5L FV headspace query

[MagnusTS]

I'm planning on doing some mini-brews, and bought a 5L FV bucket from Ballihoo.
I was going to scale recipes down to 5L to make about 9 or 10 500ml bottles.

BUT... the headspace on my bucket is very very small if I was to do a 5L brew.
Not sure if you can make it out in the attached but it is maybe 5.5L up to the brim.

So my question is: how much headspace is sensible for a brew in a 5L bucket to prevent massive foam-over?

And my second question is: could you (would you?) brew short, say 4L in the FV, but then top up to 5L when the fermentation had calmed down a bit?

Thanks!

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
What is the internal diameter of the bucket?
What is the internal height of the bucket?

 

[MagnusTS]

Hi!
What is the internal diameter of the bucket?
What is the internal height of the bucket?

Thanks.
21cm internal diameter (at top)
(Tapers to ~18.5cm at bottom)
19cm internal height

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
The brimful capacity is 5.828 litres, so it's almost 6 litres.
I would be tempted to have a go - perhaps a blow-off tube rather than a bubbler.
I have 10 litre food grade white buckets - very handy for all sorts of jobs and good for smaller batches.

 

[MyQul]

I have two 5L buckets from balihoo hb but their not like that (probably because I bought them years ago) I've used them loads for small stove topper brews over the years. Ive never had a problem with krausen overflowing. I just cover them with cling film during fermentation.

Btw you wont get 9-10 bottles out of them if you do BIAB. You're more likely to get around 7 because of trub

 

[terrym]

Sorry. I really can't see any reason to buy an FV nominally sized at '5 litres' then try to squeeze a brew into it. Why not just buy something bigger like Bigcol49's 10 litres which gives you so much more flexilibity if you want to brew small volumes. And anyway what's so special about 5 litres, over say 6 or even 7 litres? Or am I missing something?

 

[MagnusTS]

I have two 5L buckets from balihoo hb but their not like that (probably because I bought them years ago) I've used them loads for small stove topper brews over the years. Ive never had a problem with krausen overflowing. I just cover them with cling film during fermentation.

Btw you wont get 9-10 bottles out of them if you do BIAB. You're more likely to get around 7 because of trub

I just did a 5L BIAB brew tonight, and I see what you mean about the trub, My FV is looking like about 50% trub at the moment. I know it will settle, but still it is a lot.
I've not had a good brewing evening. I forgot that I had intended to fit a tap to my new 5L FV bucket, and only remembered as I was cooling the wort. In my haste to get the job done, and after a couple of home-brews, I was maybe a bit heavy-handed with the drill and I went and split the fecking bucket. :mad1:

 

[MagnusTS]

Sorry. I really can't see any reason to buy an FV nominally sized at '5 litres' then try to squeeze a brew into it. Why not just buy something bigger like Bigcol49's 10 litres which gives you so much more flexilibity if you want to brew small volumes. And anyway what's so special about 5 litres, over say 6 or even 7 litres? Or am I missing something?

Yep, very good point @terrym, I probably should have got a bigger bucket. I was going for as small as possible to cause minimum annoyance to my wife when I stuck it in the fridge for cold conditioning. But now that I have broken my 5L bucket, I think I'll have a look for something a little bigger, for more flexibility as you say.

 

[Ciaran12s]

I believe plenty of people have asked their local takeaways and restaurants for old buckets. They usually get sauces and such in ten litre buckets or thereabouts and I reckon most places would be glad of you to take them off their hands.

 

[Dutto]

.........

.......... I was maybe a bit heavy-handed with the drill and I went and split the fecking bucket. :mad1:

Been there and done that; especially in cold weather, but why do you want a tap on an FV?

I've never fitted one on the basis that it's another potential source of infection, it's positioned down at the bottom of the FV where all the trub is located and a syphon (with a filter fitted to the end) is an excellent way to remove a brew from the FV.

Personally, I'd have gone for the 10 litre one!:wave:Nothing like 20:20 hindsight is there!

 

[MagnusTS]

Been there and done that; especially in cold weather, but why do you want a tap on an FV?

I've never fitted one on the basis that it's another potential source of infection, it's positioned down at the bottom of the FV where all the trub is located and a syphon (with a filter fitted to the end) is an excellent way to remove a brew from the FV.

Personally, I'd have gone for the 10 litre one!:wave:Nothing like 20:20 hindsight is there!

My syphoning skills are slightly worse than my drilling skills.
I had this idea that bottling day would be a breeze just filling from the FV via a tap and little bottler.
It's not working out quite as stress free as I'd imagined though. :headbang:

Oh, and yes, I've just ordered a 10L bucket. We live and learn, don't we? :tinhat:

 

[Dutto]

............

Oh, and yes, I've just ordered a 10L bucket. We live and learn, don't we? :tinhat:

Er ........ only if you don't try and fit a tap! :wave:

I use this outfit ...



The filter is one of these ....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M7NT4LK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

... stuck on the end of a bit of copper tubing.

If your syphoning skills need a bit of fine tuning I suggest that you practise with an FV full of water. Lift the tube nice and high and suck until the water is well up the tubing, then (without breaking the seal of your lips) lower the tubing so that the liquid in the tube is below the surface level in the FV. After that, the syphon effect will take effect until air enters the bottom of the tubing.

Easy-peasy with a bit of practice.

 

[GerritT]

Been there and done that; especially in cold weather, but why do you want a tap on an FV?

I've never fitted one on the basis that it's another potential source of infection, it's positioned down at the bottom of the FV where all the trub is located and a syphon (with a filter fitted to the end) is an excellent way to remove a brew from the FV.

Dishwasher and respectable cleaning schedules take care of potential infections. And it's convenient, not for bottling (still use auto syphon for that) but for transfer to bottling bucket night before bottling.

Personally, I'd have gone for the 10 litre one!:wave:Nothing like 20:20 hindsight is there!

10 liters aren't much bigger than 5 liter ones, only 26% in each direction.

These filters are a bit cheaper by the by.

 

[MagnusTS]

Er ........ only if you don't try and fit a tap! :wave:

Ha, yes indeed. Maybe I'll just have one more go at fitting a tap on my next bucket... sober this time.

I will have to practice this syphoning dark art though, as this brew went in a glass DJ last night.

 

[MagnusTS]

10 liters aren't much bigger than 5 liter ones, only 26% in each direction.

Thanks. I ordered a 5L and a 10L bucket last night.
I'll check how well they fit in the fridge when my wife is out.

 

[Dutto]

Thanks. I ordered a 5L and a 10L bucket last night.
I'll check how well they fit in the fridge when my wife is out.

Wising up eh? :thumb: