Crack in glass carboy

[Stevelaz]

Dam! That had to hurt!

 

[jmac]

I'll bet it did. Thankfully not mine. It is suitable enough for me to be suitablely warned lol

 

[ohiowino]

I had no idea wine making was so dangerous! Does anyone bulk age in plastic?

 

[vacuumpumpman]

This is just my perspective -

I see that most age in glass -

Yes you must be careful when handling any glass container - the person trying to clean a carboy in a porcelain tub - BAD IDEA !!

This is one of the many reasons I came up with the Allinonewinepump - so there is no lifting of any full carboys. I also recommend using crates to move the carboys safely, protects the bottom and sides and easier to carry.

When cleaning add 1 gallon of cleaner or sanitizer and use the drill operated carboy cleaner - this way you are only lifting 1 gallon of water while dumping the carboy, much safer.

Just make sure that there is no big water temperature change as that is one of the first things that will cause stress cracks.

I have alot of carboys - I broke 1 due to extreme temperature change - it just cracked , luckily it was empty.

I did come up with an accessory for the Allinonewinepump to now transfer into plastic (PET ) carboys under vacuum - no lifting of any full carboys

http://www.allinonewinepump.com/product/plastic-pet-carboy-transfer-kit/

 

[hounddawg]

Now hear is a point I over looked if you in a tight find a glass place that repairs windshields, daarlarms have more then just a point on his head, don't get the glass place to fix it vacuum wrong direction do as darlarm sad use epoxy but pull vacuum from inside, if you do let me know, that interests me, I still say safely chunk it but you never know and glass repair epoxy can't cost much for just a dab, you can even pull your vacuum using winepumpmans head space elemanator tack empty but under vac to glass shop and have em dab it,
Dawg




QUOTE=dralarms;638712]I agree with everyone else here, but before you trash it try an experiment. Get some 2 part epoxy and put the carboy under vacuum and see if it will suck some epoxy into the crack. Just to see if if it's actually a crack all the way through or if it's a surface crack or just and imperfection.[/QUOTE]

 

[Stevelaz]

I had no idea wine making was so dangerous! Does anyone bulk age in plastic?

Yes! I really like em! See my post above.

 

[hounddawg]

I've bulk aged in plastic for as long as two years wine was no different as aged in glass, I changed to glass to use the all in one wine pump by vacuum pump man, but now he has set up for plastic carboys as well.
Glad I saved my plastic water carboys, now I can bulk age more, but for now I plan only to use them for bulk aging then to bottle, so they will not have a vacuum on them, but if health holds maybe I'll expand further, lol between my glass and plastic I,all do do more apple/pear blends they bulk age for two years,, as the same with my elderberry I bulk age 2 years. Then bottle age for 6 to 8 more years, my reason to keep living, ten year old sweet elderberry, dang
Dawg
Dawg




UOTE=ohiowino;638851]I had no idea wine making was so dangerous! Does anyone bulk age in plastic?[/QUOTE]

 

[hounddawg]

My two cents worth is plastic just fine, I'm particle to my Italian glass but have no problem bringing my plastic back on line.
Dawg

 

[kevinlfifer]

I know some will think this is a HORRIBLE idea. I have been using the 4 gal PET water bottles for 3 yrs now with NO problem. I even bulk age for 10 months in them. They are free if not cheap (3.97 @ Sam's with the water in them)

Don't use the 5 gal reusable water bottles, they are O2 permeable.

 

[Tnuscan]

I know some will think this is a HORRIBLE idea. I have been using the 4 gal PET water bottles for 3 yrs now with NO problem. I even bulk age for 10 months in them. They are free if not cheap (3.97 @ Sam's with the water in them)

Don't use the 5 gal reusable water bottles, they are O2 permeable.

Please put a runner along the bottom front edge of those boards, like the one along the back on the wall, and then runners at least every 16 inches or so between them. So I'll be able to sleep tonight.

 

[kevinlfifer]

The board is oak, It had a little wave in it when I put it up. It's not going anywhere. If it were OSB or particle board I would need the rail

 

[jmac]

Aren't those reusables?

 

[kevinlfifer]

No they clearly say on the label, NOT FOR REUSE. The PRIMO water station at our Walmart has a bin that people put there 5 gal bottle in for a coupon on a full bottle. Some folks put the 4 gal bottles in anyway, ignoring the sign that says "NO 4 GALLON BOTTLES PLEASE" The 4 gal bottles still triggers the coupon. The delivery driver removes the reusable bottles, leaving the 4 gallon bottles in the bin. After so long there is not enough room for the 5's and he calls me to get the 4's out of his way.

They are the same PET as the better bottles, but thinner. So now if I want to do a kit I order 2 (12 wine gal = 3 @ 4 gal. bottles). For juice buckets I get 2 the same or 2 that I want to blend...

Currently, I have 30 @ 4 gal bottles and only 14 full. Can you say CHILEAN JUICE!!!

 

[Stevelaz]

I know some will think this is a HORRIBLE idea. I have been using the 4 gal PET water bottles for 3 yrs now with NO problem. I even bulk age for 10 months in them. They are free if not cheap (3.97 @ Sam's with the water in them)

Don't use the 5 gal reusable water bottles, they are O2 permeable.

Funny! I just got home from walmart with a new empty 5 gallon water bottle for 5 bucks! I was just looking to make sure it was ok to use. It is stamped with symbol #1 PETE. I then looked at one of my better bottles and is has the exact same stamp of #1 PETE, so the water bottle must be safe to use!
Why do you say not to use the 5 gallon ones?

I also love your shelve setup! I am a big fan of the better bottle and vintage house pet carboys! I have a few myself!

 

[NorCal]

Pet refers to the polymer used to make the plastic. It is food safe. My concern with pet would be long-term oxidation vs hdpe with appropriate thickness and density.

 

[bkisel]

I had no idea wine making was so dangerous! Does anyone bulk age in plastic?

I do. Basically my two Italian Glass Carboys are just for vacuum degassing. Longest I bulk age though is only 3 months (for high end kits, 2 months lower end kits and generally only 1 month for fruit/country wines).

 

[kevinlfifer]

Many older 5 gal are not PETE1, Some are polypropylene. If its PET 1 Your good to go. Although I don't like the surface area caused by the handle some have, harder to clean.

 

[jburtner]

I really don't like the idea of "aging wine in plastic"....

I am willing to have my mind changed though and would definitely enjoy the increased safety factor.

Maybe picking some of these up to test a batch of something would be worthwhile... At that price they are basically disposable.

Cheers!
-johann

 

[Stevelaz]

The only thing about the 5 gallon i got from walmart is there are a few ridges that stick out a bit around it up the wall and im wondering if some sediment will sit on that and then get mixed back in when racking. probably not a big deal but the better bottles, and especially the vintage shop pet carboy are totally smooth up the side wall so everything drops right to the bottom.

 

[Joani]

A few nights ago, I heard some glass-on-glass as a carboy-in-waiting got knocked into my pinot noir carboy. I didn't think much of it, or of the small puddle the next day (not the smartest one, me). I thought, because I'd just added the four packages, that it was from splashings of the spoon or something.

Last night, I heard some more glass-on-glass action (not as sexy as it sounds), winced, but didn't see anything. This morning I came down and found another puddle... and saw the crack in the carboy, right as it curves into the shoulder. I didn't dare move it, but knew I had to move fast. I spent the next ten minutes hand pumping from one carboy to another.

The question I have now is, is the wine any good? Should I be worried about glass shards? Can I filter the possibility of them out using a filtering machine and some fine pads?