Homemade wine guide
Carboy vs Bucket: Choosing a Fermenter (and the Best Carboys)
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Carboy vs bucket is not really a contest. Most home winemakers end up owning both, because each one is better at a different stage: a wide food grade bucket for the busy first days of fermentation, and a narrow-necked carboy for the weeks and months when the wine settles and clears under an airlock.
Below we explain what each fermenter does, compare glass carboys, PET carboys, plastic buckets and wide-mouth fermenters side by side, and then pick the best carboys and a bucket in the sizes home batches actually use. The product picks come from the manufacturers’ listings and how widely each is bought.
What Is a Carboy?
A carboy is a rigid, narrow-necked jug, traditionally glass, that holds wine during secondary fermentation and aging. The narrow neck takes a rubber bung and an airlock, so carbon dioxide can escape while air stays out. Virginia Cooperative Extension’s home guide Wine Making for the Home Gardener (HORT-213) defines the secondary fermenter as the food grade container that holds the liquid during the second, anaerobic stage of fermentation, and lists it simply as a carboy.
Home sizes run from one gallon jugs to six and a half gallon glass carboys. The University of Georgia circular Winemaking at Home (C 717, reviewed 2013) describes secondary fermenters of 1, 3 or 5 gallons made of heavy glass or high-density polyethylene, with an opening only large enough to fit a fermentation lock, and says you may need several sizes.
What Is a Fermenting Bucket?
A fermenting bucket is a wide, food grade plastic pail with a lid, usually drilled for an airlock grommet. It is the primary fermenter: the place where crushed fruit, juice, sugar and yeast go first. The wide opening lets you stir, punch down grape skins, add fruit in a straining bag and take a hydrometer reading without a siphon.
Carboy vs Bucket vs PET vs Wide-Mouth Fermenter
Here is how the four common types compare for home batches. Weights are the manufacturer figures for the products we pick further down.
| Glass carboy | PET carboy | Plastic bucket | Wide-mouth fermenter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best stage | Secondary and aging | Secondary and aging | Primary | Primary or secondary |
| Opening | Narrow neck for a bung | Narrow neck for a bung | Full-width lid | Wide screw lid |
| Weight (6 gal class) | About 15 lb empty, 55 lb full | About 2.4 lb empty | About 2.6 lb empty | Varies by material |
| Cleaning | Needs a carboy brush | Needs a brush; no scrubbing pads | Easy, reach in by hand | Easy, reach in by hand |
| Breakage risk | High if dropped | Shatter-resistant | Very low | Depends on glass or plastic |
| Scratches and odors | Does not scratch or hold odors | Can scratch if scrubbed hard | Can scratch and hold odors over time | Depends on material |
| See the wine | Yes | Yes | No | Usually yes |
| Price tier | $ to $$ | $ | $ | $ to $$ |
When to Use a Bucket
Use a bucket for primary fermentation, the vigorous first stage that foams and pushes up a cap of skins and pulp. Virginia Cooperative Extension recommends a primary fermenter that holds one and a half to two times the volume of the recipe, for example a two gallon bucket to make one gallon of wine, because the extra room is needed during that first phase. The UGA circular suggests an 8 gallon open primary for home batches and prefers food grade polyethylene because it is easy to clean and does not affect the taste of the wine.
What Not to Ferment In
The same UGA circular says to avoid other materials, especially aluminum and copper, and notes that wooden containers are acceptable but difficult to keep clean. Glass, ceramic and stainless steel are fine but heavier to handle. In practice that leaves a food grade HDPE bucket as the easiest primary for most people, with the airlock grommet fitted once the first foaming calms down.
When to Use a Carboy
Move the wine to a carboy once primary fermentation slows and you strain or press off the fruit. From here the goal is to keep air away from the wine while it finishes fermenting and drops its sediment. Virginia Cooperative Extension stresses keeping the air space to a minimum to prevent oxidation, which shows up as off colors and off flavors, and recommends filling the new fermenter up completely after each racking.
Choosing the Right Size
Because headspace matters, buy the carboy that matches your batch rather than the biggest one. A one gallon recipe goes in a one gallon jug, a three gallon batch in a three gallon carboy, and the common six gallon wine kits in a six gallon carboy. If a racking leaves you short, the VT guide suggests topping up with a compatible wine or water, using sanitized marbles to raise the level, or moving the wine into a smaller container.
Glass or PET?
Glass is the traditional choice for long aging: it does not scratch, does not take on odors and you can scrub it as hard as you like. Its downside is weight and breakage. FastRack lists its six gallon glass carboy at 15 pounds empty and 55 pounds full, which is a lot to lift onto a counter for racking. PET carboys weigh a fraction of that and resist shattering, but they scratch if you scrub them with anything abrasive, so they need gentle cleaning. If you lift carboys alone, or have a tiled floor, PET is the safer pick for the larger sizes.
Where a Wide-Mouth Fermenter Fits
Wide-mouth fermenters sit between the two: a jar or carboy body with a lid wide enough to get your hand inside. They are easier to clean than a narrow carboy and let you add fruit directly, but the big lid has more seal to check, and you still want to rack into a narrow-necked vessel for long aging. For one gallon fruit wines they are a handy primary.
Best Carboys and Fermenters
Our picks cover the four sizes home winemakers use most, a lightweight PET option and the bucket to pair them with.
Editor's Choice
FastRack Italian 6 Gallon Glass Carboy
Italian glass, a non-slip base and a neck that takes a #7 stopper. Six gallons is the size most wine kits and grape batches are made in.
-
Lightweight option
Food grade, BPA-free PET that is shatter-resistant and far lighter than glass.
-
Primary fermenter
FastRack 6.5 Gallon Fermenting Bucket
Food grade HDPE bucket with a lid drilled for an airlock grommet.
| Fermenter | FastRack 6 Gal Glass Editor's Choice | North Mountain 1 Gal Jug | FastRack 3 Gal Glass | FastRack 5 Gal Glass | FastRack 6 Gal PET | FastRack 6.5 Gal Bucket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Capacity | 6 gal | 1 gal | 3 gal | 5 gal | 6 gal | 6.5 gal |
| Material | Italian glass | Glass, made in the USA | Italian glass | Italian glass | Food grade PET | Food grade HDPE |
| Stopper | #7, not included | Included, with airlock | #7, not included | Not stated | Not stated | Lid with grommet |
| Use for | Secondary, aging | 1 gallon batches | Small batches | 5 gallon batches | Secondary, light lifting | Primary |
| Price | $ | $ | $ | $$ | $ | $ |
| Buy | Check price | Check price | Check price | Check price | Check price | Check price |
Editor's Choice
FastRack 6 Gal Glass
- Capacity
- 6 gal
- Material
- Italian glass
- Stopper
- #7, not included
- Use for
- Secondary, aging
- Price
- $
North Mountain 1 Gal Jug
- Capacity
- 1 gal
- Material
- Glass, made in the USA
- Stopper
- Included, with airlock
- Use for
- 1 gallon batches
- Price
- $
FastRack 3 Gal Glass
- Capacity
- 3 gal
- Material
- Italian glass
- Stopper
- #7, not included
- Use for
- Small batches
- Price
- $
FastRack 5 Gal Glass
- Capacity
- 5 gal
- Material
- Italian glass
- Stopper
- Not stated
- Use for
- 5 gallon batches
- Price
- $$
FastRack 6 Gal PET
- Capacity
- 6 gal
- Material
- Food grade PET
- Stopper
- Not stated
- Use for
- Secondary, light lifting
- Price
- $
FastRack 6.5 Gal Bucket
- Capacity
- 6.5 gal
- Material
- Food grade HDPE
- Stopper
- Lid with grommet
- Use for
- Primary
- Price
- $
FastRack Italian 6 Gallon Glass Carboy (Editor's Choice)
A six gallon carboy made of Italian glass with a stable non-slip base. The neck fits a #7 rubber stopper, which is sold separately, so add a drilled bung and an airlock to your order. FastRack gives the weight as 15 pounds empty and 55 pounds full.
Six gallons is the volume most grape batches and wine kits are built around, which is why this is our pick: one carboy covers secondary fermentation, clearing and bulk aging with the right amount of headspace.
North Mountain Supply 1 Gallon Glass Fermenting Jug with Airlock
A one gallon glass jug with a handle, sold with an airlock and the stopper to fit it, so it is ready for a small batch out of the box. North Mountain Supply says the jug is made in the USA.
One gallon jugs are the easiest way to try a new fruit or recipe without committing five gallons of fruit. They also make good secondaries for the leftover wine after racking a bigger batch.
FastRack 3 Gallon Italian Glass Carboy
The three gallon version of the Italian glass carboy, with the same non-slip base and a neck for a #7 stopper (not included). FastRack lists it at 8.2 pounds empty and about 23.2 pounds full, which is much easier to lift than a six gallon carboy.
It suits three gallon fruit wines and mead, and it is a smart second carboy for topping up headspace when a six gallon batch shrinks after racking.
FastRack Italian 5 Gallon Glass Carboy
A five gallon carboy in Italian glass with a non-slip base. FastRack notes that a visible mold line on the glass is normal. Five gallons is the classic size for beer and for wine recipes written in five gallon quantities.
Check the stopper size against the listing before you order a bung, since the listing does not state it as clearly as on the three and six gallon models.
FastRack 6 Gallon PET Carboy (Best Lightweight Carboy)
A clear six gallon carboy in thick, food grade PET that FastRack describes as BPA-free, leak-proof and shatter-resistant, and says will not transfer odors or flavors between batches. The walls are smooth and rib-free, which makes cleaning simpler.
Choose it over glass if you rack alone or worry about dropping a full carboy. Clean it with a soft brush and no scrubbing pads, so the plastic stays free of scratches.
FastRack 6.5 Gallon Fermenting Bucket with Lid (Best Primary Fermenter)
A 6.5 gallon bucket in food grade, BPA-free HDPE with a lid that comes drilled for an airlock grommet. FastRack calls it the standard fermenting bucket from its own kits, and the extra half gallon over a six gallon batch gives room for the foam of primary fermentation.
Pair it with the six gallon carboy above: ferment the must in the bucket, then rack into the carboy for secondary and aging.
A Simple Setup That Works
- For one gallon batches: a two gallon bucket or wide jar as the primary and a one gallon glass jug with an airlock as the secondary.
- For six gallon batches and wine kits: a 6.5 gallon bucket as the primary, a six gallon carboy as the secondary and a three gallon carboy for leftovers after racking.
- If lifting is a concern: swap the six gallon glass carboy for a PET carboy and keep glass for the small sizes.
To move wine from bucket to carboy you will also need a siphon, bungs and airlocks; our equipment and supplies guide covers them, and the wine making kits bundle a fermenter with the rest of the gear. If you are pressing fresh fruit first, see our pick of the best wine press for home winemaking.
Wine is for adults of legal drinking age. Enjoy it responsibly.