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Fermentation Buckets

What Size Fermenters or Fermenter Bucket or Demijohn Do I Need?

The size of the fermenters or fermenter buckets or demijohn depends on what you are brewing. Most brewing kits are either 1-gallon or 5-gallon kits. However, if you are making your wines or beers from scratch, then it depends on how much you want to make. Most wine or beer recipes are based on a 1-gallon brew and can be easily multiplied for larger quantities. It is a balance between the effort made and the reward for your efforts. It is not too much effort to brew 5-gallon than 1-gallon. When lifting, carrying or bottling, there is a noticeable difference in the required work. (Please note, most fermentation vessels are designed with extra head space to allow for foaming, etc.)

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1 GALLON 5 LITRE FERMENTER BUCKET
1 Gallon Buckets are easily stackable, making them easy to store. They are made from food-grade plastic, which is smooth and easy to clean and sterilise. Do not use vessels with a rough surface, as this will harbour bacteria etc. that will affect your brew. They are ideal for small kits and country wine recipes. However the plastic will degrade over time. There is no hole in the lid for an airlock (sold seperately). A hole  is easily achievable by drilling the cover to make a hole to the correct diameter of the airlock stem if needed.

1 GALLON 5 LITRE GLASS DEMIJOHN
These are not stackable. However, made from glass, the glass is not reactive, meaning you can store brews in them for months or years—Ideal for meads and high-quality brews that benefit from maturing.

1 GALLON 5 LITRE PLASTIC DEMIJOHN
Easier to store than glass demijohns, but not buckets, cheaper than both buckets and glass demijohns, lighter but will degrade over time, and harder to clean.

Good for starters, as it will keep the cost down, very flexible and forgiving.

2 GALLON 10 LITRE FERMENTER BUCKET
Like the 1-gallon bucket, they are easily stackable, made from food-grade plastic and easy to clean, with no hole in the lid for an airlock( lids sold serparately). Making a hole  is quickly done if needed—Ideal for people making larger batches from scratch or doubling up on small kits.

3 GALLON 15 LITRE FERMENTER BUCKET
Like the one and 2-gallon buckets, they are easily stackable, made from food-grade plastic and easy to clean, with no hole in the lid for an airlock (lid sold separately). Again making a hole if needed is quickly done. These buckets are ideal for people making larger batches from scratch or matching the bucket to the size of some of the Brewferm kits that produce 2 or 3 gallons of beer.

5 GALLON (23 LITRES) FERMENTER BUCKET
Like all buckets, they are easily stackable, made from food-grade plastic and easy to clean. However, there is a choice of lids. You can choose either a lid with a hole in for an airlock or one solid lid. Ideal for people making larger kits or for people starting the hobby of home brewing and for people who like to brew beers from scratch.

6 GALLON (25 LITRES) FEREMNETER BUCKET
Like all buckets, they are easily stackable, made from food-grade plastic and easy to clean. However, most of these only have lids with holes for airlocks. We have one version with covers without holes but check with your local shop if they supply them. Ideal for people making larger kits and for people starting their journey in home brewing, especially wines, as wine tends to ferment more aggressively, causing more foam. The extra head space in a 6-gallon bucket helps accommodate this issue.

We also have Plastic 5 Gallon Demijohns, Glass 5 Gallon Demijohns, and 25 litre Drum Fermenters.

As yet, we have not tested these products. However, some of the same principles will still apply. All plastics will be food grade, and all glass will be none reactive and therefore suitable for long-term storage. None of the fermenters is particularly stackable. However, the Fermonster and Drum Fermenter have a certain amount of flexibility in their design. The drum fermenter and fermonster have a defined area for a tap in the body of the fermenter. Also, a cap that will accommodate a bung or a tap. The lid also can hold pressure. Both have a wide neck for easy cleaning. The demijohns require a demijohn brush for an excellent clean. The plastic demijohn can be adapted to accommodate a tap; glass ones can not.

I hope this helps with your choice. If you want further advice, please check out our other articles on the hints and tips page, sign up for our newsletter or contact Brew Mart by phone on 0114 2746850, or email info@brewmart.co.uk or visit our shop.

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