Shattering Carboys?

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
So I have been following this and watched the video. I have this Mexican carboy that has to be at least 20-30 years old (judging by the label condition) with defects in the glass. No issues, knock on wood.
If I didn’t read this post or the recent ones on Facebook I would not be worried about my carboys…. But after reading.. well I am debating if I keep using this one.
who knows, I could go years with no issue…
 

Attachments

  • 9AED29AA-4767-4179-9255-1022974061BA.jpeg
    9AED29AA-4767-4179-9255-1022974061BA.jpeg
    1.4 MB
  • E7DD96B7-1806-45D9-A01C-D462F094A15F.jpeg
    E7DD96B7-1806-45D9-A01C-D462F094A15F.jpeg
    898.3 KB
  • 9379362B-7A6F-451F-8206-D3ABA10708DE.jpeg
    9379362B-7A6F-451F-8206-D3ABA10708DE.jpeg
    888.6 KB
Many older carboys and demijohns will have some visible defects like what you have shown, bubbles, bits of sand, thickness variation etc., but the fact that they are old means they have stood the test of time. Carboys that have stress from not being properly annealed is a different issue and of greater concern in my opinion.
 
So I have been following this and watched the video. I have this Mexican carboy that has to be at least 20-30 years old (judging by the label condition) with defects in the glass. No issues, knock on wood.
If I didn’t read this post or the recent ones on Facebook I would not be worried about my carboys…. But after reading.. well I am debating if I keep using this one.
who knows, I could go years with no issue…
the newer Italian, clam that using the latest technologize. gives a much more constant thickness over even the Italian carboys. all of my 28 or so carboy are Italian, but the premium. are much better in weight, , the 6 gall are $34.49 each. i went to checkout several times to figure how many would become the cheapest, first order was was in 4's ,, i ended up way over crowded ,so i bought 11 premiums in different orders, one shipment came with 3 broke which UPS signed for the damage, not a word said, they sent more, 1 broken, and again i got another . right as rain, i even talked to them on the phone. i explained how, the other place used Styrofoam foam on all 4 corners, where i live arboys cost way more then new, where i live i half to order everything
Dawg,
 
So I have been following this and watched the video. I have this Mexican carboy that has to be at least 20-30 years old (judging by the label condition) with defects in the glass. No issues, knock on wood.
If I didn’t read this post or the recent ones on Facebook I would not be worried about my carboys…. But after reading.. well I am debating if I keep using this one.
who knows, I could go years with no issue…
I have at least a few with similar bubbles and feel as you do. Prior to this thread I never really thought about them being defective. After all they may be 50 plus years old.
 
Gino Pinto got back to me and said that for the last 2 years their carboys have come from Italy… but I am still concerned that the ones I bought in the last 2 years may have been older stock. I haven’t looked at all of them, but the ones I did look at had no markings. The italian ones I have are all marked Italy on the bottom.
 
these ole boys with tons of grey matter can tell you much more, but if on a slab floor or bare plywood, neither is good, the cement slab.
has no give, and even a slight bump can do damage, plywood, holding a framing square by the big end with the short end laying on the floor run it over ever inch of the floor, listening for slight tings of a nail head, or a small piece of gravel. i keep cardboard an set it on the floor where i put my carboys as well as a commercial aluminum baking sheet ,will hold 2 carboys, the baking sheets are for minor spills or spilt chemicals ,, and if i have to fight ants i put domesticated earth food grade in the baking sheets,
 
Now that I have started to rack off some carboys, I was curious to see what I had. The first photo is Mexican made which surprised me. Whenever I would see the lined thick glass, I assumed it was Italian. The second pic show the manufacture. I think it says Crisa. And the last two photos is a carboy that my dad used in 1960 and I continue to use. No manufacturer on the bottom. There is a bubble in the glass and a seam runs up and down on both sides.
Mexico.jpgCrisa.jpgbubble.jpgseam.jpg
 
Many older carboys and demijohns will have some visible defects like what you have shown, bubbles, bits of sand, thickness variation etc., but the fact that they are old means they have stood the test of time. Carboys that have stress from not being properly annealed is a different issue and of greater concern in my opinion.
these ole boys with tons of grey matter can tell you much more, but if on a slab floor or bare plywood, neither is good, the cement slab.
has no give, and even a slight bump can do damage, plywood, holding a framing square by the big end with the short end laying on the floor run it over ever inch of the floor, listening for slight tings of a nail head, or a small piece of gravel. i keep cardboard an set it on the floor where i put my carboys as well as a commercial aluminum baking sheet ,will hold 2 carboys, the baking sheets are for minor spills or spilt chemicals ,, and if i have to fight ants i put domesticated earth food grade in the baking sheets,
A while back I posted a picture of the dirt bike jack that I purchased at Princess Auto. When using this, the carbouys never get bumped they simply slide on and off at counter height. When siphoning the jack is at the floor level and then raised to counter height. Sure save on the back and maybe saves a few carbouys from breaking due to bumping around.
 
@wineview the circle "I" punt mark is from a US company, Owens Illinois North America, that carboy is from one of the many US facilities. Both the Owens Illinois and the Crisa Mexico are reliable carboys.
 
@wineview the circle "I" punt mark is from a US company, Owens Illinois North America, that carboy is from one of the many US facilities. Both the Owens Illinois and the Crisa Mexico are reliable carboys.
I just noticed the “I” in the photo. That’s the 1960 carboy with the bubble and seam.
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Back
Top