Demijohns and Fermenters

Demijohns

Also known as carboys or fermenting vessels, are essential equipment for homebrewers and winemakers. Made of durable glass or plastic, demijohns provide the container needed for primary fermentation and secondary aging of homebrewed beer, cider, mead and wine.

At The Home Brew Shop, we offer a wide selection of demijohns in various sizes to suit all brewing and winemaking projects. Our demijohns are high-quality and made to last through many fermentations. Whether you're looking to ferment 5 gallons of beer, 1 gallon of cider or 30 bottles of wine, we have the right demijohn for your next homebrew recipe.

Demijohn Sizes

For beer, our most popular size is the 5 gallon (23L) glass demijohn. This holds the standard volume of wort produced from extract or partial mash beer kits. It provides plenty of headspace for vigorous primary fermentation.

For smaller 1-2 gallon batches, check out our 2.5 gallon (11L) and 3 gallon (14L) plastic demijohns. They're perfect for experimental brews, mini batches, or split batches with different yeasts.

Winemakers will want either 6.5 gallon (30L) or 3.3 gallon (15L) glass demijohns. The 6.5 gallon size ferments enough juice or wine kit to yield 30 bottles. The 3.3 gallon is well-suited for smaller 6-12 bottle wine kits.

We also offer 1 gallon (5L) plastic demijohns ideal for 1 gallon fruit wine, mead and cider kits. They allow you to try multiple flavours without a large investment.

Demijohn Materials

Glass demijohns are durable and see-through for easy fermentation monitoring. They don't retain odours like plastic. However, glass is heavier and can break.

Plastic demijohns are lightweight for easy handling. They won't break like glass but may retain smells. BPA-free plastic is a safer, affordable option for smaller batches.

Demijohn Features

All our demijohns include can us a airlock. This vents CO2 while preventing contaminants. Look for demijohns with wide mouths for easy cleaning.

Handles make transporting full demijohns effortless. Many also have measurement markings in litres and gallons for precise batch tracking. Demijohns with spigots simplify racking wine or beer to secondary vessels.

Demijohn Care

Sterilize demijohns thoroughly before each use with an effective no-rinse sanitizer. Avoid using harsh chemicals which could leach flavours. Rinse well with water

Store cleaned, dried demijohns upside down so they stay odour-free. Consider demijohn brush sets for deep cleaning of hard to reach areas. 

By choosing high-quality demijohns suited to your brew sizes, you'll be ready to ferment delicious homebrewed beers, ciders, meads and wines. Browse our full demijohn selection today! Let me know if you need any other homebrewing equipment advice.