Antique Glass Carboy

[rich5665]

So I found an Antique Glass Carboy at a local thrift shop. We are talking the thick almost greenish glass 5 gallon variety. The mouth is about as wide as a wine bottle and roughly 3/4 of an inch thick. Trust me when I say it was not a fun job trying to get a bottle brush inside. Anyway I plan on using this for mead fermentation, my concern though is a rust spot in the bottom of the carboy. I soak the carboy with almost 5 gallons of hot water and Oxiclean for 15 minutes then went to town scrubbing it the best I could with the brush. I refilled the bottle with warm water and Onestep Cleanser (I Have a lot of cleaners) and decided to let it soak over night. The wife suggested a solution of White Vinegar and water as well. Is the carboy a loss to be relegated to decorating my house or can it be saved?

 

[mjlower]

to remove the rust, outside of what you've already done, I'm not sure what would work.. But if it were me, I wouldn't use anything that has rusted, I'm just paranoid like that I suppose.. maybe someone with more scientific knowledge can shine some light on it though.. good luck!

 

[SevenOaks]

You can try muriatic acid. Since the rust is on the bottom, just a little to cover might do the trick.

 

[GHBWNY]

I can't imagine a non-removable rust spot being a problem with the wort. Just the same, it's a surface deposit and if it concerns you, it needs something abrasive to remove it.

Haven't tried this, but I'm envisioning something like a non-toxic abrasive paste made up of say, 1 C. water, 1/2 C. baking soda and 2 tbs. vinegar poured into the carboy with the addition of something like small marbles or ball bearings. And then swish them around over the rust spot.

Or sticking a piece of Brillo pad on the end of a dowel? Or a piece of wet/dry sandpaper?

 

[Jwin]

Clr?

 

[Homercidal]

Lots of acids will remove it. Muriatic should work. CLR is effective. Vinegar may work over time, but it's a mild acid, relatively speaking. Good for mineral deposits.

I've had really good luck with Rust Out and other rust remover products if you let them sit a bit and can wipe with a brush once in a while. Should not hurt the glass.

 

[flars]

Glass doesn't rust, so this is something else. Is it a raised spot, like something lay in the carboy, disintegrated and adhered to the glass? Is it a bubble in the glass which broke out, on the inside of the carboy, and collected various debris over the years?

 

[rich5665]

Glass doesn't rust, so this is something else. Is it a raised spot, like something lay in the carboy, disintegrated and adhered to the glass? Is it a bubble in the glass which broke out, on the inside of the carboy, and collected various debris over the years?

If I had to guess, the carboy was probably uses as a piggy bank and there was a piece of metal in there or something. Again I found it in a thrift shop. I think I'll try a solution of baking soda and white vinegar. I want to keep as many chemicals out of the equation as possible. I like the idea of using a dowel, it's one that I was actually thinking about along with a pieces of abrasive scrubbing pad. If I can't get the stain out I have a nice piece to put in my office. No big loss, I have other fermenters on hand.

 

[Homercidal]

I agree. Though I'm not concerned with not being able to rinse that out. For the most part those things are just fancy acids designed to remove mineral deposits and should rinse out very easily.

You are correct about a piece of metal in there rusting and leaving a stain. A scrubby pad on a dowel should work great.

I would question why you would mix baking soda and vinegar. I think they would fight each other, rather than the rust stain. If you can get that scrubby down there, I think plain white vinegar should work well enough.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

A good ferment will probably remove that rust spot..........

 

[DrunkleJon]

Have you tried Starsan? It is used to passivize stainless by dissolving free iron that may rust. I am sure you have it or something like it in your brewing cleaner cupboard. Plus you end up with a sanitary fermenter at the end.

 

[augiedoggy]

to remove the rust, outside of what you've already done, I'm not sure what would work.. But if it were me, I wouldn't use anything that has rusted, I'm just paranoid like that I suppose.. maybe someone with more scientific knowledge can shine some light on it though.. good luck!

its just iron... those who brew with electric and dont use the stainless base elements deal with it all the time, I didnt think I had any rust in my boil kettle until I removed the nut holding mine in the kettle to transfer to a new pot...
anyway its a natural mineral found in the water. if the stain is that stubborn then it isnt going anywhere including into the beer right?

 

[Homercidal]

its just iron... those who brew with electric and dont use the stainless base elements deal with it all the time, I didnt think I had any rust in my boil kettle until I removed the nut holding mine in the kettle to transfer to a new pot...
anyway its a natural mineral found in the water. if the stain is that stubborn then it isnt going anywhere including into the beer right?

This is true, however in the BK you are sanitizing it.

In the fermentor, it can harbor bacteria due to it's porous and rough texture ()relatively speaking of course...) That bacteria can wake up and start multiplying once some yummy wort gets poured into it.

 

[Jwin]

If it's flat bottomed, maybe wrap a stir bar in fne grit steel wool?
I like the likelyhood thatjondonovan put that washer in there 20 years ago

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Sanitize it, and ferment in it............You might make an "Iron" City clone................

 

[Spellman]

My vote is for barkeepers friend and a green scrubby zip tied around the end of a dowel. I've used that stuff to wipe off rust stains on other items around the house before and it works pretty well. If you happen to have a degassing wand with the wings that fold down, you could remove them, attach the srubby on the end of it hand give it a power scrub with a drill attached.

 

[rich5665]

I'm having second thoughts, I tried to test my autostphon with it to drain water. The autostphon does not fit.

 

[Jwin]

Sounds like a money jug

 

[rich5665]

Sounds like a money jug

Pretty much going to nickels, dime and pennies.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Pretty much going to nickels, dime and pennies.

Good luck with that when you're trying to empty the change out, especially with such a small hole.

I use glass carboys for fermenting... but I always use plastic carboys for change. They're lighter, and I can cut the damn top off if my change and dollar bills get stuck!

I'd stick a dead flower in it and call it a day...

 

[Stealthcruiser]

You're gonna' give up on it, 'cause you're auto-siphon won't fit?

Howza' 'bout a racking cane?

Post up a pic of this relic, and let's have a look at it!

 

[rich5665]

Forgot about racking canes. I'll post a few pics tonight