Hello, complete beginner here. I have an 8 gallons bucket to ferment my first beer, I have grains and extract for a 3 gallons batch (I didn’t want to commit to a bigger batch since I’m only starting). So the question is, the headroom I will have in my fermenter could be a problem (thinking about maybe having too much oxygen? For what I was able to understand, the production of co2 during fermentation should “kick out” the oxygen, but I’m not sure what happens here)? If so, are there any easy fixes?
The O2 in the headspace/wort surface will likely be entirely consumed by the yeast in the process of fermentation. Don’t sweat it - it will make beer.
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Having too big a fermenter is much better than having one that is too small! Anyone who has had their fermenting beer foam out the top and all over the floor would agree. While not ideal for a 3 gallon batch, the 8 gallon bucket will be just right for a 5 - 6 gallon batch.
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I agree, but if you bottle, it can be a bit of a balancing act. Because I bottle condition, I typically leave my beer in the fermenter 18 days (and check gravity twice to make sure it’s stable) as a belt-and-suspenders approach. I want to be really sure fermentation is finished to avoid bottle bombs. It works fine, but more air in the fermenter isn’t ideal.