Is this Safe??

[matt1956]

I was offered a quantity of 6.5 gallon glass carboys that were used in an agricultral lab as containers for sulfuric acid. They look pretty much like any other clear glass carboy.
Can they be safely cleaned for wine making?
Thanks,

 

[saddlebronze]

sulfuric acid is soluble in water, so rinse out well and use. Wear head to toe rubber gear including eyewear and do it outside. Make sure any leftover acid is out of the containers first.

 

[AlFulchino]

Matt you make a really good point...we must be watchful over what we buy used....two yrs ago i replied to a craigslist ad that had for free three tons of agricultural fertilizer...long story short....i told a friend about it and he said is that down in xxxxx, Massachusetts? i said yes.....he said ...Al my daughters friend works at the place that has that fertilizer, all of it has been used in x ray tests over and over and over again to try to block the view-ability of things in scanners

what are the odds of finding that out? anyways i passed on the opportunity for all this bagged fert that was probably worth 900 dollars....it may have been harmless, but i dont have IBGlowin as a neighbor to check for me so i had to pass

 

[saddlebronze]

Father Al has a point, hopefully they have a label on them so you can determine that it was only sulfuric acid.

 

[matt1956]

Hi,
Thanks for the helpful comments.
The containers do have labels and packing slips saying sulfuric acid for labortory use. Also, the address of the lab and vendor. A real estate investor purchased the warehouse where the now closed lab was located.
Some labels date back to 1984.

I did a little checking online about reusability of glass containers that contained sulfuric acid. Nowhere did I find any articles that specifically addressed this question. I did find a definition of carboy as a glass container used to safely contain chemicals such as sulfuric acid.

Bronze, I think you are right on the money. I will wash them carefully.
One article did say NEVER add water to sulfuric acid.
Anyway I took 30 of them. ON CREDIT!!
Thanks again,Matt

 

[Runningwolf]

Holy Smokes, 30? Can I ask what you had to pay for one?

 

[Tom]

I only have 1 6.5 gal carboy.
Remember unless you plan on making fruit/grape wines you will have a big headspace on 6 gal kits.

 

[matt1956]

$20 ea over 3 months.
I am not interested in making $ with them.
I will probably sell 20 of them.
They are packaged in styrofaom(sp?) kegs.
If anyone wants some.....

 

[matt1956]

I am fairly new to wine making but did make awesome perssimon/muscadine this year. Also, we have a 3 acre muscadine vinyard.

I think I like the 6.5 gal carboy because when I use (2)5 gal buckets for initial fermenting I get (2) 3 gal+ amounts to fill the 6.5.
I guess with 30 carboys I will have to move up to larger food grade drums.