Fermenter bucket as carboy?

[scorpio]

Another newbie question.


My kit came with a fermenter and a 6 gallon carboy. The wine making instructions refer to having to rack the wine several times. Once I rack to the carboy and let it sit for the required period of time - can I rack it back to the fermenter, let it sit and then ultimately rack back to the carboy or should I break down and buy a second carboy?


AlsoIhave some wine bottles I've been collecting. What size corks do I need - size 8 or 9. I have a corker that has 2 handles on it. Looks like I would put thebottle on the floorand position the corker over it and 2 hand the cork in the bottle - not sure what cork sze is appropriate.


Thanks for the help. I really enjoy the forum

 

[Coaster]

With only 1 carboy, you would rack to the primary, clean the carboy right away, and rack back to the carboy right away, topping up as necessary. You would do these steps each time you need to rack. Depending on your situation, I would recommend 1 more carboy than you plan on doing kits/wines. That way you always have one to rack into. Be careful tho, once you get two carboys they tend to multiple like Tribbles. I started with 4 carboys (3 for wines, 1 for racking) and now have more than twice that many.

 

[grapeman]

With that type corker it is very hard to use anything other than the #8 cork although a few people are able to get a # 9 in. When you can, get some type of floor corker. It is one of the best investments you will ever make. Then you can go to #9 corks easily. I agree with coaster, get another carboy, or 2, or 3 or 4or

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

 

[Wade E]

I use 9's every time. If you still have the bag for see if it says
Portugal on it. Maybe it even says it on the corker itself. This is the one I use and 9's work fine. If it is the
Italian one with a spring I would go with 8's. Welcome Scorpio. We like
pictures here if you are able.
Edited by: wade

 

[Fly boy]

The carboys do multiply. I went from 2 to 8 six gallon ones in a flash. There sure would be a lot of cleaning with just one carboy.

 

[Waldo]

If your bottles are 750ml and your corker will insert them ok use # 9 corks. If the bottles are 375 ml use #8's

 

[Angell Wine]

Carboy's are like rabbits. Get two of them together and they start multiplying.

 

[masta]

Carboy's are like rabbits. Get two of them together and they start multiplying.

I always knock before I go into my fermentation room so I don't walk in onsomething I wouldn't want to see!

 

[Wade E]

I have 4 big ones and a whole BUNCH of little ones. I wish they would grow up already!

Edited by: wade

 

[PolishWineP]

Yeah, we only have 8 six-gallon carboys. We're always trying to figure out how and when to start that next batch of 6 gallons of wine. The smaller carboys look at us longingly, but heck, a lot of them are full too!

 

[Fly boy]

In the last few weeks there has been 2 3 gallon and 1 gallon carboys hit the scene. Rabbits and tribbles are great analogies.