6.5 Gallon plastic fermenter with lid

Good quality, but installing and removing the lid is very difficult. I'm concerned that lid removal after primary fermentation will shake up and or spill the beer. I hope it will loosen up a little after a few times.

Great shipping and service by Midwest. Top notch.

This one is, by no stretch of the imagination, a top shelf option. However, if you're looking for a good all around fermenter that will get the job done this is a great route. Very resistant to breakage compared to glass in drop situations the primary concern with plastic is developing scratches that can harbor bacteria. These also wear out quicker by taking on off flavors from previous batches - prompt, nonabrasive cleansing will lengthen the life of these fermenters significantly. Finally, yes, the lid can be a challenge but they make a fine tool to help with that - pail opening tool. I'll likely stick with plastic bucket fermenters for the foreseeable future.

After bottling my first batch from this bucket, I realized that I didn't get as much beer as I'd calculated. In a nutshell: the 5 gallon mark on these buckets is quite inaccurate. Do yourself a favor and pour 5 gallons of water into the bucket when you get it, and mark the real 5 gallon point with a piece of tape.

I would rather use the Ale Pail (for most brews) for several reasons. They serve the same purpose as a glass carboy, they take up less space to store since they slide together, you can get two of these for the price of one glass carboy, they won't shatter if you drop them, they are easy to wipe clean without a carboy brush, the lids seal well and after a few uses are relatively easy to remove, and the handle makes moving them a breeze even when they are full. I prefer glass for dry hopping because I like to see it - even though an Ale Pail would be much easier (it is a pain getting the dry hops through the throat of a carboy). Clean and sanatize the pail using non-abrasive techniques and these will last a long time. Clean them right after usage and let them air out for a few days if you are worried about off flavors from previous batches - I have never had an issue and I have used them over and over again for years.

It is a lot cheaper than a glass carboy and is more convenient to move. However, it is plastic. Cleanup is easy, but you cannot use a brush on it, like you can with glass. Also, the lid can be a little hard to get off. All in all, it is a cheap and easy solution, but glass is probably better for total value.

Nice for the price. As stated by "Thomas", markings are not accurate on side of pail. Add 3/8 of inch to top of five gallon mark and you are on the money.

Air tight seal with lid. Easy to clean. I like the new label on the side as well. Best fermenter I've purchased so far. A+++

The lid is difficult to get on and off at first but after a few uses it's fine. This is very practical fermentor, there's no reason prefer glass.

Being about a 12 batch a year brewer, and brewing for 6 years, I've used this fermenter as my primary for about 72 batches with no problem. Yes, the lid is a little tough, but not that bad. Never a problem getting it clean or having off-tastes. I think it's great as a primary. I do use a glass carboy as my secondary.

Bought 3 of them, within 3 years 2 of them had bottom separated from the rest. Also lid is very delicate and breaks easily. They are inexpensive, but don't count on long term use.