[redrocker652002]

So, I bought the kit from Northern Brewer and it came with two 6 gallon buckets with the spigots and one lid.  My brother wants to try his hand at this so I was going to give him one of the buckets I have and let him buy a lid and airlock.  But that got me to thinking, I will only have a primary fermenter, which I have read is ok, but wondering if a carboy is a better way to go.  Any thoughts on the subject would be most appreciated. 

[RC]

There are lots of threads on this forum about the pros/cons of various fermenters, should be easy to find. But long story short, the humble brewing bucket is a perfectly fine choice. If you do go with a carboy, stick with plastic. Avoid glass at all costs.

[denny]

I started with carboys, but then switched to buckets. They work as well as carboys and are lighter, easier to store and don't break nearly as easily.

[fredthecat]

an advantage of a bucket is skimming brown "scum"(?) off of some types of krausen as well as top-cropping some strains of yeast.

[redrocker652002]

My apologies, I should have used the search function.  And I appreciate the input. 

[narvin]

an advantage of a bucket is skimming brown "scum"(?) off of some types of krausen as well as top-cropping some strains of yeast.

I actually like carboys because the braun hefe sticks to the roof of a 6 gallon if it's filled to around 5.5 gallons.  But I only use plastic these days.

[Bob357]

While you'll seldom need a secondary fermenter, a bottling bucket is handy unless you plan on adding priming sugar to each bottle or using carbonation drops or tablets. Buckets work just fine and allow you to dry hop more easily, as well as being easier to clean. If you opt for a carboy, look at the wide mouth ones. Fermonster, Big Mouth Bubbler, etc.

[KellerBrauer]

I prefer a Big Mouth Bubbler. It’s clear and I can see what’s happening inside. I got away from the bucket because you can’t see what’s happening inside and I had too many infection issues that I attributed to the softer plastic bucket.

[lupulus]

Speidel
Why?
Spigot.
Great seal.
Can do closed transfers with aftermarket parts, including disconnects, ball valves.
Easy to clean.

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[fredthecat]

Speidel
Why?
Spigot.
Great seal.
Can do closed transfers with aftermarket parts, including disconnects, ball valves.
Easy to clean.

i checked the price on a speidel. much more affordable than i recalled/imagined seeing them.

thanks for that note. that could be a nice improvement.

[lupulus]

Speidel
Why?
Spigot.
Great seal.
Can do closed transfers with aftermarket parts, including disconnects, ball valves.
Easy to clean.

i checked the price on a speidel. much more affordable than i recalled/imagined seeing them.

thanks for that note. that could be a nice improvement.

Other tips:
NorCal Brewing solutions has very good after market parts.
If you clean gently inside, they last forever (10 years and going)
You can also do caustic / acid cycles.

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[chinaski]

If you ever get into kegging your beer, think about using kegs as fermenters.  Easier to clean than buckets or carboys, last forever, and reasonably inexpensive.

[denny]

If you ever get into kegging your beer, think about using kegs as fermenters.  Easier to clean than buckets or carboys, last forever, and reasonably inexpensive.

I've done a lot of keg fermentations and to me they are much harder to clean than buckets.

[nateo]

If you ever get into kegging your beer, think about using kegs as fermenters.  Easier to clean than buckets or carboys, last forever, and reasonably inexpensive.

I agree, kegs are great. Buckets always get scratched eventually and it's impossible to get them really clean at that point.

[RC]

If you ever get into kegging your beer, think about using kegs as fermenters.  Easier to clean than buckets or carboys, last forever, and reasonably inexpensive.

Buckets always get scratched...

Perhaps you are using the wrong kind of sponge? The risk of scratching any kind of plastic fermenter is highly overrated, unless you are using steel wool. Even so, you would have to have a crap-ton of scratches to harbor enough bacteria to ruin a batch.