Old Oil Bottles

[BaldAssCat]

I picked up a couple 2 gallon jugs today at a yard sale. From what I can tell they were most likely used to store kerosene a long time back but now are just covered in mud. I grabbed them because they were only asking a couple bucks but I’m hesitant to use them.

My question is can these be made safe for use as a primary? I looked around the web but I can’t find anything on the subject.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

It doesn't sound like a good idea. If they're steel, they're likely to rust without an oil-based product inside. If they're plastic, you'll never rid them of the kerosene smell.

 

[llazy_llama]

They were used to store kerosene, are currently covered in mud, and no idea what they're made of. A 3-gallon water jug made of beer-safe #1 or #2 plastic can be purchased for <$10.


I'm going to let you figure this one out.

 

[BaldAssCat]

Sorry, forgot to mention they're made of glass. They look like mini carboys.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I suppose they'd be ok if you can get them clean. Given the low replacement cost, I'd opt for some new glass fermenters.

 

[rsmith179]

Ummm... really? Save yourself the trouble. Go out and buy a 1-2 gallon jug of wine and at least enjoy it. At the very least, cough up a another dollar or two and get a brand new jug. I personally wouldn't want to use something that may have been used to store gas/oil and is now covered in mud.

 

[malkore]

old glass carboys....likely full of stress fractures. Not worth it IMO

 

[Dagatris]

Agreed, they are just waiting for the right moment to crack and spill your brew.

 

[HSM]

2 gallon jugs aren't that common. Glass is wonderfull stuff, soak, clean, sanitize and they should look like new.

Somewhere along the line the other decided they has stress fractures... do they?

 

[BaldAssCat]

2 gallon jugs aren't that common. Glass is wonderfull stuff, soak, clean, sanitize and they should look like new.

Somewhere along the line the other decided they has stress fractures... do they?

These not being that common are the reason I'm assuming they were used for kerosene. The only place I&#8217;ve ever seen them used was for oil burners with a spring loaded screw-on top. Although the one&#8217;s I&#8217;ve seen before were plainly labeled with the company logo in raised lettering on the glass. These are smooth with only small markings on the bottom that I haven&#8217;t been able to track down yet.

I didn't see any stress fractures, just a few scratches on the bottom of one of them where it looks like it was dragged on a concrete floor, nothing bad though. The glass is very thick. I've soaked them in dish soap for 2 days and I'm on day 3 of oxiclean and they're looking pretty good.

I was mostly worried about pitting on the inside of them where oils and bacteria could hide but that doesn't seem to be the case either. I'm going to give them a good inspection, maybe put some red food coloring in to see what stains and what rinses clean. If they don&#8217;t look like they&#8217;re going to come clean I&#8217;ll give them to my wife so she can fill them with colored water and leave them on the front porch for decoration.

 

[BrewBeemer]

It sounds like a great find you lucky one.
I would clean and use them especially from the
inside finish and thickness of the jugs you have
posted. I've run commercial grade tank wash cleaner
thru 5 gallon water jugs that looked like they were used
as ash trays and spilled coffee dried for years and they
came out as brand new and spotless with a shiny inside finish.
They were as clean as the big rig tankers that come into
the yard daily and get certified for food grade after a cleaning.
This being certified for food grade and after hauling a load of
epoxy before being washed out or any other industrial chemical.
I've never seen glass absorb any substance, now if the previous
substance or solution had etched into the glass then I would pass.
You should be able to see if the inside surface of the jugs are bright
and shiny or etched then it's your call. I would gladly take them off
your hands. I have to laugh at people that try to put fear into your
head while they are drinking their hot coffee out of a plastic container.
Nuff said.

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

Glass is inert, clean it. Use it.

 

[IwanaBrich]

I agree that glass is inert and probably can be cleaned, but with plastic fermenters, so cheap why take the risk of getting sick? Kerosene is very oily and may be very difficult to throughly clean out. You may think its clean, but there still may be a trace left in the bottles. Kerosene contains Benzene a known carcinogen. My 6.6 gallon fermenter was $12 and you can buy a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot with a lid for like $5 or $6. In my opinion, its not worth the risk.

You may want to surf the web on Kerosene first.

ATSDR - Public Health Statement: Fuel Oils

 

[ChshreCat]

Here's whatcha do...

Clean those puppies out so they're spic and span.

Then set them on a table next to your front door.

Each day when you get home, drop your spare change in them.

When they're full, use the money to buy a bunch of brand new brewing equipment.