5 gallon carboy for lager primary?

Ingredients
1

I have a few 5 gallon carboys laying around collecting dust…I wonder if it is a bad idea to use them for a primary lager ferment?

Too little head space even for a lager?
Perhaps I should scale down the recipe to 4 or 4.5 gallons?
no fermcap or other foam control on hand

using wyeast 2206  and s-189

Any experience?  Most of my lager fermentation experience has displayed pretty tame ferments…but I don’t have many under my belt.  Thanks.

2

agreed krausen on properly fermented lager temp results in little krausen. however, you are going to have to short your batch to a bit. if thats ok with you then go for it.

3

+1, you’ll still want a bit of head space

4

Thanks.
You mean I should scale down a recipe to get more headspace?
or just accept my losses via blowoff?

5

Either way would be fine, just keep in mind most people shoot for 5.25-5.5 gallons o get 5 finished gallons of beer. That won’t work in a 5 gal carboy so however you chose to gain some headspace is up o you

6

Unless your 5 gal carboy fits 5.5 gals, I’m suggesting you fill need to short fill 5.0 gal for 4.5

7

How about using two 5 gal carboys for primary?

8

If it were me, I’d make a bigger batch and fill the two 5gal as much as possible.

9

Thanks fellas. I decided on the scaled back volume option.

While I realize that blowoff potential is due to a bunch of different variables…e.g. OG, temp, yeast…I was curious if lager fermentations are typically pretty calm and therefore one might get away with less headspace in the primary vessel?  Can you get explosive lager fermentations?

10

with all the lager yeast i’ve used, no explosive lager fermentation like ales (assuming high 40’s low 50’s fermentation).

11

Well, thought I better report back.

I scaled back my recipe to end up with 4.5 gallons into the carboy. Thanks for the advice…I guess I thought there was more room in a 5 gallon carboy but 5 gallons brings it pretty much into the neck on mine.  ::slight_smile:

4.5 gallons might even be pushing it…4 would have been better.  Pitched at 46…waiting.

Cheers

12

FWIW, when i do lagers at 5.5-6gal in 6.5 gal carboy, ive not had any issues…think you will be fine.