Small Batch Brewing Recommendations

This one is $40, but apparently doesn't come with a hole for the bung fitting... you'd have to drill it yourself.

Have you tried keg lube around the rim of the lid at all? does the lid snap down, and/or is there a rubber seal around it?

 

He's referring to the one in his hyperlink. Click on the words "This one" in his post.

 

I use 3-gallon fermenters for my 1.7 to 2.1 gallon batches. As long as you don't play with racking too often and keep the airlock filled, oxygen won't get in there and shouldn't hurt anything.

 

Is space an option? Because if you can fit 5 gallon buckets in your fermentation areas they're easy to come by at bakeries and other businesses for free, often with a pour spout that you can stick your bung and airlock into.

 

Have you checked out the Big Mouth Bubblers? I looked at them recently and I think they offered 3-, 4- and 5-gallon options. It seems like you can get them in plastic or glass.

 

When you said "small batch" in your original post you must mean 1-gallon batches? If so, I'd go with the 3-gallon Big Mouth Bubbler because that's not too much extra head space.

 

check out craigslist for used Mr Beer kits. I bought a large piece of gasket material and cut it to fit around the opening to make it airtight and then drilled out the top for the airlock and bought some grommets to seal around it.

 

I found some free 3gal buckets at my local Publix bakery, they were filled with icing. The lids don't have holes so you'll have to drill a hole, but they have rubber o-rings for the lids so they seal great. I used them for 4 -5 years before getting a Speidel fermenter.