Anything to stop me?

[BritishBelgianTwst]

I'm getting all hot under the collar reading about everyones TC exploits here at work and was wondering if I can use my beer paraphenalia as a TC set-up.
Specifically I was wondering if I really need to buy some demijohns or can I just use my 5 gallon fermentation buckets for a 5 litre TC?
I don't see anything that could cause a problem but people are always talking about headroom - is it necessary to worry about headroom? I guess 18 litres of headroom is quite a bit.
If the general consesus is invest in a couple of djs then I'll be off to the local garden centre to get some on Saturday morning but otherwise it'll be Lidl or Aldi for the juice and then back to the lab for the experiment to begin.

I guess that djs are more aethestically pleasing during fermentation but I don't fancy dropping one in the dog's bedroom (my office/basement/brewhouse).

[lollypopp]

Hi, I find the demi john route the best, but having said that, I've got 15L of elderflower sat it a large FV, won't take the top of till I'm ready, witch will be this weekend, but as said, I don't like to much head space above my brews, but others on here may do it your way? but there is one way of finding out? and that is to give it ago? hope this helps???

[pauljmuk]

I've made several TC's and only ever use my 5 gallon bins, and bottle into glass - go for it.

I've never had one froth over. Just make it with 20 litres, and a 5 gallon bin will have plenty headroom.

[stubru23]

Why not use the 5 litre water bottles that you buy in supermarkets , this is what i use for making small batches of wine so should be ok for TC . You can also get 18 litre water bottles as well

[b.all]

fairly early on the fermentation will have gone on enough to give a decent layer of carbon dioxide above whatever is fermenting so it shouldn't matter much. you'll lose a pretty large proportion to the bottom of the fermenter though due to the siphoning end cap or tap position.