How good can it get with just a basic kit?

This kinda touches on something I've been wondering for awhile.

Putting pride aside (from a veteran brewers perspective), how ideal is a good old plastic ale Pale for a fermenting vessel? Are you ever concerned about the quality of your IPA or DIPA that might sit in the same ale pale for 6-10 weeks through several stages of fermentation and then possibly a dry hopping?

 

I don't use buckets any longer. They are a fine vessel assuming they're well taken care of.

That said, I wouldn't leave my beer in one for much more than a couple weeks after fermentation has finished...just too much head-space...and they aren't known to seal well.

 

I seem to consistently run into a few different lines of thought on moving your batch to a secondary but what's the total amount of time that you would feel comfortable leaving a batch in a plastic pale to ferment?


Let's say for sake of discussion that amount of time is 5 weeks and were talking about an IPA; Do you just bottle and then let the beer condition there for a few more weeks to finish up?

 

Well, if I were brewing an IPA it would't be in the bucket for more than 3 weeks, and then yes, I would bottle. That is, I would siphon to a bottling bucket and then bottle.

 

There is way more of a direct relationship between brewing theory knowledge is proportional to beer quality is greater than ingredients plus equipment is proportional to beer quality?

 

You, sir, have a way with words. Couldn't have said it better myself.