Equipment question

[ruggierm1]

Did the crush on Saturday. Going to need a container to keep the juice after the press. Our yield is going to be around 60 gallons give or take. Would it be ok to secondary the juice in Brute trashcans?

 

[Mikael]

brute trashcans arent a good idea cause they will let air get in...either a barre *which will run a good 346 dollars* or 5 gallon carboys toweled up to protect from the light with an airlock will suffice. but no, you wouldnt want to use brute trashcans for secondary.

 

[Rocky]

I agree with Mikael. During secondary fermentation, i.e. something below SG 1.020 or so, you have to protect this from oxygen. Brute containers, from what I know of them, do not seal well enough to do so. You are going to have to find something that seals and can be airlocked. It does not seem like you have a lot of time. Can you round up 10 6-gallon or 12 5-gallon carboys with stoppers and airlocks?

 

[ruggierm1]

What about plastic fermentation buckets? Between my carboys and those, I would have enough to cover it.

 

[Rocky]

What about plastic fermentation buckets? Between my carboys and those, I would have enough to cover it.

That will work fine assuming you have the lids and airlocks to fit the lids. Make sure you snap the lid down completely. You will be able to tell because the pressure from the gas inside pushes the lid into a slight dome shape. I have fermented a number of wines to "dry" in my primaries, mostly whites that don't drop a lot of lees. Racking is a breeze through the spigot into a clean carboy. Buona fortuna!

 

[robie]

What about plastic fermentation buckets? Between my carboys and those, I would have enough to cover it.

As long as you can seal the containers and add an air lock.