The Compleat Distiller

THE COMPLEAT DISTILLER 11
Fig. 1-1
The single most common fermentation vessel in use is a glass carboy sized to contain 12 to 25 liters (3
to 6 US gallons) of fluid. In the USA, the five gallon carboy is the overwhelming favorite, because it's
cheap, conveniently sized, and readily available. The advantages of the glass carboy are: it's clear
(which means progress can be followed without opening it), is easy to sanitize, and has a small opening
in which it's easy to fit an airlock for oxygen control. The most obvious disadvantage is that it is
breakable – both by physical impact and by exposure to extremes of temperature (don't sterilize with
boiling water!) The carboy also allows a single-stage fermentation to be performed when there are no
solids that need to be removed part way through the process (grains, grape skins, etc).
Fig. 1-2
The second most common fermentation vessel is a plastic bucket or trash container made out of food
grade polyethylene or polypropylene. These range in size from 20 to 80 liters (5 to 20 US gallons), and
are more commonly used in wine making than in beer or mead. The advantages of the plastic
containers include the facts that they are open – materials can be easily added to or taken out of them –
and that they are unbreakable. The disadvantages are: they are harder to sanitize than glass, especially
if the plastic is scratched, oxygen diffusion through the plastic may limit their safe use to short
fermentations, and they can also absorb bad odors or flavors and later impart these to the fermenting
ambrosia.
Both plastic buckets and trash containers have reasonable geometry for unstirred fermentation – one
and a half to two times taller than they are wide. This allows the fermenting fluid to circulate due to
the action of the CO 2 produced. Shallow, wide fermenters can be successfully used, but generally need
some sort of mechanical stirring.
A fermentation started in an open container (even if fitted with a loose lid) should be finished in a
second, closed container – a carboy, barrel, or stainless steel tank, to allow control of oxygen levels.
Accessory equipment needed to do a good job of managing fermentation includes accurate
thermometers, hydrometers, pH test paper, airlocks, hoses for siphoning liquid from vessel to vessel,
funnels, stoppers and cleaning supplies. These are the basic items and can be purchased very cheaply.
For the enthusiast, more sophisticated equipment is available from hobbyist shops and specialized
manufacturers. Countless resources are available, including many good books, catalogs, websites and
magazines that detail how to use all of this gear to maximum advantage.