Your experiences with second hand carboys

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Brew2Be

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Hi everyone at HBT. I picked up a used 25 liter carboy in a second hand shop for $8. Would this be safe to use (after being cleaned of course)? If so what is some good ways to clean your carboy? I read somewhere that using bleach is good. Below is an image of it. And it is a bit sharded in the neck but it doesn't seem to be sharp.. Will this pose any problem?

qnmo35.jpg


Thanks in advance.
 
nice find. As long as you can find a bung to fit it and it holds an airtight seal, I'd say it's perfect.

I would probably soak it in Oxiclean or PBW for a while, rinse, then repeat with a soaking of bleach. (diluted to 1 tablespoon per gallon of water) then just rinse the crap out of it. Congrats!
 
Powdered Brewery Wash - somewhat similar to oxyclean, except rinses cleaner. Oxyclean works great as long as you use hot water & don't leave it longer than a day or two.
 
Powdered Brewery Wash. It's an oxygen type cleaner just like Oxiclean Free.

I'd definitely use an oxygen type cleaner first to get in nasty bits out before bleaching. There's no telling what was in that thing before you got it.

Are there any markings on the bottom?
 
Yup. Agreed - oxiclean free is what you want - don't want a perfumed-smelling carboy. The generic oxiclean works fine too, you just have to rinse more.
 
I found one buried in dirt and full of muck. It has made many good beers and wines.
 
I bought my first 2 from 2 different people on craig's list. I cleaned them both and sanitized them well, and they have served me just like I would hope.

I don't think I would buy a plastic one second hand, but glass seemed a safe thing.
 
Thanks for all your replies guys :). One last thing I feel like I didn't get a clear answer about is whether it is ok to use the carboy even though the edge of the neck is chipped (some of the glas chipped of). The edges are not really sharp but feel a bit tacky. Should I toss it out and buy a brand new one or is it ok as long as the chip is not elsewhere?
 
Here some food for thouhght. Hold it up to light if there is a rainbow effect in the glass that's usually from a mineral/ chemical build up that it has developed from sitting in a basement or somewhere similar. Usually if it is infected there is no real way to get rid of it. This makes it worthless really.
If anyone cares I learned this about 3 yrs ago when a close friend to the family buys and sells glass and explained and showed me the difference.. It's very real and is it worth risking your prized liquid gold or prized wine. For me the Answer is no..
 
I think a picture of the chip would help a lot. If there is a crack, at all, that crack can hold infection and pose a real threat to your life and limb during cleaning or moving. Now if all the chipping is rounded and looks like it is safe then you are probably fine. Just know that all glass carboys are a hazard.
 
I think a picture of the chip would help a lot. If there is a crack, at all, that crack can hold infection and pose a real threat to your life and limb during cleaning or moving. Now if all the chipping is rounded and looks like it is safe then you are probably fine. Just know that all glass carboys are a hazard.

Ofcourse.. Sorry. Here are two pictures of the chip. There are some quite small ones around the neck edge besides the big one but they don't seem important.

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