Best brewing & fermentation carboys according to redditors

Glass container typically around a 5 gallon size used for the making of beer and wine. Carboy.

I would also recommend a carboy cap that includes a thermowell like this one. With this, the temperature sensor will be down in the wort and give you a more accurate reading.

It was one like this, with a plastic buckle. The stitching was fine, but give the plastic buckle enough pressure, at it unbuckles itself. After that one incident, it immediately went in the trash as I realized how bad of an idea it was.

As long as they're quality, the netting ones look safe. Definitely don't try to use the carboy handles when it's full. That's not what they were meant for, and I've experienced it slipping off, no matter how tight I made it.

Still, nothing can go wrong in a keg in a bathtub (right?), so that's my preferred fermenter now.

If you're in a hotter part of the world you might want to try brewing a saison as they usually ferment a bit hotter. Assuming you're in the US, might be easier to heat than to cool right now.

Picked up one of these and it does the job.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.com/Kenley-Fermentation-Carboy-Heater-Thermostat/dp/B071RXYCMK&ved=2ahUKEwiKwKKO0tDeAhVMvKwKHcLsBy4QFjABegQICRAB&usg=AOvVaw1XfcDJGFjkR-dgoSlAXE9j

I was going to suggest this and found your HDPE comment: HEDPAK

I got the 1/5hp motor, it's perfect, if not overkill. These carboy drainers fit perfectly onto Lowes lids.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074D9DV5L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_UK5QCb2J70HZ8

used to use milk crates

now use these [ropey things] (https://www.amazon.com/Carboy-Carrier-Gallon-Carboys-Circumference/dp/B073CQDD1X)

I've set this up: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071RXYCMK?ref=em_1p_0_ti&ref_=pe_210840_356610280

However to minimize electric cost I put it on a shelf in the utility room above my water heater. That room so far has stayed warm enough that the heater has never had to kick on.

I turn off/down the furnace/heater when I'm at work for the day and at night, but my water heater stays on.

Try looking looking for a carboy? https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Carboy-6-5-gal/dp/B01AZQG6O2/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?adgrpid=58199223305&gclid=CjwKCAjwg-DpBRBbEiwAEV1_-It14u8LQSz_ljTnsoK6DBBBoPDfot5RDQiLQ4hyxCZABHmc_DvKcxoCcygQAvD_BwE&hvadid=292647311711&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=1026032&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=b&hvrand=5221152775708815189&hvtargid=aud-646675773986%3Akwd-435855489724&hydadcr=14864_10218905&keywords=7+gallon+carboy+glass&qid=1563999220&s=gateway&sr=8-7

Your recipe sounds like it'll turn out well if all goes according to plan! You may want to add some sweetness back if it ferments dry, but you've got several weeks to figure that out and read the Wiki to get all caught up on the method and terminology to things like back sweetening and nutrient addition schedules. I admire that you're being industrious with your fermentation equipment, I wasn't brave enough to start fermenting with whatever I had on hand with my first batch.

If you think you'll stick with it, here's the equipment I used for my first batch. I highly recommend looking into it if you think you'll do another batch! (I apologize if you aren't in the US, Amazon is my go-to)

• Hydrometer - $15.99 | You'll definitely want one of these first! It'll help you figure out when fermentation is done, plus it's nice to know your ABV when your friends or family ask "How strong is this?" (if you like to share)
  
• One Gallon Glass Carboy with Airlock, Drilled Stopper, Polyseal Lid - $14.81 | A glass carboy could last you forever! These have done very well for me, and the included airlock will give you a great setup for less than $15. The screw-on cap is just an added bonus, I use mine when I cold-crash.
  
• Star San 16 oz - $16 | This seems like the go-to sanitizer for the sub, and I use it as well. If you think you'll do several batches, I recommend going with the 32 oz size instead! It's much cheaper per ounce.
  
• Campden Tablets aka K-Meta (Potassium Metabisulfite) - $6.08 | This will help you preserve and stabilize your mead before you bottle. Some people don't, but it's highly recommended!
  
• Auto Siphon - $13.99 | This makes racking to secondary and bottling much easier! When it comes time to bottling, it's also really nice to have a Bottling Wand - $5.86
  
  All-in-all, this is just about my current setup excluding yeast, yeast nutrients, and extra carboys and airlocks. The list above comes out to about $127.45 USD before tax, which really isn't too bad considering one gallon should yield just shy of 5 standard wine bottles! Most commercial meads I've seen ranges from $15-$25 with some exceptions (There's a winery near me called Oliver Winery that makes a mead called Camelot Mead that sells for about $8 per bottle. Very good for such a cheap mead, you can probably find it at Total Wine & More if you have one nearby).
  
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  Sorry for such a long comment! Best of luck in your mead-making adventure!
  
  Edit: If you have a local homebrew store, I would opt for that rather than Amazon. Prices may not be as cheap but you won't have to wait for shipping, you'll be able to support a local business, and employees at homebrew stores are usually really helpful and they can recommend recipes and give you pointers. Nothing beats face-to-face interaction!

For small batch brewing - this setup can reliably make 3 gallon all-grain batches. Some of the following products are not available or are sold at a different price, but I'm posting from my amazon history, similar deals can be found.

6 gallon triclad pot - $50

gas burner with stand - $55

brew in a bag mesh bag - $10

Hyrometer and graduated cylinder - $17

3 gallon plastic carboy - $26

Bung and airlocks - approx. $10

Racking Cane and tube - approx $20

I just bought a couple off amazon myself:


3 Gallon


6 Gallon



Both are really nice!

They make smaller versions: https://www.amazon.com/Tricor-Braun-B24-glass-carboy/dp/B074VFKNGS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1521216318&sr=8-5&keywords=2+gallon+glass+carboy

I just picked up a 7gal wide mouth from kegco. The glass feels a bit thin but I've got no qualms with it after using it as primary 2x and secondary 1x. Came in with some serious over-packing to prevent damage, and the straps were a nice courtesy.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ANDX4WO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is my fermenter Since I pitched the yeast it has not gotten to a violent ferment it only bubbles about every 1 to 2 seconds out of the airlock on the lid.

well, in my experience, if you ferment at a higher temp you get less yeast expansion at the top.
I still leave a lot more headroom, i usually do 20 liters in a 30 liter bucket.

btw, you could use something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Kegco-Gallon-Carboy-Fermenter-Homebrew/dp/B01ANDX4WO

Ahem

Is there some ratio or expected percentage of waste from the primary ferment? And I'd there a problem with "too much" head space in the primary?

I'm thinking something like this for 3 gallons...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01ANDX2RG/

It might be too late for the 25th, so I might ask again on the 26th.

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I'm looking for gift ideas FOR MYSELF to list under my Elfster Wishlist. This is for a family gift exchange amongst my brothers. In fact, it was my two brothers who started me into homebrewing, so it's only fitting that I use this opportunity to expand my homebrew equipment.

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Right now, I'm brewing in a friend's basement. Although his basement is dry as a bone, it is drafty as hell. Ambient temp looks to be about 59 degrees... and it's only November (albeit with a few cold nights). We do get a little sunlight through his basement windows, but that could be remedied with a quick hack basement window curtain. OR- I could look to expand my equipment setup.

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First, I'm wondering about carboy warmers. I've seen a circular disc the carboy sits on... and something that wraps around the side of the carboy. Both are on/off and lack temperature control. Is this a good or bad idea?

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Secondly, I'm curious about carboy covers. There is the general two-handled strap that is only used to transport filled carboys. THEN, there is the fully black, zip toe-to-tip cover. See below:

https://www.amazon.com/Carboy-Cover-Gallon-Textured-Glass/dp/B00KKELLZY/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1543200784&sr=1-3&keywords=carboy+cover

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Does anyone have any experience or recommendations about using one, the other, or both in combination? Is this a fruitless venture or wasted junk? Should I also consider some kind of temperature gauge / power attenuator to pair with the warmer?

I have 7 or 8 of these Vintage Shop units that I got off CL

https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Shop-Plastic-Carboy-gallon/dp/B00FBWSTC8

I do exclusively 2.5 gallon batches (10 batches in at the moment) Recently got a brew bucket mini, but before that, these were perfect

I was mostly referring to plastic carboys like this but ferment buckets are awesome too. The nesting thing is the best when you are tight on storage space.


The ugly mash tun idea sounds really interesting.

So I got this Kenley on amazon and to date it works well. I am only about 10 days in so I cannot comment on the longevity of the item. It is a bit large for a 1 gallon brew but I roll the end or you could just overlap it. I cross referenced the thermometer reading with another temp gauge and it was identical.

Keep up the good fight. As a replacement, I highly recommend PET carboys. Like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Better-Bottle-PET-Carboy/dp/B0057J6XQO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409782252&sr=8-1&keywords=pet+carboy

You may be able to find a cheaper one, though.

EDIT: Fixed crappy mobile link.