# Be aware!!!! Chinese carboys



## Pumpkinman (Jan 31, 2013)

Be Aware! My good buddy that started 5 Kits came home today to find one shattered on the bottom around the base where it meets the wall of the carboy, and found 6 gallons of Moscato on his wine counter and floor.
Could it be the Home Brew shop or is it the Carboys?

Well...he bought 7 - 6 gallons carboys, 1 for me and 6 for himself, that's a good chunk of change when you add 5 kits, bungs,airlocks, meta, racking cans and so forth!

After starting one kit, he realized that one had a crack half way around the neck...at a glance it appeared to be a casting imperfection until you looked closer....grrrrrr....we racked it out of there and thought all was well, no big deal, return the carboy for another, but it is a pain in the arse as the Homebrew shop that he always goes to is an hour away...

After this spontaneous implosion, we don't want anything to do with these Chinese made carboys and I wanted to put a tentative warning out!


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## cpfan (Jan 31, 2013)

Hmm, first time that I've heard of Chinese carboys. Just Mexican (no longer made) and Italian.

Steve


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## Wade E (Jan 31, 2013)

Yeah me to. Do they sat made in China on them?


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## Runningwolf (Jan 31, 2013)

Was this a cheapie thing bought at Pier One.


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## TonyP (Jan 31, 2013)

Is there something about the carboys that you can pass along - some identifying mark, perhaps Chinese lettering?


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## vacuumpumpman (Jan 31, 2013)

That really sucks Tom !!
Let me know what your LBS - comes up with ? I wonder during transport (especially when it was really cold ) if you didn't develop a crack then ?

There are a couple of things that I realized that will crack a carboy -

1 - dropping them - usually because of the weight or slippery surface
2 - the edge hitting a hard surface like concrete - solution = place them on carpet pads or 2 carboys hitting each other - while moving them
3 - cleaning out the carboy with HOT water can put a stress crack in any size glass container - solution = use only luke warm water


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## Rocky (Jan 31, 2013)

Personally, I try not to buy _anything_ made in China which in my experience is poorly made and mostly junk. It is becoming more and more difficult to do so and we would rather pay more or _do without_. We make a practice of checking labels, particularly on foods. I just noticed products that one would not suspect (e.g. Garlic at Sam's Club) are grown or produced in China. People would think twice if they knew that they fertilize with human excrement and they feed fish on their "fish farms" with chicken crap. Sam's also sells a product ("Wagon Train" Turkey Jerky for dogs) which has killed a number of animals in this Country.


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## harleydmn (Jan 31, 2013)

My dog was getting sick from the wagon train chicken strips, once we cut it out she has been fine. I'm with you we check all the labels now.


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## Julie (Jan 31, 2013)

Milo chicken strips are right there with the Wagon Train. Again, "Product of China"


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## Rocky (Jan 31, 2013)

Our Sam's Club has gotten the word. They now carry Nature's Deli Chicken Strips, "made from USA chicken" and "made in the USA." Our dogs love them.


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## harleydmn (Jan 31, 2013)

Thanks Rocky,
We will have to get those. My dog loved the wagon train and we couldn't find a replacement that wasn't from China. We will get these, I'm sure she will be one happy dog!


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 31, 2013)

Nope these were bought at a Home Brew shop, a rather large one that also supplies wineries with equipment...pretty sad if ya think about it.

I wish that I had it here to look at the marks to be able to tell you, but here is a rule of thumb....If it isn't Italian, or Mexican, question it!!
I've come across one other kind with the "i make" stamp on the bottom, that is the parent company of Brewcraft I believe, I have a call into them to see where they are manufactured.
The Chinese carboys just didn't feel as thick in my opinion, I knew it as soon as I picked one up, it felt exactly like the 6 Gal carboy I received from the Winemakers Depot.

All of the carboys are being returned today.


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## Boatboy24 (Jan 31, 2013)

What was wrong with the Winemaker's Depot carboy?


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## BobF (Jan 31, 2013)

Rocky said:


> Personally, I try not to buy _anything_ made in China which in my experience is poorly made and mostly junk. It is becoming more and more difficult to do so and we would rather pay more or _do without_. We make a practice of checking labels, particularly on foods. I just noticed products that one would not suspect (e.g. Garlic at Sam's Club) are grown or produced in China. People would think twice if they knew that they fertilize with human excrement and they feed fish on their "fish farms" with chicken crap. Sam's also sells a product ("Wagon Train" Turkey Jerky for dogs) which has killed a number of animals in this Country.



Corn is frequently fertilized with 'sludge' from the city sewage treatment plant in Wisconsin (Madison area).

If you're unlucky enough to be in the area, it will literally gag you into puking.

WI, USA ... Not WI, China

I'm not a big fan of Chinese products, but you should remember that most of the time there is a US based company providing the specs and accepting things they have produced in China.

As long as we let the US companies off the hook by blaming the Chinese, they will keep doing what they're doing.


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## DaveL (Jan 31, 2013)

fertilyzing with sludge is a common practice. But not on Food products. That corn is probably feed corn for animals or ethynol. 
I'm sure there are always people who break the rules though


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## Rocky (Jan 31, 2013)

Bob, I think you are talking about "Milorganite" (Milwaukee Organic Nitogen) which is a long way from using raw human waste. It begins as sewage but through a specific and controlled process is turned into a very pure and high nitrogen fertilzer. I agree with you that US companies design, spec and accept the products that are made in China but I disagree that the fault lies totally with them. As long as people are willing to pay for inferior products, why should the companies do otherwise? It is up to we consumers to change this process. Vote with you wallet!


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## seth8530 (Jan 31, 2013)

Not to be a damper on the china hating, but are you sure the carboy was Chinese?


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## BobF (Jan 31, 2013)

Rocky said:


> Bob, I think you are talking about "Milorganite" (Milwaukee Organic Nitogen) which is a long way from using raw human waste. It begins as sewage but through a specific and controlled process is turned into a very pure and high nitrogen fertilzer. I agree with you that US companies design, spec and accept the products that are made in China but I disagree that the fault lies totally with them. As long as people are willing to pay for inferior products, why should the companies do otherwise? It is up to we consumers to change this process. Vote with you wallet!



"... why should the companies do otherwise?" 

Ethics. Just b/c you're able to do something doesn't always mean you should. Knowingly putting out products that are unsafe or unfit for their advertised purpose is as common as it is wrong.

"It is up to we consumers to change this process. Vote with you wallet!"

I agree. However, we have to trust the producer for the first copy. Buy the same POS the second time, it's on the buyer.


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## Chateau Joe (Jan 31, 2013)

Hi Guys,

I work part time at a LHBS in northern NY. We had a rash of the bad Chinese carboys. We ordered 14, 6 gallon carboys. Of them, 4 had the bottoms fall out with wine in them (that we are aware of). When a customer finally told us we inspected the remaining carboys in the store. We found 2 more with cracks in the bottom. All of the carboys are full, and I mean full of air bubbles.

We notified the distributer of the carboys and we have no longer received carboys of that bad brand. We recently got some carboys from a different Chinese company that are acceptable but no where near as nice as the Italian carboys.

What fries our bacon is that the distributers are probably getting the Chinese carboys dirt cheap but they are still charging us Italian prices and we have to pass that on to you.

My advice to you is ask your LHBS to stock only Italian. If you cannot get that, then inspect your carboys carefully.

If I think of it tomorrow I will post the brand to beware of.


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## pjd (Jan 31, 2013)

I ordered 6 carboys from Amazon when they went on sale, all were made in China and are considerably smaller in volume than the Italian carboys. If I rack from an Italian carboy to the Chinese i will have 1/2 gallon extra. I will not be buying them again.


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## Wade E (Jan 31, 2013)

Ahhh, I knew those Amazon carboys were too good to be true.


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## tingo (Jan 31, 2013)

I sigh in disbelief when I think of what America is becoming. Our country which was built from an industrial revolution has sold what made us the strongest.... To the highest bidder. We squash unions in order to pay our brothers and sisters minimum wage and send the jobs of their mothers and fathers to other countries. Ceos make record bonuses while our welfare system and poverty levels swell to astronomical proportions. As a construction worker i see first hand how junk is being used to literally build our country and am scared for our future. Question: if these corporate conglomerates are taking our money for their goods and services but paying wages outside our borders doesn't that create an unbalance in our economy? Make money here, spend money here..... Make money there, no money available to spend here. Simple right? So since these yahoos cant figure this out who amongst us will vote for me so i can teach it to them lol.


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## Julie (Jan 31, 2013)

Well here is another area that patience comes into play. If you keep an eye on Craigslist you will eventually get enough carboys and I doubt any will be Chinese.


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## novalou (Jan 31, 2013)

Julie said:


> Well here is another area that patience comes into play. If you keep an eye on Craigslist you will eventually get enough carboys and I doubt any will be Chinese.



Through Craigslist, I have a nice collection of Mexican, Italian, and Distilla glass carboys and I wouldn't trade them for anything!


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## novalou (Jan 31, 2013)

tingo said:


> I sigh in disbelief when I think of what America is becoming. Our country which was built from an industrial revolution has sold what made us the strongest.... To the highest bidder. We squash unions in order to pay our brothers and sisters minimum wage and send the jobs of their mothers and fathers to other countries. Ceos make record bonuses while our welfare system and poverty levels swell to astronomical proportions. As a construction worker i see first hand how junk is being used to literally build our country and am scared for our future. Question: if these corporate conglomerates are taking our money for their goods and services but paying wages outside our borders doesn't that create an unbalance in our economy? Make money here, spend money here..... Make money there, no money available to spend here. Simple right? So since these yahoos cant figure this out who amongst us will vote for me so i can teach it to them lol.



Unions are great, but with all great things, they must change with the times. Power corrupts and the power in unions are just as bad as the CEOs.


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## BobF (Jan 31, 2013)

Wade E said:


> Ahhh, I knew those Amazon carboys were too good to be true.



I haven't bought any in a while, but the 18 or so Paklab carboys I ordered from amazon have been fine and all Italian.


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 31, 2013)

My local graden center just iordered 14 more 6 gallons carboys from brew craft, "1-make_ is the mark on them for 31.99 each, wed nite is 10% off, I'll be buying a few...lol


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## rezod11 (Jan 31, 2013)

One of the problems today is the big push for college. College is great! Don't get me wrong, it's just a matter of if 80% of our children are college educated and believe that doing a blue collar job has no status or value then we have no one to do the jobs that create the products. What other choice is there then than to buy an inferior product? What happened to the day that people were just happy to be with and raise their families? 

Q: Why do we need all the stuff that we buy? 

A: To justify all the time that we spend working and away from our loved ones.

I look forward to your responses.


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## novalou (Jan 31, 2013)

rezod11 said:


> One of the problems today is the big push for college. College is great! Don't get me wrong, it's just a matter of if 80% of our children are college educated and believe that doing a blue collar job has no status or value then we have no one to do the jobs that create the products. What other choice is there then than to buy an inferior product? What happened to the day that people were just happy to be with and raise their families?
> 
> Q: Why do we need all the stuff that we buy?
> 
> ...



It's true we all do not need college education. In today's world, skills beyond high school are a necessity for a decent living, meaning skilled trades.


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## twistedvine (Jan 31, 2013)

Rocky said:


> Bob, I think you are talking about "Milorganite" (Milwaukee Organic Nitogen) which is a long way from using raw human waste. It begins as sewage but through a specific and controlled process is turned into a very pure and high nitrogen fertilzer. I agree with you that US companies design, spec and accept the products that are made in China but I disagree that the fault lies totally with them. As long as people are willing to pay for inferior products, why should the companies do otherwise? It is up to we consumers to change this process. Vote with you wallet!



Milorganite is not human waste! It is simply the micro organisms that feed on the waste. I live in Milwaukee and as a plumber have toured "Jones Island" (where it is produced) and the milorganite plant on several occasions. I also strictly ONLY use it for fertilizing everything from my lawn, trees, garden and even house plants. Fully organic


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## BobF (Feb 1, 2013)

Metrogro is different, twisted. They claim it's all treated, but the entire county stills reeks of raw sewage during fertilizer time every year, with hundreds of sick people to follow. But it's safe, just ask 'em!


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## Chateau Joe (Feb 1, 2013)

I'm at the shop now. The carboys we sold that had issues with had Vintners Harvest written on the box.


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## Pumpkinman (Feb 1, 2013)

Grrr........Buddy had another Chinese Carboy crack along the base!!!!!! WTF!! I was there this time to hear if crack, just like a windshield in the winter...SNAP!!!
We salvaged the wine, but damn! These were the batch of brewcraft carboys, Ironic enough the same parent company as the Vinters harvest.... dammit! I have a brunello in one as well, It will come out in the morning.
The only common denominator is that it is on a ceramic tile counter top, maybe the tile is too cold? They are not bounced, slammed or dragged at all.


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## Runningwolf (Feb 1, 2013)

Tom I don't think you or the surface is the issue here. I think its the batch of glass you got. Many folks store them on their concrete basement floors. 
Don't you have a pumpkin you can cover them with like a demijohn.


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## Pumpkinman (Feb 2, 2013)

lol...this sucks! Back to the Italian carboys!


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## Brew and Wine Supply (Feb 2, 2013)

Only Italians here!


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## greyday (Feb 2, 2013)

BobF said:


> Corn is frequently fertilized with 'sludge' from the city sewage treatment plant in Wisconsin (Madison area).
> 
> If you're unlucky enough to be in the area, it will literally gag you into puking.
> 
> ...



Agreed, but one way to not let them off the hook is to reduce demand for Chinese made products. To go a bit further, figure out which US firms are providing the specs/importing/etc and avoid them entirely (like Wal*Mart; I realize in smaller towns this is harder to avoid these days, but if you live in a city and shop at Wal*Mart...). If you're going to pay more to vote with your dollar, pay more at a locally owned and operated store (which also reduces trucking waste and helps support your community). Eventually the companies will get the message that cheaper, lower quality with accepted returns isn't good enough, if enough people do it. And if not, who cares? Your wine still benefits from not being all over your basement floor.


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## Pumpkinman (Feb 2, 2013)

Ironic update, the LHBS that sold the original batch of Chinese carboys decide to have a "sale" all of the carboys have been reduced... the one employee made the mistake of slipping and telling my buddy that a few customers had carboys that cracked along the base...
What a piece of garbage these people are, instead of doing the right thing, they have decided to try to move the entire shipment of carboys, which is usually a container load, and pass the bad product to their customers.... I am disgusted.....


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## GreginND (Feb 2, 2013)

This is the same LHBS that advised your friend that sulfites ruined his wine?


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## dangerdave (Feb 2, 2013)

novalou said:


> Unions are great, but with all great things, they must change with the times. Power corrupts and the power in unions are just as bad as the CEOs.


 
Just a comment regarding unions. Not all unions are the same. I am a member of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). The "power" derived from leveraging with the voice of every firefighter in the US is used to demand conformation with safety standards that protect and save the lives of firefighters and civilians alike. Without that voice, the city I work for would provide me with substandard equipment, inadequate code regulations, and outdated medical protocals, all of which would cost lives---in a profession that is already one of the most dangerous in the world.

Hug a firefighter today!


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## novalou (Feb 2, 2013)

dangerdave said:


> Just a comment regarding unions. Not all unions are the same. I am a member of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). The "power" derived from leveraging with the voice of every firefighter in the US is used to demand conformation with safety standards that protect and save the lives of firefighters and civilians alike. Without that voice, the city I work for would provide me with substandard equipment, inadequate code regulations, and outdated medical protocals, all of which would cost lives---in a profession that is already one of the most dangerous in the world.
> 
> Hug a firefighter today!



Glad to here there are some good ones out there.


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## Pumpkinman (Feb 3, 2013)

> This is the same LHBS that advised your friend that sulfites ruined his wine?



Greg, no as a matter of fact, this is a LHBS that is over an hr away.

I guess i'll have to make some clarification on my buddies..lol, I have two that I am converting to making wine a bit better than that have been, I have them started on kits, then we can move back to juice pails and/or grapes.

The one buddy, lets call him Mr. D, he is the friend who had been making wine for over 20 years, the old fashioned way, juice in the carboy, ferment and leave for a few years in the garage, with mice and temps that fluctuated from -10 in the winter to 130 in the summer..... he is the buddy who has all of the carboy issues, 5 or 6 kits going as we speak.

The other buddy, I'll call him Mr. S, had 45 gallons of wine spoil on him due to getting a lot of bad advice initially, and no info when he needed it, this is the buddy who was told that the addition of meta was the cause of his wine spoiling...lol

The best part, I was telling him about the All in one pump and how much I use it and all the neat things you can do, including filtering your wine...he stops me and says.."but the LHBS owner (the same bung hole that told him about the meta being the problem) that if you filter your wine, it will remove all of the taste and color....
I almost fell to the floor laughing, this guy is a major source for misinformation....


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## Boatboy24 (Feb 3, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> ...ferment and leave for a few years in the garage, with mice and temps that fluctuated from -10 in the winter to 130 in the summer.....



Maybe that's the source of the carboy issue.


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## Pumpkinman (Feb 3, 2013)

I would agree, but these are brand new, never used Carboys.


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## jdmyers (Feb 3, 2013)

Never thought i would buy products Made In Mexico on purpose next china will be trying to sell inferior juice with who knows what in it


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## wvbrewer (Feb 4, 2013)

Wow.. We need to be more careful about the products we buy.. We lost our Dalmation to bad chinese dogfood..


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## Julie (Feb 4, 2013)

wvbrewer said:


> Wow.. We need to be more careful about the products we buy.. We lost our Dalmation to bad chinese dogfood..


 
What was the product name, if you don't mind sharing? I am seriously thinkinng of making my own dogfood.


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## Brew and Wine Supply (Feb 4, 2013)

Just made a batch of chicken jerky treats for the dogs to get away from the import stuff.


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## Julie (Feb 4, 2013)

Brew and Wine Supply said:


> Just made a batch of chicken jerky treats for the dogs to get away from the import stuff.


 
I am thinking of doing that as well. I made sweet potato jerky over the weekend and they loved that.


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## Rocky (Feb 4, 2013)

Doug, we were doing the same thing with the chicken jerky. We bought the boneless chicken breasts at Sam's (usually $1.97/pound), sliced them thin and dehydrated them. We store them in the freezer and move a bag into the refrigerator for daily use. Since we found the Nature's Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats at Sam's which are US chicken made in the USA, we are now buying them.

Julie, how do you make sweet potato jerky? Do you just slice and dehydrated sweet potatoes? Do you peel the potatoes? Blanch or boil them? Sounds interesting. My little guys love veggie's.


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## rezod11 (Feb 4, 2013)

If your looking for a great quality made in the USA dog food, Fromm is what we use. They are a smaller business, family owned and operated in Wisconsin.

http://frommfamily.com/


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## novalou (Feb 4, 2013)

rezod11 said:


> If your looking for a great quality made in the USA dog food, Fromm is what we use. They are a smaller business, family owned and operated in Wisconsin.
> 
> http://frommfamily.com/



Here is what we fed our dogs growing up, an old family recipe: leftovers!


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## Julie (Feb 4, 2013)

Rocky said:


> Doug, we were doing the same thing with the chicken jerky. We bought the boneless chicken breasts at Sam's (usually $1.97/pound), sliced them thin and dehydrated them. We store them in the freezer and move a bag into the refrigerator for daily use. Since we found the Nature's Deli Chicken Jerky Dog Treats at Sam's which are US chicken made in the USA, we are now buying them.
> 
> Julie, how do you make sweet potato jerky? Do you just slice and dehydrated sweet potatoes? Do you peel the potatoes? Blanch or boil them? Sounds interesting. My little guys love veggie's.


 

I sliced them about 1/8 of an inch thick, did not peel and since I thru my dehydrator out years ago, I used my oven, 250 for 3 to 4 hours. They will keep for up to 3 weeks in the frig or freeze them.


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## jdmyers (Feb 5, 2013)

The only treats my dog gets are carrots they are chunchy ,sweet and cheap about a buck a bag plus they are low cal and good for him as long as nobody tells him there vegtAbles and not treats


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## Norske (Mar 6, 2013)

Back to the bad batch of Chinese carboys. I had ordered another dozen 6 gallon carboys back in December. I just put them to work starting in January and have had 3 of them break at the base. These were brand new never used carboys. We handle them like babies so "handling" wasn't the cause of breakage. I was right next to them when I heard them crack.
One time it broke when I began to lift a full 6

These are the same exact brands that I have just now read about on this forum. 
QUOTE.......
" that had issues with had Vintners Harvest written on the box."

On the bottom of the carboys it says Imake.

When 25% of brand new carboys fail on their very first use, that is a huge problem. I strongly recommend that before any of you purchase carboys, you may want to see what brand they are before you buy them.
I called my distributer and am waiting to hear back from the manager to see if there is any recourse.


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## Brew and Wine Supply (Mar 6, 2013)

We only carry the Italian carboys.


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## Polarhug (Mar 8, 2013)

Norske were they ribbed carboys or smooth sided? We haven't had any complaints with the carboys we sell here in our brew shop and they are ribbed in the Vintners Harvest box. 

I would look but we are completely sold out of them at the moment! I wouldn't want to sell anyone something that could break - what a catastrophe!!


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## ibglowin (Mar 8, 2013)

Perhaps someone could post a pick of these "chinese" carboys?

Doug, you may find out that the next time you order you will not be getting anymore of the "Italian" carboys if you order from Crosby Baker or BSG.


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## Norske (Mar 8, 2013)

They are ribbed, come in a Vintner Harvest box, say IMAKE on the bottom. Polar hug where is your brewshop?


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## Polarhug (Mar 8, 2013)

Right down the street from you - Copper Kettle on K-Beach. I think you have stopped in before. Although we wouldn't have carried the dozen you needed to order for your large batches of fruit wine, usually we just have 4-6 in stock. I'll check the carboys when the next pallet comes in. Scary stuff. 

Can't wait to try out your first release!


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## ibglowin (Mar 8, 2013)

Pics or none of this ever happened.......


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## Brew and Wine Supply (Mar 8, 2013)

ibglowin said:


> Perhaps someone could post a pick of these "chinese" carboys?
> 
> Doug, you may find out that the next time you order you will not be getting anymore of the "Italian" carboys if you order from Crosby Baker or BSG.


 I get mine from L. D. Carlson, here is a memo I just got from them:
*Important Glass Carboy Information*


You may have noticed that the glass carboys you are buying from other suppliers aren't quite up-to-snuff. Lately, there has been an influx of less expensive and lesser quality Chinese glass carboys. We've received feedback from several customers stating that the Chinese carboys do not hold up to the Italian carboys sold by LD. We made the decision long ago to stick with our Italian glass carboys because we have yet to find a Chinese manufacturer who can supply quality carboys on a consistent basis. While you _*may*_ be able to save a little bit of money by buying the cheaper glass carboys (but not always), from all we are hearing, it's not worth it. Your customers will not be happy with the quality of the Chinese carboys, and unhappy customers are not repeat customers.


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## Pumpkinman (Mar 8, 2013)

Thanks! Good to see that some companies still value the customer!


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## Norske (Mar 9, 2013)

pics or none of this happened?.......

Well I dug it out of the dumpster and took some pics with my iphone. Hard to see but trust me, the crack is there and this one happened right when I was transferring into it. The other ones broke completly around the base and were discarded asap. I was awful lucky when one of them broke casue I was just beginning to lift it up, full of wine, just as I heard it crack. If I would have continued lifting when it broke, it probably would have cut my arm, stomach, or leg severly. I since have purchased many milk crates and will not handle this brand bare. They go into the milk crates now.
So I guess since I have the pics, it happened....


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## Norske (Mar 9, 2013)

Here is a pic of the packaging the carboys came ine. My distributor stated they originated from brewcraft.


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## WI_Wino (Mar 10, 2013)

I bought a carboy of this brand the other day. $25 from Ritebrew.com but with local pickup (so no opportunity for UPS/whoever to drop it in transit). I inspected it thoroughly before use and had no cracks and very few air bubbles in the glass. Loaded it up with some Chardonnay I had to rack off sediment and will bottle tomorrow. I'll throw it on a scale tomorrow after bottling and compare with one of my other 6 gallon carboy which was made in Mexico _(not Italian as originally posted)_. It doesn't appear to be significantly lighter than my other ones at first glance but a scale doesn't lie. I use a brew hauler to move my carboys around (I highly recommend one if you don't have a fancy pump and you still need to lug carboys) and have had not issues with the cheap one. Guess I got lucky? Also this brand is a little taller and narrower than my other carboys and has a slight concave bottom to it.







Clearly made in China.


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## ibglowin (Mar 10, 2013)

In this day and age pictures are one of the *MOST* important things you can do to help others on this forum. Thanks for posting! Now others can view and simply vote with their feet before taking this piece of *SHAT* home!

Thank you for taking the time to help others!


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## WI_Wino (Mar 11, 2013)

Bottled my chardonnay tonight and weighed both Mexican and Chinese carboys.

Chinese carboy: 14lbs 8oz

Mexican carboy: 13lbs 7oz


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## ibglowin (Mar 12, 2013)

Anyone done a water test to see if the Chinese carboy is closer to 23L like the Mexican or more like 24 liters and closer to the Italian?

Also to people who own these. Are you really going to use them knowing full well you could lose ~$100-150 worth of wine in a heartbeat?


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## WI_Wino (Mar 12, 2013)

I racked from a full Mexican carboy to the Chinese one and it is the same volume (+/- an ounce or so).

My risk appears minimal, my chinese carboy seems solid. I'm providing my real world experience so folks can make their own decisions. Just like any big glass jug you should look at it to make sure it's not cracked or damaged before using.


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## ibglowin (Mar 12, 2013)

They always do until they are not. Be careful as you don't want to have the bottom fall out on you one day while moving it. It could take just one little "clink" into another carboy.....



WI_Wino said:


> My risk appears minimal, my chinese carboy seems solid.....


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## richmke (Oct 6, 2013)

I was looking for glass carboys, and came across the warnings about chinese ones. For those of you in Chicago/Milwaukee, Grow Masters in Gurnee says they have Italian (no hesitation when I asked). I'll check them out on my next trip to Chicago.


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## n2tazmania (Oct 7, 2013)

I have ordered 5 from Midwest in the past 3 months. The first shipment was 2 5 gallons. One of them was full of air bubbles and had a crack in the bottom. I sent them pictures and they replaced it. I ordered 2 5 gallons and got a 6 gallon for free a couple of weeks ago and all 3 have the same crack in the bottom. They don't leak so I am trying them to see if they will hold up. Won't be ordering any more from Midwest.


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## WI_Wino (Oct 8, 2013)

n2tazmania said:


> I have ordered 5 from Midwest in the past 3 months. The first shipment was 2 5 gallons. One of them was full of air bubbles and had a crack in the bottom. I sent them pictures and they replaced it. I ordered 2 5 gallons and got a 6 gallon for free a couple of weeks ago and all 3 have the same crack in the bottom. They don't leak so I am trying them to see if they will hold up. Won't be ordering any more from Midwest.



Can you post some pics of the cracks all of your carboys have? I'm interested to see what it looks like compared to mine.


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## ibglowin (Oct 8, 2013)

I was just in my LHBS on Saturday picking up some one gallon glass jugs. I looked over at his shelf and he had a bunch of the 23L Italian glass carboys. Asked him if he could get these once again and he said yes, no problems. Looks like depending on where you shop you can still find the Italian ones if you look around.


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## bluedog (Oct 8, 2013)

ibglowin said:


> Looks like depending on where you shop you can still find the Italian ones if you look around.



This has been my experience also, having just picked up a 23L Italian glass carboy from a LHBS recently. I would add that I got in on Midwest's free carboy special a week or so ago and received an Italian glass from them as well.


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## GreginND (Oct 8, 2013)

I'm waiting for my free carboy from Midwest. It was not shipped with my order.


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## GreginND (Oct 9, 2013)

I received my carboy from Midwest yesterday. It came in a plain box that just said "6 Gallon Carboy". It does not say where it was made. The bottom had a 3-4 inch long scratch/crack on it and I do see lots of bubbles in the glass. I wrote back to Midwest asking about a replacement.


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## WI_Wino (Oct 9, 2013)

GreginND said:


> I received my carboy from Midwest yesterday. It came in a plain box that just said "6 Gallon Carboy". It does not say where it was made. The bottom had a 3-4 inch long scratch/crack on it and I do see lots of bubbles in the glass. I wrote back to Midwest asking about a replacement.



Can you post a picture of the crack?


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## n2tazmania (Oct 9, 2013)

Here is one. I have a couple more I will try to post.


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## dralarms (Oct 9, 2013)

That dont look like a crack to me.


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## GreginND (Oct 9, 2013)

Here's my carboy. It's definitely a manufacturing flaw. It feels rough like broken glass and is set into the glass. It is not a "crack" all the way through but definitely a point of weakness for the glass. It feels like a big deep scratch was made in the glass. I should mention that Midwest is sending out a replacement asap. They have been very good and I give their customer service credit.


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## MilesDavis (Oct 10, 2013)

Even with that flaw, the most likely failure point (under vacuum) is the transition from bottom to side. The bottom is being evenly pushed into the vessel, which is why most carboy failures involve the bottom breaking out. Do the math, it'll scare ya'. A full implosion collapse of the sidewalls is pretty unlikely without a major defect in the glass.


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## vacuumpumpman (Oct 10, 2013)

It is a good thing that you caught it now !!

It is nice to know that Midwest is Taking care of the situation - as for some suppliers that they would shove you off directly to the supplier or all the red tape per say !!


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## WI_Wino (Oct 10, 2013)

Looking at the one I bought last spring, I have a similar mark. 




I bet it's a relic of the manufacturing process, like "chill marks" or something. I would bet dollars to donuts that the replacement one Midwest is sending has the same mark. I have used mine for several batches now and have carried it around (no pump, just autosiphon)


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## n2tazmania (Oct 12, 2013)

I have bought several from Midwest. I have 5 3gals and never had any problems with them. I have bought 4 5 gal and the free 6 gal and 4 of the 5 have had these defects. I wonder if they get their larger carboys from a different manufacturer.


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## bambiying (Oct 13, 2013)

I just bought a 6 gallon today, and it has the same mark on it. Actually, all the carboys on display at the local store had them as well, so I think it's just a relic as well. I'm not driving back to exchange it. I'm sure it will be fine.


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## GreginND (Oct 14, 2013)

Big kudos to Midwest. I sent them those pictures and asked if I could replace the carboy. No questions asked, they immediately sent out a new one. This one is Italian and in perfect condition. No bubbles, no scratches, no cracks. They didn't want the original one back. Great customer service.


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## WI_Wino (Oct 14, 2013)

Nice. Now hopefully they don't "lose" your CC number.


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## ShawnDTurner (Oct 16, 2013)

I recieved 4 carboys from midwest and have the same problem. I will be calling today for replacements


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## ShawnDTurner (Oct 16, 2013)

I have ordered from them plenty times in the past with no issues. I would think that they would have some sort of quality assurance inspection before these carboys go out.

Hard to believe they are not aware of this issue


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## ShawnDTurner (Oct 16, 2013)

Update:

Let me apologize to MidWest as I got my order mixed up. The scored carboys were from Northern Brewer...I got off the phone with a customer service rep. I will not name him. He told me this was common with all carboys and it should not be an issue even if you pull a vacuum on them. 

I explained to him that I have many carboys Italian and they do not have a these issues. I also explained to him they are riddled with bubbles as well. He asked that I send him pictures which I did. On one of the carboys at the bottom. You can feel the score and it is quite sharp.

He did not seem so concerned about it. We will see if Northern Brewer step up to the plate and do the right thing. I spent 200 dollars on Carboys with Northern Brewer I expect a great product in return. Again, I apologize to Mid-West. Cheers


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## Winenoob66 (Nov 1, 2013)

if the store is a no go on replacement I wonder if a wind shied glass repair service can fix it


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## Putterrr (Nov 2, 2013)

A couple years ago i purchased an Italian carboy from my local HBS and later discovered it had a scratch like the one you show. I pointed it out to the store and we opened up more boxes looking for a replacment. They had just got a new shippment in and all of them had the same marks so it must have been made during the manufacturing process. I have since sold it off and now I check closely before buying.

cheers


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## richmke (Nov 2, 2013)

I picked up two 6 gallon glass carboys from Grow Masters in Gurnee, IL. The box said Made in Italy. No defects I could see. The bottom of the carboy has a heavy stone/marble pattern. I have not cleaned/tested them yet.


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## vacuumpumpman (Nov 4, 2013)

richmke said:


> I picked up two 6 gallon glass carboys from Grow Masters in Gurnee, IL. The box said Made in Italy. No defects I could see. The bottom of the carboy has a heavy stone/marble pattern. I have not cleaned/tested them yet.



I believe you will be fine -


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