# Plastic Carboys



## bcritter (Jul 26, 2004)

I was reading the other day about plastic carboys. They said not to use for aging because air gets through the plastic. How can that be since plastic is a hard substance or our they talking about the seal. Or is it a old tech and the book out dated. George, I just bought one and plan on aging in it. ???'





Thanks


Bill


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## geocorn (Jul 26, 2004)

The plastic bottleslet in a very minute quantity of air. Far less; however,than an oak barrel, so they can be used for bulk aging without any concern regarding air contact.


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## Maui Joe (Jul 26, 2004)

I haven't had any problems using "plastic carboys" for aging wine in yet, nor have I read or received any scientific evidenceconfirming that the carboys are permeable other than a bad seal at the air lock. *Edited by: Maui Joe *


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## bcritter (Jul 27, 2004)

Thanks for the return info and comments





bill c


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## bdavidh (Jul 28, 2004)

For what it's worth...


I just received my second plastic carboy (better bottle). The first has not given me any problems.No after taste to the wine, no lingering odor in the carboy from the wine, and no leakage, in or out while aging.


I've never had a carboy break while moving, but just to be on the safe side, I'm beginning to like the plastic.


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## AAASTINKIE (Mar 1, 2005)

My daughter gave me a 5 gallon water jug still full and unopened a few
months ago when we started this Wine journey, it's been in the entryway
for all this time, after reading your posts I decided to put it to
work, it was frozen solid



it took two
days to thaw next to the wood stove and thankfully the bottom went back
in!!...LOL I bought a couple of 1 gallon jugs that way a 5 fits good
filled right to the top and put the rest in the 1 gallon and try it out
sooner.





(what contest



)


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## Hippie (Mar 1, 2005)

Yes, that will work good as long as you get the proportional amount of additives in each container. Good luck.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 1, 2005)

How do you go about doing that? I never seem to get it right.


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## AAASTINKIE (Mar 1, 2005)

I'm sorry, I was pointing out in one of my other posts, I use a primary fermenter pail for my secondary, this way I don't have to rack when I mix my stablizer, camden, and clairifier's in, so everything is mixes equally, I'll explain about CO2 in another post elswhere


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## Hippie (Mar 1, 2005)

Well is that cheatin or just smart? Remember, the more racking back and forth you do, the more O2 is introduced.


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## RAMROD (Mar 11, 2005)

These plastic carboys ya'll are talking about are they the same as the plastic water jugs that you see upside down in water dispencers in doctor's offices and the like.


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## Hippie (Mar 11, 2005)

Some are, some are actually made for winemaking. Use them for fermentation only, not aging.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 11, 2005)

I had a plastic one once.





Throw it away. There are plenty of glass ones out there.


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## RAMROD (Mar 11, 2005)

Well MedPretzel you were the one talking about going cheap in another post so if you say throw it away I wont even touch one.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 11, 2005)

oh, yes, I am cheap. But I have to say, it's more expensive to throw away a 5 gallon batch of wine because it tastes "weird" than to buy a glass carboy.





It's happened - I speak from experience.


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## RAMROD (Mar 11, 2005)

I bow to the master!


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## MedPretzel (Mar 11, 2005)

Hahaha! 


No, probably more like to the person who believes she's "above" all rules ("It doesn't apply _*to me*_," or "It won't happen *to me*!" but it somehow does everytime) when it comes to hobbies. I usually think rules are meant to be "revised" in a hobby, but in this one, it's not recommendable. It probably still won't stop me from breaking them again (I never learn, I guess I'm an old dog), but if you want to save yourself some aggravation and money in this hobby, it might be wise to believe what the books say is true.









BTW, Glenvall is the guy you gotta bow to if you're bowing to the master. He taught me practically all I know about winemaking.


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## AAASTINKIE (Mar 14, 2005)

Sounds like I best keep buying glass...


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## MedPretzel (Mar 14, 2005)

Yes, in this case, I would say yes - stick with glass. You can bottle in anything that has a glass and that can be closed tightly -- beer bottles, wine bottles, etc. 





But with the carboys? Stick with the heavy glass ones. There's a great harness for the 5-6 gallon carboys to help with lifting -- if you need them.


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## Hippie (Mar 14, 2005)

I keep those harnesses on all my carboys over 3 gallons. They will save alot of wine in the long run is my guess, especially with my big feet.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 14, 2005)

Do you have to adjust for anything when you put them on such small carboys?


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## Hippie (Mar 14, 2005)

I think my yellow strap harnesses will not adjust small enough for the 3 gallon carboys. They are very adjustable, though.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 15, 2005)

Good to know. I have only used them on 5 and 6 gallon carboys. Very helpful.


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## Hippie (Mar 16, 2005)

Like I said, what else do I have to do here late at night......


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## geocorn (Mar 16, 2005)

Glass is better, but for some people, weight is an real issue. When you consider that 6-gallons of wine weighs over 60 pounds, the difference between the 13 pound glass carboy and the 1 pound Better-bottle is HUGE. I agree with Country that I would not use one for extended bulk aging, but for a secondary fermenter and several months of aging, I think you will be fine.


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## Hippie (Mar 19, 2005)

You are probably right George, but I have lots of glass ones, and so far I only have back pain when I sit too long, and does not seem to be related to lifting carboys.


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## AAASTINKIE (Mar 19, 2005)

I had to go to the city today to make an ebay delivery, I stopped at the health food store, they sell wine stuff SO IT MUST BE HEALTH FOOD!! I bought a 23lt glass carboy for 17.99, they had a 5 gal better bottle for 19.99 but no 6 gal ones, I would have thought about it, but you all have convinced me to use glass. Now you just have to get me to stop using my primary buckets for secondarys..lol After spending 2 peacfull days in the woods hanging buckets, the city was freaking me out, I couldn't wait to go home!


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## MedPretzel (Mar 19, 2005)

No comment. 





Love both the city *and* the country. Couldn't live without both. Thank goodness for Ohio.


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## Hippie (Mar 20, 2005)

I dislike cities. I don't mind visiting for a day or the weekend. I don't like the smog, the unfriendly people, the offensive driving, the crowds, rush hour, gangs, crime, you name it. I am lucky to live 2 miles from the city limits of a town with a population of 9500. If I had my druthers, I would live miles and miles into a huge forest in a very large house on a hill guarded by unseen security, a large winery underneath, grapes and other fruits on the slopes.


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## AAASTINKIE (Mar 20, 2005)

you described my house except for the security, winery and grapes lol...I haven't locked my door in 19 years and couldn't find a key to it if I had to....my town is so small we don't have a police deptment, I own 47 acres on Walker Hill Road


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## Hippie (Mar 20, 2005)

You are lucky indeed. I was born and grew up in the woods.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 20, 2005)

I like both, but I prefer the country. I was recently in NYC for a while, and I thought I would go crazy because of all the noise. I live in suburbia right now. At least it's not an apartment anymore. 





Can't boast about all those acres or growing up in the woods. Lucky for you!


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## Hippie (Mar 20, 2005)

I wish I was so lucky now. I live in a 'housing addition' now. don't ask me what that means. An addition to what? Makes no sense.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 20, 2005)

Well, you're a lot better off than me. I could spit into my neighbors' house from mine if I wanted to.


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## Hippie (Mar 20, 2005)

We are fairly close to ours also.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 21, 2005)

My sister lives on a horse farm. Now that is beautiful. It's tons of work, but it is just fantastic. She's my "supplier" for all the good herbs and tomatoes in the summer. Unfortunately, my puny yard has like 7 huge trees on it, which makes it extremely shady in the summertime.


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## Hippie (Mar 21, 2005)

Oh, so by supplier, you don't mean manure? Horse manure grows a fine garden.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 21, 2005)

Manure, tomatoes, everything. My garden here is the nicest one. Just can't tell any of those city slickers here about it. They'd freak.


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## Hippie (Mar 22, 2005)

Yes, some would. They will buy the same thang in bags and never know it.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 22, 2005)

Yeah, when my family comes out to our place, we don't call it manure. Oh no. That would kill everyone around here. We either call it "Grade A" (



) or we call it what the container it's in (horse-feed bags) usually "Grow 'n' Win"... SOunds like the stuff those city slickers buy at the Home Depot anyway. hehehehe





Shhhhh!



My secret is out.


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## Hippie (Mar 22, 2005)

Be sure to only use it after it has aged a while. It can contain lots and lots of tiny weed and grass seeds that horses can't digest, and your garden and landscaping will be taken over.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 22, 2005)

Oh, I know about the weeds. It's really minimal, actually. But the rotted stuff is even better.


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## Hippie (Mar 23, 2005)

The last I hauled back home wasn't minimally infected, for sure. I raised beggar lice and bermuda grass that summer!


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## MedPretzel (Mar 23, 2005)

Rabbit manure is good too. Too bad I don't have time/room for them anymore.


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## Hippie (Mar 23, 2005)

Rabbit manure is probably the best fertilizer for the garden. You can put the fresh pellets right up against tomatoes without burning them. The red worms love it, and if you have those, you have health. I miss my rabbits, but I just don't have a good quiet place for them to raise, and I don't want them for just pets, they are one of my favorite foods.


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## RAMROD (Mar 23, 2005)

I'll bet you just lost points with MedPretzel



but I love them to, like em just as much a turtle!


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## Maui Joe (Mar 23, 2005)

Cooked, or as a pet Ramrod?


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## RAMROD (Mar 24, 2005)

Most definitely cooked!



My wife is Cajun (coon-ass) and with enough seasoning she can make those pop sickles Stinkie's dogs were eating taste good! ROFLMAO!


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## Maui Joe (Mar 24, 2005)

I ate some "Cajun" cooked shrimp, etc. once. I really liked it. I don't know if it really was the authentic style or similiar since I have not eaten the "real Cajun food." But I found it spicy with mixed flavorswhich I can dig on! (I would probably like Poiwiththat as well too!)


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## Hippie (Mar 24, 2005)

I had snapping turtle one time, it had dark meat and white meat. I like to put the rabbits in my Cookshack smoker after breaking the backs so that they lay almost flat belly down. Put em on 225 with a little apple or cherry or muscadine wood.


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## Maui Joe (Mar 24, 2005)

Ah, smoked rabbit. We make alot of smoked sausage using meat from wild pigs, venison, beef, goats, etc. It seems whatever can be smoked is good stuff.


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## Hippie (Mar 24, 2005)

In Hawaii,I am sure lots of 'good stuff' is smoked.


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## Maui Joe (Mar 24, 2005)

Lots!


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## OldWino1 (Dec 18, 2005)

What a trail from plastic carboys to county livin to smoked rabbit. 


Are the plastic carboys harder to keep clean and sterrile? I have only glass


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## masta (Dec 18, 2005)

Yes it is funny how some topics go astray!






The plastic carboys clean and sanitize the same as glass.


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## Maui Joe (Dec 19, 2005)

I have both, although I do feeler alot safer with plastic when cleaning...if you clean _*"right away*_," they are both good. I favor long aging in glass though.


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## peterCooper (Dec 24, 2005)

MJ,

Why do you feel safer?
I know hauling a glass carboy is a bit of extra effort but I worry that it is 
easier to scratch plastic which could harbor stuff.

I had a discussion months ago, I think with either Hippie or Masta, on using 
empty 5 gallon water bottles and was told that was a bad idea because they 
do allow some air in. The Better Bottles, I am sure are a totally different 
quality though.


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## Maui Joe (Dec 24, 2005)

My first choice would be to use glass...however there are times when the plastic ones are used, and not for long term aging.


I have not seen or read any scientific evidence to date, confirming that "plastic carboys" are permeable other than a bad seal at the cap or leakage at the air lock. I have filled and sealed a plastic carboy with water and left it in the corner for over six months and no evaporation was noted. And whether any "off tastes" would be noted would be another issue and one would have to compare a batch of the same wine in both glass and plastic carboys to determine that which I have not tested.


On the issue of "feeling safer" using plastic vs. glass, I meant in _"respect"_ for weight and caution issues regarding breakage etc. Obviously, if the plastic carboy has gouges and scratches, on should discard the use for winemaking. In conclusion, I would prefer glass above anything else, but "new-free" plastic carboys when needed, are good back-ups for first racking needs.


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