Woo Hoo Another Carboy!

[Pumpkinman]

Dave, I hear ya! We drink a fair amount of wine like you and your wife, friends and family have gotten use to the rotating bottle system, I give it to them full, they bring it back cleaned and empty, and get a new one...LOL

I have 14 carboys in various stages of aging as we speak, and this doesn't even bring brewing beer into the equation!

We get together with a few friends every week or so and bring several different wines and beers, and we all sample each others beer and wine, my buddy will make some homemade pizza or pasta, in the summer we BBQ, sometimes we just pick up bottle of wine that I've read about, or a few craft beer that I've heard being positively rated on the beer forums, if we like them, we try to make the wine, or clone the beer, it's a real nice way to spend the evening.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I also like alot of you - give away alot for gifts. It is always nice when people want to purchase some and you say its not 4-sale , but what would you like?

I just counted and I have 28 carboys- 15 are full as of now at different stages. I can never pass up a good deal on a carboy - I need to stop looking at craigslist !!

 

[StoneCreek]

A month ago I was in Wal-mart and seen those 5 gallon water jugs; Is there any reason that they could not be used for carboy? If I remember right they were fairly cheap; a lot less than what I just paid for my second 6 gallon carboy. I hope it gets here this next week.

Cowboy, I was just wondering the same thing. Hopefully, those in the know will answer soon.

 

[Pumpkinman]

As long as you can get an airlock that fits, I'd use them for fermenting at best, but not for aging.

 

[StoneCreek]

As long as you can get an airlock that fits, I'd use them for fermenting at best, but not for aging.

That's good to know. I do not plan on bulk aging until I can get many more carboys. So you think these would be okay for secondaries and for clearing?

 

[bkisel]

Wow, I'm obviously a wine maker, drinker, gifter wimp compared to you guys. But had I started this hobby decades ago in my single days I'd put you all to shame.

 

[Elmer]

I have :
3 six gallon glass carboy

1 five gal carboy (borrowed from my old man, which I marked up with gallon marks and he is never getting back)

5 one gallon glass jug

1 six 1/2 gallon fermt bucket
1 two gallon bucket

A few various plastic and glass jugs between 64 oz and 32 oz.

My problem is everyone on craigslist is selling better bottles (which I can't use, but might give me a try for costs sake)
And not carboys.
Carboys in my areas 2 LHBS are pricey $49 or $45 for 6 gallon depending on which store I go to.

But I have decided I need atleast 2 more 5 gallons and atleast a. Real 1/2 gallon glass jug!

The cost is killing me and getting in the way of production!

Why can't I just have a simple, harmless hobby like compulsive gambling!

 

[jamesngalveston]

I drink about a bottle a night by myself, if wine...maybe 1/2 bottle of port....since drinking my wine, my liquor cabinets stays full.
But family and friends get there share for sure, i do have bought a lot of carboys,buckets,pails....

 

[cintipam]

Elmer, I really like my Better Bottles. I have 2 6 gallon BBs that I use as secondaries only. They are my first racking out of the big 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket. From there, I can rack into a Mexican 5 with a 3 liter leftover. I just got a couple Italian 5's, but haven't measured exactly how much they hold yet. I've been told they hold a touch more, so will prob have to still go with 3 liter and not have any left for the mason jar in fridge for topping off. Point is, Better Bottles are good in my opinion. Bit I don't age in them. I rack out usually less than a month. And they are very very easy to clean and lift and store.

I've only been doing this since July and I'm embarrassed to list what I have already. But Craigslist has been very very good to me here.

Pam in cinti

 

[Pumpkinman]

Don't be embarrassed, be one of the proud overindulgers!!!!

 

[cintipam]

Well, I am blessed by a hubby who lets me indulge my interests. we just retired and while I'm looking to cut costs, not going whole hog would be a bad choice IMHO. We also drink a lot of wine, and what I used to buy was expensive enough to make me unwilling to keep buying more. Soo, while I have bought a lot of carboys I'm nuts enough to keep track of all my so called permanent expenses, and I add 3 bucks a gallon mental surtax on everything I make to offset the cost in the long run. I calculate that I will have paid off my carboys (and AllinOnePump) etc within 3 years. And my oh my am I happy with my makings.

Serious question here guys. I recently broke open a couple bottles of what I used to buy and drink in prior years and I really notice a difference in those pesky after effects from over indulging. What I made just fades and all is well. But now the purchased stuff makes my head stuffy and me crabby. Is that common?

Oh, and I have about 23 carboys from 3-6 gallon plus 30 3 and 4 liters and single gallons.

There better not be and intervention group waiting for me tomorrow!

Pam in cinti

 

[Winenoob66]

Carboys are like gremlins they only multiply if you get them wet

 

[fabrictodyefor]

Serious question here guys. I recently broke open a couple bottles of what I used to buy and drink in prior years and I really notice a difference in those pesky after effects from over indulging. What I made just fades and all is well. But now the purchased stuff makes my head stuffy and me crabby. Is that common?
Pam in cinti

I am not sure if this is "common", but my sister and I have experienced the same phenomenon.... We both began making wine in August, so at Thanksgiving we thought we had enough varieties to taste test. And rather than the thimble size at wineries we had full glasses and realized we had consumed quite a bit. She spent the night here and we both woke up wondering where our hangovers were!
Bobbie

 

[Droc]

From what i've read it's the sulfite a that can cause bad hangovers. I think commercial wineries use a lot more of them than the average do it your selfer. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure thats your answer.

 

[dralarms]

wine making isnt expensive.....hummmm...if i factor in all the carboys, all the chemicals,bottles,openers,corkets,vacummpumps, corks ,labels,etc.
by wine only comes up to about 39.87 a bottle....

James,

Your problem is you ain't making enough. And you can only count 1/2 the cost of a carboy into your wine making, you can sell it easy for the other half.

I don't even figure in the cost of equipment into my caculations, I figure cost of materials only, the rest iget to use over and over again.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I agree dralarms
This is a hobby - I enjoy doing this and it is a passion of mine. I do not do this because financially it is cheaper to make rather than purchase.

 

[dralarms]

I do it because nobody make a wine I like. Most store bought wine is nasty. Now that said, itried a honey mead that was 30 years old, it was good. Very good.

 

[Pumpkinman]

fabrictodyefor - I haven't woken up feeling like crap since I started making and drinking my own wine and beer - I agree 100%

 

[stillmarykay]

I had 2 glasses of commercial wine and was not crazy about the taste, though in the past I loved it. 2 glasses and my hot flashes were worse than its been since I started making and drinking wine. Wine making and recently my first batch of beer is very addictive, but in a good way. I too have found I can drink more of my homemade wine and not feel the hangover affect of commercial wine. Pam, I thought my sister went crazy with adding more and more winemaking equipment but you have her beat. Enjoy.

 

[cintipam]

Thanks everyone. Glad it wasn't my imagination. Another great reason to make my own. While saving money is a definite plus in this hobby, additional ways to use fruit from the backyard was my first reason to give this a try. Once I found out how fabulous the wines could be (with guidance from this group) I was totally hooked. The cost keeping is just because I am wired that way. It was a large part of my job pre retirement and I use it to justify my later purchases. Like the All in One Pump. If I didn't know for sure what I had spent (and also what I'd saved by making my own) it would have been a couple more years before I bought the pump. And I'm really glad I didn't wait. Awesome item.

Pam in cinti