homebrew store about PET plastic carboys. I carry them in my store and sell a lot of them. You just have to be careful when cleaning them so you don't scratch them inside. Scratches will harbor bacteria. Don't age in plastic that is not PET plastic. Buckets and water jugs leach oxygen into your product. It has to be PET bottle not to leach oxygen.
I have had more brew fail in buckets but I think that is because they were 10 years old. Plastics take scratches very easily and are porous. Scratches in plastic are hard to sanitize and keep clean. I recently found on Northern Brewer their big mouth bubblers, I have used those and am very happy with them. You get the the access to the brew like a bucket but they're glass.The only issue that I had with them is the seals but that was easily fixed, just make new one out of silicone.
I start in a stone crock, finish in glass carboys - never heard of manufacturing materials leaching out of either...
One thing I do have to say is it depends on what you're making if you're making beer or fermented soda the fact that your aging it for less time could allow you to age in a plastic carboy. Because there's less time for the plastic flavor and bacteria to seep in but Wine and Mead are a different case in my opinion because they have to age longer.
Thank you for this! A few months ago I wanted to increase my primary recipes (couldn't afford so many glass carboys at that moment) so I used plastic gallon water jugs. After primary I moved to glass. But this test just eased my fears on if I ruined anything by not having enough glass yet. (I have since found Carlo Rossi 4L wine bottles, I think I saw them in ur collection too. Those wine bottles if found right are cheaper than empty glass, if not the same price). Now my primary is all done in glass, although t bgg are is a recipe or two that bucket would definitely be useful for (especially to have 1gal after primary)
Usually I bottle in glass to but recently got plastic 750 bottles, I'm debating putting one of the plastic storage bottles away with a glass bottle and check my own differences after longer aging period.
Unless you're definitely going say don't store in plastic. Please explain why if you do feel that way!!!?!
I much prefer the buckets but the lids not always sealing, and then my airlock not bubbling, drives me nuts. I want it to bubble!
Though normally enough co2 to still be good to go.
I have lined the inside of the lid with a strip of latex from some 1/8" surgical tubing I split in half. You may be able to do the same with some food grade rubber bands. You need a length of about 29.25" It doesn't take much to get it to seal.
Anyway, it did the job of sealing my 2 gal fermenter. The interesting thing, is the lid is so large it acts like a drum, so the blooping of the airlock is magnified, and can be heard across the room. Great fun, lol...
@@Backroad_Junkie Clever, maybe I'll try that.
great video btw
Thank you so much. You are going to save me us a lot of money. Going to home depot to buy 5 gallon buckets.
There shouldn't be a difference in primary. Probably will if you let it age in secondary...
Anyway, the only time I use a bucket is when I use fruit. Put 4 pounds of fruit in a grower, you have fruit crawling out the top during primary. Even if you use a wide-mount gallon fermenter, you're still only going to yield 2/3 to 3/4 of a gallon at the end.
A 2-gallon bucket allows me to bring the volume up to about 1.3 to 1.5 gallons, assuring I can get a full gallon of product.
In any event, I remove the fruit after about 10 days to 2 weeks and do a rough rack into glass to finish primary. It yields about 1 full gallon and 1 quart, or just over 1 gallon when racked into secondary.
I also don't stir roughly or do anything that will scratch the inside of the bucket, since you're inviting contamination that way.
You were getting buzzed while filming. Hehe. Thanks for this, I'm making my first bucket booze.
(Just answering title question)
Air the difference is the amount of air available to the yeast during primary fermentation.
I have a large wine bucket I made regular wine in. It's really almost probably 10 gallon bucket. When I made my batch of wine it was for 5 gallons and so it was only filled half way and I put the lid on loosely without a bubbler. I've made some Sansa's lemon mead in a 1 gallon glass jar with a bubbler and put it into the one gallon glass carboy. My question is... Can I do a large batch of Sansa's lemon mead into the large wine bucket and just place the lid over it with all that head space, so it would be 5 gallons, or could I even do the full bucket and it would have little head space, which would be maybe close to 10 gallons I'm guessing. I'm just wondering if just having the lid on without a bubbler will be ok? Will this large batch if I just use the recipe and make it 5 or 10 times with all ingredients? Would I still need just one package of yeast for the 5 gallon or would I need two packages of yeast for the almost 10 gallon if I filled that bucket right up?
I just enjoyed watching you get just a little bit more pissed throughout the tasting, great stuff!
Are you in the UK? Pissed in the US means something different. It means angry, not drunk.
@@julietardos5044 I'm aware. Same as fanny means two very different things in the UK and US.
@@BH-re4nu LOL yeah.
I'm glad it came out like this. I just bought a fermenting bucket. I think the one thing that didn't make this a controlled experiment is the amount of air space above the must. There is almost none in the carboy and much more in the bucket. I think you did an experiment on this in the past with contrasting results.
If you can seal the bucket, the headspace is going to be flooded with carbon dioxide, so you should be good.
Oxygen is the bad guy during primary. If the bucket isn't sealed and oxygen gets in, acetobacters can start changing ethanol into vinegar if the ABV percentage is too low. Oxygen is also needed for things like mold growth. So long as you can maintain that CO2 in the bucket, you should be okay.
I would transfer into glass for secondary. I'm not comfortable what could be leeched out of the plastic over a long period of time...
I use both, most I notice is how much co2 is forced from bucket. Otherwise its really which is easier. Buckets if using ingredients other than liquids.
Around 10:40 you talk about filling up the head space. Is there a benefit, why would you want to do that?
Making wine for beginners video plzzzz . Step by step , as you have nice easy way to explain
One is coming out soon!
I've been using a bucket for fermentation. The only issue I have is that the plastic can hold onto strong scents and flavors. Especially with more phenolic compounds, like hops and smoke.
It is more difficult to get the liquid out without getting lees. To get around that, I just brew 1.5 gallon batches. I typically get one full gallon carboy, and then two mason jars out of each batch. Those jars typically get some amount of lees, so I put them in the fridge to cold crash. I like to use those to taste and determine how much to backsweeten. Sometimes I'll put the excess into a 64 ounce mason jar, and age that along side the carboy (I have plastic lids that I drilled out and grommeted for airlocks). The carboy gets hit with adjuncts (wood, vanilla, etc), and the jar is for blending to balance (if needed).
A quick rinse with bleach water will kill the odor & sanitize the bucket. Just be sure to rinse it well.
@@GreenWitch1 Didn't think of that. Thanks for the tip!
Dude did you made that carboy cap D.I.Y. whats name of that cap anyway ?
I use a bucket for one simple reason. When it comes time to strain out the large lees such as grape skins, strawberrie pieces, plum skins etc I can quickly run a stainless strainer through the bucket and get most of these lees out before transferring to the glass demijohn. There is no way I know to ferment over large lees and get them out of the DJ after easily. I know people will say just siphon off the liquid into a new DJ and then go rinse out the DJ, but I prefer to strain before transferring to a DJ.
I love your videos and I'm learning a lot. However, the reason you can start with more mead in the bucket than in the carboy in your case is not because it's a bucket but because the bucket you're using has much more volume than what you're fermenting whereas the carboy you're using does not. You could flip that and use a larger carboy instead and therefore have the advantage of starting with more mead in your carboy. The size of the vessel and not the material is what is relevant to this point. But I do like your videos and will be watching more!
This is very true!
the camera focus shift makes me think im already drunk drinking the mead lol
2:09 every microbiologist just screamed in agony. The chance of contamination when you pour that back especially in a container just standing there lefr open is extremely high.
Now test aging in glass vs a bucket (and maybe a plastic carboy)
The thing that I would bring up is that buckets are easy to get scratches in and keeping them clean is really hard. Glass is just easier.
I ferment in food grade plastic and store in glass
During your “aging” and or racking do you keep the air lock on or just cap it!?
I normally keep my airlock on!
I normally keep my airlock on!
Hey, just got your video recommended. How do you arrive at a 2% ABV when the on-screen calculation (start SG 1.080, end SG 1.000) shows the ABV is 10.5%?
Oops! I definitely mispoke there... I meant to say 10.5%!
Man Made Mead That would explain a lot. Thanks!
If I had to send this I would say like the bucket because the bucket is not see-through so like can’t get it in there but the glass why do you have to keep an eye look up in an area that you can’t see light because you’re not supposed to get light when you’re making the wide
I put 3.75L in a 5L demijohn (that left 25% space) and it still managed to overflow. Can a bucket solve that? I thought if I put 5L in a 10L bucket, that gives it 50% space to foam.
A bucket should be able to solve that problem!
Hey sorry if I missed this, but won't your wine be bone dry in this case when complete? Or do plan on backsweetening? If so, what will you use to backsweeten this wine?
It will be dry if I didn't back sweeten. I definitely planned on back sweetening this with more honey!
@@ManMadeMead how much do you backsweeten by?
@@orinmayer1276 That's up to you! That's up to personal preference.
@@ManMadeMead thanks for the answer was wondering
I use carboys.
A bucket! for monsieur
Another benefit for buckets is if your bucket has a spicket for racking you don't have the issue you had with the auto siphon
You'd think this guy would look like a Viking, the amount of mead he makes.
😂
is it just the shadow or the colours different?
I think it was just the shadow!
Going a bit beyond this video, but what time frame is too long for a mead or cider to be in a plastic container? If primary is around 30 days and secondary is around 30 day, is that too long?
I think it's fine to let it sit in a plastic fermenter through the primary. I wouldn't let it age in plastic for more than a month!
Is it bad to use a 6 gal plastic carboy in secondary?
Nope! Just don’t age in plastic!
If you read the news last week I'm trying to get as far away from plastic as possible. Those micro particles of plastic are no good.
How would it work out if i tried to ferment and age my mead in clay pots??
I'm sure glazed foodsafe clay was pretty common before glass and plastic were common; try it out, let us know!
I'm honestly not sure but I would love to hear your results!
Is almost impossible to ferment in carboy glass in my country. It's so expensive. We use bucket always.
That’s totally understandable!
Well... buckets are alot cheaper. Glass 5 gallon is over 65.00 in Anchorage, Ak
Started my first mead in June, still waiting for it to stop producing gas
(no I don’t mean bubbling, I was curious and had yeast so I just started it in a 1/3gal coke bottle, it is pressurising the bottle when I screw the lid down)
Is 2 months within the bounds of ordinary for the primary ferment? (Also, no I don’t have a hydrometer. I know I should. It’s a very general experiment) (also I don’t even know how much yeast I added as it was recovered from a 6gal ferment with nutrient...)
It can take 2 months to ferment if it’s a really slow moving yeast. Most of the time things are done fermenting within a month!
Sweet! I know I should have measurements of everything, it was a spur of the moment decision while I was making my own hydrometer
Also thanks for the reply!
@@thomasa5619 You made a hydrometer? How do you do that?
Julie Tardos 3/8” diameter aluminium tube, melted some plumbing solder and plugged the end
Drop it in some water, mark where 1.000 SG is
Mix some glycerine 50:50 with water
Use that to mark 1.13 SG
Then do some math to verify
It’s not as universal as the commercial units but I enjoyed the experiment (the bulb on the bottom and skinny section with the scale, makes the scale much more linear)
I've been making wine for about 12 years but I've only ever made a couple of meads, so I have a newb question. 2.8 of sugar with the Lalvin 1118 would produce waaay higher than 10.5 in wines. Granted you would have the sugar the juices but I'm shocked by your 10.5 reading? For example a wine with 2 grape concentrates and 2 lb of sugar would almost definitely hit that yeast 16-18%. So short question long does honey produce less alcohol than sugar?
My starting gravity was 1.080. Which is pretty standard for that amount of honey!
To add to that- one pound of honey contains less sugar than, well, sugar. With honey there's also weight of the water in the honey, maybe some other things... And only the sugar in the honey ferments to alcohol of course, so two pounds of honey will give a lower sg than two pounds of sugar.
A pound of sugar in a gallon of water has a gravity of about 0.046. Honey is only about 80% sugar, and has a gravity of 0.035. Put another way, one pound of sugar in a gallon of water will raise ABV by 6%, a pound of honey in a gallon of water will only raise ABV by 4.9%.
Weight for weight, sugar vs. honey, honey will always produce less alcohol.
AUTO FOCUS GO WOOOOOOWWWEEEEWOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Where do you get your carboys from?
My local brew shop normally!
@@ManMadeMead yeah, I don't have one of those near. I'm wary of ordering glass online.
How long did they ferment?
About 4 weeks!
Man Made Mead I made the beginner mistake of racking my first batch of tradition mead at 16 days lol once in the 1 gallon carboy the yeast came back to life lolz soo now she’s busily bubblin away for atleast another month.
Interesting experiment.
Why age in glass vs plastic?
Plastic has chemicals in it that over time can seep into a mead!
@@ManMadeMead Does that not happen during fermentation in plastic, or is it simply too short a time to matter? I'm not trying to be snarky; I'm legit asking.
Plastic in the short term doesn’t seep flavors!
@@ManMadeMead Thanks.
But how about for people that have several beer buckets from brewing that and not many gallon glass carboys, would it be better off to ferment in a 6 gallon bucket then rack to secondary in a 5gal bucket for however long?
I think that fermenting in buckets like that is helpful when you’re making a lot of beer or mead. Buckets are a lot easier to clean in that case!
Boy did I have a bad glass carboy experience today! I just finished putting together 3.5gal of bochet mead in a 5gal carboy. I took it upstairs in my wood shop to ferment and, as I set it down, it just went snap and the bottom of the carboy fell off and over three gallons of must just went everywhere, through the floor and rained down on all my shop equipment. Not the best day in my mead making career....
Oh no!! I’m so sorry!
@@ManMadeMead Ok, I think I'm finally cleaned up now. Funny thing was while I had all the doors open, honeybees showed up. Lots of them! They settled in to sipping on the puddles of must and I figured, "Hey, you want your honey back? Fine, take it!"
@@ManMadeMead Update: In spite of the fact that I’ve mopped and wiped and scrubbed everything twice, there are still an abundance of bees in here! I count about 20 right now. I’m leaving the door open and just letting them clean up all the honey I missed. I really have to say though, that drenching my workshop in bochet really does smell lovely.
Check out “Doin’ The Most” channel, recent video on this very issue. Do you happen to know if you had a carboy from Italy or was it cheaper glass from somewhere else?
Did you sit it down a little hard
Mr.j wassup I’m from wheeler
Need some crackers and cheese to cleanse the pallet
Well you see, Buckets are used in the reproductive cycle of Trolls, and is this considered a Homestuck reference.
Hi, and thank you for your informative videos.
Have you tried brewing with wild yeast? I have been a little *confused* by people claiming that they "brew like a Viking" while they use store-bought yeast and apparently know little about what the Vikings actually included in their Mead (not this channel).
Being more than a little interested in history, and living in the heartlands of the Vikings, I decided to make a video on how I use wild yeast and meadowsweet to make Viking Mead.
If you find the time to have a look I would appreciate any feedback.
I have only been brewing for my own benefit up till now - so I included a link to your channel for anyone who want to learn more about mead making.
Skål!
Hey! I’ve brewed a wild yeast before and it was great. I have a video coming out on it soon!
Back then they fermented in open containers that would then use wild yeasts in the air. They drank whatever came out. They had no way to sanitize then, and didn't even know they should. They got drunk so they got what they wanted.
@@curtzeek8818, we actually have no idea how they brewed or what they understood of the process.
We have no contemporary sources.
We know that they used wild yeast, honey and meadowsweet - and that is about all we know.
But we do get hints to how sophisticated thew were by the glass Claw Beakers that is found in some of the burial mounds.
Fine drinking vessels for the most precious beverage.
@@iamromling You need to read a little more about it then. Here's an article from a couple years ago. I've read extensively on this subject because ever since I started brewing, I've been interested in how it all began. The Vikings knew much more about it than you are giving them credit for. Try this for a start. sonsofvikings.com/blogs/history/what-did-vikings-drink It may interest you enough to make it a part of the hobby for you. That's what it did for me.
@@curtzeek8818, that is the point I am making: They knew more about it than people give them credit for.
I doubt that they "drank whatever came out" as you put it. That is not giving them any credit.
I shall have a look at the article.
Why age in glass?
(new to all this)
Plastic can lead to off flavors because oxygen can enter it (also plastic just generally seeps chemical over time)
@@ManMadeMead Thank you
I thought that was the point of getting food safe plastic so it doesn't leech chemicals?
More mead than you need?
No such thing!
one is easier to clean :P
To the point >>>> 10:13
I would probably go with a carboy just because they look nicer when stored for aging,
Look at your back shelves, imagine buckets instead... it would look like a wall paint storage room
You wouldn't want to age in a bucket anyhow. Too much head space, and too permeable.
@@Vykk_Draygo yeah fair point, I age in small 5 L french oak barrels
@@beepIL I'd love to try that as well. Just no space in my apartment.
Umm what about a glass bucket ;)
I wish!
If I'm using fruit in the primary, I use a bucket for sure. It's much easier to clean.
first comment lol
"not a huge difference" but you missed the whole point of fermenting in a bucket and that is that you do not seal the bucket and you do not use an airlock. You simply cover the bucket loosely with a cloth. That enables the CO2 to escape more easily, the air to enter more easily and that improves the health of the yeast and that results in a better fermentation. By sealing the bucket and banging home an airlock you simply treated the bucket as a carboy with a large mouth.
The other advantages of using a bucket is if you are fermenting fruit you can easily punch down any cap that forms and the removal of the fruit is never a problem. Also, if you are staggering the addition of nutrients then unlike with a carboy, you have no concern about the creation of volcanoes of liquid caused by the nucleation of CO2 gas by the powders and the narrow mouth of a carboy acting to rifle the gas propelled liquid up towards the ceiling and the walls of your fermenting room.
I think most people who use buckets still use lids. But they are amazingly useful for adding fruit without losing volume, and helping to keep the fruit cap submerged.
You can still have a volcano with buckets, just not quite so spectacular as with a carboy. I JUST added some Fermaid O to a cherry pie bochet. Even after degassing it for a few minutes, it still foamed up to half the remaining headspace when I added the Fermaid O. But this is a Kveik ferment, so YMMV (and if you have a degassing wand/whip you may not have that issue).
How do you know when the fermentation is done without an airlock to monitor - by taking gravity readings?
And - will oxidation not be a problem with an open bucket?
@@andreassenmorten Airlock activity doesn't indicate fermentation, it just indicates either off gassing, or pressure differential. As well, it's pretty common for buckets to NEVER maintain enough pressure to have airlock activity. You should always use gravity readings to judge fermentation.
Oxidation is primarily an issue AFTER fermentation. Unless you are making beer (especially hoppy beer), then I wouldn't worry about it during fermentation.
@@Vykk_Draygo, thank you :)
Those of us in tropical climates have to worry about tiny insects getting in. They are very attracted to the smell of honey. I seal my lids, but put a paper towel & a mug over the grommet.
Microplastics
Thanks for your advice but.... MAN, you need a better, faster focusing video camera.
Check out the new videos!
voldemort? wtf
5 months late comment: I tried to make my own 2 gal buckets from HDPE white pails from Home Depot, but lids didn't seal. Then I confirmed with the manufacturer that even though they are HDPE 2, they weren't foodsafe. 😔 I bought "real" 2 gal fermentation buckets, and those didn't seal either, but I'm still risking it for now. 😬 I ordered FDA compliant 2 gal buckets with gasketed lids so I can try making them again. 🤞 The main thought was to primary in buckets (over 1 gal volume) and rack over 1 gal to glass for secondary/ageing. I'm glad to see I'm on the right track. 😁
My 2 gallon buckets don’t seal well either honestly - however, I haven’t had any problems fermenting in them thankfully!
I feel like in active primary you just need to keep the bugs out. Have you tried the 2 gal fermentation buckets from the Homebrew shops (Northern Brewer, etc)? I have 4 from my local store (shout out for Austin Homebrew) and no issues so far. They don’t have gaskets so I’m sure they leak a bit but the airlock bubbles so I think they are good enough.
I also use a bucket for stabilizing because the metabisulfite needs to off gas for 24 hours and I feel like some headroom is better for that.
But I’m a newbie (on brew #11) so still learning.
Who only ferments 1 gal (4L) at a time??
People who don’t want to do massive experiments 😂
People who don't have a lot of space. People who want to brew their own, but don't actually drink a lot. People who can't afford the amount of ingredients for a 5 gallons. Just guessing.
Me. I drink very little + I’m still learning + I’m doing a wide variety to see what I like. Right now I have all these in progress: traditional/plain, raspberry, Bochet, peach, braggot, acergyln, prickly pear, and a rose and I have more I’ll start soon: chouchen, mango, fig, and probably mix in some plain beers (I’ve done one so far, not a huge beer fan overall).
If there is something I really love I’ll probably make it several more times to dial in my process and then maybe make a 5 gallon batch.