I have been brewing for a while now (15 years or so) and in that time I’ve used a variety of different fermenting vessels – all different sizes, shapes, and materials. But, for small batches of around 1 gallon, I keep coming back to the Little Big Mouth Bubbler… so, I figured I should give a proper review of my favorite small-batch primary fermentation vessel.

The Little Big Mouth Bubbler’s wide mouth makes for easy cleaning, its 1.4 gallon capacity helps with foaming and loss after racking, and it also comes with a spigot. The combination of these features, and other benefits, make it the best option for use in the primary fermentation phase of very small batches.

When I first got into brewing smaller batches and bulk aging mead, I tried out a number of different fermentation vessels – plastic buckets, regular glass jars with lids, and carboys. Each one had its benefits over the others, but each also had its glaring issues that made it not only suboptimal, but wildly inconvenient, for primary fermentation.

Then the Little Big Mouth Bubbler came along. I had been hoping for something with that exact form factor when I first saw it used in a YouTube video. I actually had a checklist in my head for what a proper vessel needed – a wide mouth for cleaning, extra headspace, etc – and I could not understand why there wasn’t a product on the market that met those needs.

The Little Big Mouth Bubbler checked off every box in that checklist. I purchased it right away, and fell in love immediately.

Nothing is perfect, and the Little Big Mouth Bubbler has a few drawbacks of its own – but most of them are very minor.

All in all, I wouldn’t change very much about it. The Little Big Mouth Bubbler is the absolute best product on the market right now for use in the primary fermentation phase of very small, roughly 1-gallon batches.

It’s what I’d recommend to anyone who’s in the market to buy a new fermenter. 

(For larger batches, and for secondary fermentation, I have other preferences – I’ll touch on those further down, but each one should probably have its own article.)

The Features of the Little Big Mouth Bubbler: Why I Love It SO Much

1. The Wide-Mouth Configuration Makes Cleaning a Breeze!

I don’t know why glass carboys are the go-to for fermentation of wine and mead.

Don’t get me wrong: I love using carboys for bulk aging once fermentation is complete. At that stage, it’s just liquid sitting in a vessel; there’s very little sediment or solid particles to get stuck on the sides, and there should be no foaming or krausen at this stage.

However, primary fermentation is messy. It’s foamy, and if you’re using spices, fruit, or even dry hops during fermentation, that will just add to the gunk. By the end, nearly every surface of exposed glass on the inside of the vessel is covered in thick, crusty crud and the bottom is caked in a layer of yeast sediment.

After racking, this becomes nearly impossible to clean without really getting in there and scrubbing. A simple rinse or soak does basically nothing, and I find those carboy brushes to be unwieldy and difficult to use. PBW or Oxy-Clean helps, but nothing compares to old-fashioned elbow grease.

The narrow neck of a carboy is ideal for aging, when you want as little surface area of the liquid as possible in contact with the air, but you cannot get your hand through the opening to clean.

With a wide-mouthed vessel like the Little Big Mouth Bubbler, you can get your whole arm in there and really scrub all the gunk off.

2. It’s the PERFECT Size For Primary Fermentation of 1-Gallon Batches

There are other wide-mouthed vessels, of course, but most of them are not the right size. The wide-mouthed fermentation jars like this one that you can buy on Amazon, for example, are exactly 1 gallon.

“But wait,” you might say, “isn’t that exactly what I need for fermenting a 1 gallon batch?”

The answer to that is: “No.”

During primary fermentation of any batch of homebrew, you want the vessel to be a little bit larger than the batch size for a few different reasons.

The most obvious reason is to prevent blowout: you want to leave enough headspace in the vessel to account for foaming and krausen, so that the mess stays in the vessel and doesn’t shoot out of the airlock and all over your walls. Blowoff tubes help with that, as well, of course.

What many new brewers don’t realize, however, is that you also want to account for loss.

Once fermentation is complete, and the yeast flocculates out of suspension, it collects into a layer of sediment on the bottom of the vessel. The volume of this sediment is lost, because you won’t be drinking it.

You’ll also lost some extra volume from your batch simply because the racking process isn’t perfect; when you transfer to secondary (or to a keg, or during bottling), you’ll have to leave behind some of the liquid along with the yeast cake at the bottom.

The result is that the volume in your second vessel (or whatever) will be less than the first vessel. So, if you want to end up with 1 gallon in the end, you will need to start with a bit more: maybe 1.25 gallons or so, depending on your yeast’s flocculation and any other solid bits you’ve added during primary.

The Little Big Mouth Bubbler is 1.4 gallons, which provides enough space for extra wort or must at the start to account for loss, as well as some extra space beyond that for foaming.

It’s basically the perfect size if you want to end up with a gallon or so in the end. If you add a bit extra volume during primary, you’ll usually end up with just the right amount in secondary to fill a standard carboy to the neck.

If you perform any rackings beyond that, you’ll likely want something slightly smaller than a carboy. Those wide-mouth jars on Amazon are a good size, but the wide mouth is less than ideal for aging; supposedly the cider jugs you can get at the grocery store are the right size, but I’ve never tried them.

3. It’s the ONLY Glass Vessel With a Spigot!

I honestly don’t understand why this is still the case, even years later. Why don’t more producers provide an option for a spigot? I get that it’s a bit more complicated to cut the hole into glass (with a plastic vessel, you could add your own spigot at home with basic tools) but I would think someone would have figured out how to add spigots to carboys and then charge more for them.

But the Little Big Mouth Bubbler does come with the option. And I’d recommend that you go ahead and pay the extra $2 for it. I wish I did.

(I honestly don’t remember if spigots were an option when I bought my first ones, or if I thought I was being clever and saving money, but either way – I wish all of my vessels had spigots.)

Spigots allow for much easier racking, with much less chance for oxidation or contamination.

You can purchase a racking cane (I have one) but the very nature of how it works introduces air into the brew. Careful siphoning results in less oxygen exposure, but it’s still a concern.

Nothing is as perfect as a closed, pressurized transfer, but for those of us without expensive pressure-ready equipment, utilizing a spigot and gravity is the best you’re going to get.

You still need to open it up to air slightly (otherwise it will create a vacuum and won’t siphon) but you only need a little bit of exposure by comparison (and you’re not pumping it in through the pumping process).

With the Little Big Mouth Bubbler, you can simply take the bung out of the lid (you don’t even need to take the whole lid off, since it has a bunghole!) and open the spigot to transfer the liquid.

Couldn’t be easier.

4. Thick Glass is Solid, Lets You Monitor Fermentation

The glass that makes up the Little Big Mouth Bubbler is thick, particularly in comparison to… well, any other glass fermentation vessel I’ve used.

This makes the vessel that much more robust and sturdy – the biggest concern with glass vessels is always their fragility. That’s not to say that the Little Big Mouth Bubbler is unbreakable, but it certainly feels much less breakable than any other glass vessel I’ve used.

I’ve never had one break on me.

I can’t speak to the sturdiness of the full-size Big Mouth Bubbler, as I’ve not ever used it; but the Little one is great!

And I love the fact that the vessel is transparent. It’s not a necessity to be able to view the contents of the vessel during fermentation, but it is a big help. That’s one of my gripes about using plastic buckets.

Being able to monitor fermentation allows you to ensure that there are no contaminants. You can watch the surface of the liquid for pellicles and mold growths.

Plus, it’s always exciting when the bubbling starts and you know fermentation has kicked off, no matter how many times you see it.

I do wish that the Little Big Mouth Bubbler came in different opacities for protection against lightstrickenness, but I’ll touch on that below, in the Imperfections section of the article.

5. Lid Creates a Seal Better Than Alternatives

This is a fairly minor feature – the lid on most other vessels is just fine – but I do appreciate that little bit extra that the Little Big Mouth Bubbler provides.

As you can see in the image, the lid for the Little Big Mouth Bubbler is pretty huge. The sides come down quite far, and the threading on the lid and the vessel is quite long. You have to screw it down for what seems like a while before it’s on there tight.

This means that, once it’s on there, it’s on there. The extra threading really keeps it connected.

More than once I’ve gone to unscrew the lid after fermentation and it was a struggle to get it started.

Additionally, the pad inside the lid that actually provides the seal (I don’t know what you’d call it… it’s not an o-ring or a grommet) feels like a sturdier material than the plastic of most other products, and it feels thick and solid.

Overall, I trust the Little Big Mouth Bubbler’s seal to protect my brew.

6. Use of a Bung Allows for Easy Access While Limiting Contact With Air

In addition to the sealability of the lid, it also comes with a hole for a bung and airlock. This is incredibly convenient!

What this means is that the bung can be taken out as necessary – for racking, checking gravity, or switching from a blowoff tube to an airlock – without unscrewing the entire lid. The bunghole is much smaller, and thus provides a much smaller space for outside air to get in. This further protects your brew from contamination or oxidation.

Read more about preventing oxidation in this article!

Most other wide-mouth products – plastic buckets or the jars from Amazon – only provide an airlock hole in the lid. While this is serviceable, it does require removing the entire lid to get to your brew or to swap out airlocks.

This is honestly something I didn’t know I needed until I tried the Little Big Mouth Bubbler – and now I don’t know if I can go back to doing it any other way!

The Little Big Mouth Bubbler does boast a special little cap for the bunghole that’s supposed to be some sort of “simplified” airlock alternative, but I don’t trust it and have never used it. It’s probably fine during the vigorous part of fermentation, when oxygen exposure is not a problem, but you would want to replace it with a better solution (like a proper airlock) before fermentation completes.

The Imperfections: What Would I Change About It?

Yes, I know I used the word Perfect in the title of the article, but nothing in this world is perfect.

The Little Big Mouth Bubbler does have a few flaws, some of which I’ve already hinted at or touched on above.

However, none of them are deal-breakers – not even close! The downsides I’m talking about here are mostly just nitpicking. They’re things I’ve noticed and thought of over years and many batches of brewing with the Little Big Mouth Bubbler. You probably wouldn’t even notice these flaws if you didn’t think about it too much.

1. It’s Too Clear: Transparency Allows for Light-Struck Flavors

There’s a reason beer and wine are sold in bottles that are dark brown or dark green: the opacity added by coloring the glass keeps out UV rays and protects the beer or wine from being light-stricken or “skunked.”

For this reason, I do wish there was an option to purchase a version of the Little Big Mouth Bubbler made from darker glass, to protect against sunlight.

However, I can’t say I’ve ever noticed off-flavors due to my batches getting light-struck. I also try to keep my vessels in rooms without windows or closets to prevent exposure to sunlight.

(Note that the lights in your home typically won’t skunk your brew: UV rays are the culprit, and most standard lightbulbs don’t produce UV rays.)

Additionally: it’s not like there are many alternatives that provide this feature! Every carboy or other glass vessel I own is also completely transparent.

For slightly larger vessels, there are plastic options that provide visibility while also being opaque enough to protect against UV. For example, BrewDemon makes a nice fermentation vessel for 2 to 3 gallon batches, but their 1 gallon vessel leaves a lot to be desired.

(To see my review on BrewDemon’s 3 gallon fermenter, check out this article. Spoiler: it’s awesome, basically like a larger Little Big Mouth Bubbler)

2. Since It’s Made of Glass, It Has the Downsides of Using Glass (and the Upsides)

When it comes to what a fermentation vessel is made out of, different materials have different upsides and downsides. I’ve already written about that, so I won’t dive deeply into the topic here, but I will touch briefly on the downsides of glass vessels – and how that pertains specifically to the Little Big Mouth Bubbler.

The biggest issue with glass, of course, is that it is fragile. It breaks easily, not only a mess and the loss of an entire batch, but also, the glass shards can be incredibly dangerous and really hurt you.

The Little Big Mouth Bubbler, being a glass vessel, is subject to this danger. If you drop it, it can break, and it can hurt you badly.

However, the Little Big Mouth Bubbler seems to be safer than most other glass vessels. At least, I’ve never had any of them break on me – even after several years and many, many batches.

As stated earlier in the article, the Little Big Mouth Bubbler has very thick walls. As a result, it feels that much sturdier than other glass vessels and much less likely to break.

Additionally, it’s only 1.4 gallons. I can attest that, even when completely full, the vessel isn’t really that heavy. Carrying it around the house, even going upstairs (and stepping over the gate we use to keep the dogs from going up there) is no problem and has never ended up in broken glass.

This is different from full-sized batches (which we’re not really talking about here). I have never used glass for 5 gallon batches (although I’ve also never bulk aged a 5 gallon batch…).

If you are still concerned about using glass vessels and breaking them, there’s good news! The makers of the Little Big Mouth Bubbler have come out with a plastic version of the product with the exact same form factor.

Check out the plastic version here!

I’ve been wishing for a plastic version for some time, and wondering why they haven’t made one, only to discover that it exists now!

(I literally just found that out. It must be brand new!)

I, personally, will probably own a few in both versions (plastic and glass) and use them at different times depending on the situation.

3. ALWAYS Buy the One With the Spigot!!

I’ve said this already, but I will keep saying it, because I feel that strongly about it: get the version that has a spigot!

A Comparison Against the Alternatives

I’ve already mentioned it above, but I truly believe the Little Big Mouth Bubbler stands head and shoulders above all of its direct competition. Everything else I’ve tried (for very small batches, at least) has had at least one glaring issue that prompted me to keep looking.

Plastic buckets are great, especially for full-sized batches, but the lids have a tendency not to seal properly. The screw-top lid of the Little Big Mouth Bubbler screws on tight.

Carboys are my go-to for secondary and bulk aging, but it feels impossible to get them clean after the messiness of primary fermentation.

Other wide-mouth vessels always seem like great options, but the ones I’ve tried all have the most issues of anything. They are usually too small, providing no headspace during primary, and then leaving too much headspace after racking. The ones I’ve tried also don’t feel particularly sturdy or well-made.

Plus, it’s the only glass vessel with a spigot.

There are other great options for other applications. Vessels that can hold pressure, undergo pressurized fermentation, and do proper closed transfers are great but also a lot more expensive. Stainless steel falls into that category.

And for other-sized batches, such as 3 gallons or your standard 5 gallons, I’d have other preferences than the Big Mouth Bubbler versions that come in those sizes. In particular, the BrewDemon plastic conical is a cheap option for slightly larger 2 to 3 gallon batches that I’ve been loving lately – it’s almost like a 3 gallon plastic Big Mouth Bubbler!

Keep a lookout for my review on that product, coming very soon!

But for 1 gallon batches? The Little Big Mouth Bubbler can’t be beat.

Where Can You Buy the Little Big Mouth Bubbler?

Unfortunately, the Little Big Mouth Bubbler is only sold by Northern Brewer (and a few other websites owned by the same parent company).

That’s not to say that I’m speaking ill of NB; I used to use them all of the time! However, I find myself wishing that the Little Big Mouth Bubbler was sold on MoreBeer.com or Amazon.

The biggest issue with the Little Big Mouth Bubbler is the shipping costs: you cannot get free shipping on the product from Northern Brewer, even if you qualify for their “Free Shipping for Orders Over $X,” which is unfortunate.

I guess that’s keeping me from spending even more money on buying even more Little Big Mouth Bubblers (I’ve lost count of how many I already have). Although now I need to get the plastic ones…

(Additionally, they no longer have an affiliate program, though that’s not my main issue with them. In fact, that’s just proof on how great this product is: I’m pitching it to you even though they’re not paying me!)

However, I feel that the Little Big Mouth Bubbler is worth it, even with the ridiculous shipping costs.

To buy your Little Big Mouth Bubbler, click this link here! If you prefer the plastic model, here’s where you can purchase it.

Again, these are not affiliate links (although, Northern Brewer, if you’re reading this: I wouldn’t mind being an affiliate!)

Conclusion

Trust me when I say, the Little Big Mouth Bubbler is the best product on the market right now for use in the primary fermentation phase of 1 gallon batches – and it has been for several years.

After all, I have no financial incentive to pitch this to you. I just love the product that much. I’m probably being dumb for spending time writing this article instead of one for a product I can earn a commission on. But I also want these reviews to mean something.

I’m sure you will love it, too. Just be sure to get the one with a spigot!