Other Secondary for port kits

[ericcif]

When your making a 3 gallon port kit do you guys use a 3 gallon secondary or just a standard 5 or 6? I'm thinking the extra air space in a 5 or 6 might not be a good idea so asking here.

 

[Boatboy24]

I do, yes.

 

[ibglowin]

Best excuse ever to buy a 3 gallon glass carboy. You need to pick up one or rack down to three 1 gallon jugs. Remember that once you add the F-pack and fortify you are going to end up with more than the 3 gallons.

 

[jsiddall]

I would not recommend a 5 or 6 gal carboy for secondary as you would be inviting oxidation issues.

As ibglowin points out, I did temporarily use a 5 gal when I mixed the F-pack and fortifier and then racked back into the 3 gal and bottled the excess.

The F-pack is very large -- definitely more than 1 L, perhaps 1.5 L, so I ended up with 36 - 375 ml bottles when everything was done.

 

[ericcif]

Thanks, guess I knew the answer but haven't done anything under six gallon kits to this point.

 

[jsiddall]

I ended up getting a few of the 3 gal carboys. Makes racking easier to always have a clean one on hand, but when you are done with the 3 gal kit you can split a 6 gal batch into the two 3 gal carboys to do some variants (ex: oaked/unoaked).

 

[ericcif]

I ended up getting a few of the 3 gal carboys. Makes racking easier to always have a clean one on hand, but when you are done with the 3 gal kit you can split a 6 gal batch into the two 3 gal carboys to do some variants (ex: oaked/unoaked).

Good idea, had not thought of that. I also would like to try my hand at a small batch of sake.

 

[Thig]

I have more of the 3 gallon carboys than any other size, I seem to make more port kits and and fruit wines in that size.