Today I went to transfer a 1 gallon batch of JAOM from a 1 gallon spring water bottle (same as a plastic milk bottle), into a glass bottle to finally take it off the fruit and yeast. It was in the plastic bottle for about a half a year.
In the process of transferring it into my 1 gallon carboy (a used Carlo Rossi wine bottle) the neck of it decided to crack and break off. I had noticed a blemish in the neck of the bottle after I bought it, sort of a raisin-sized bead of glass stuck to the inside of the neck of the bottle. But I paid little attention to it, and had no problems using it for several yeast starters. The bottle and the mead were at room temp when transferring, so I wouldn't think temperature shock would be my problem. I think that all this time, I had a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode.
After it cracked (the entire neck of the bottle broken off, maybe I'll attach a picture), I decided to let it sit for a half hour to help let any glass possibly settle out. Then I racked it out of the broken jug into 2 smaller jugs, leaving the bottom 2 inches of mead in the broken jug. I'm going to let it sit in those new bottles for about a week to settle more, then carefully pour it out of the bottles through a couple coffee filters into another bottle, leaving another inch or two behind. Yes I'm aware that oxidation is probably inevitable at this point, but I really don't want to dump this batch. Taste tests have found this to be absolutely awesome!
Sorry for the long post. I'm currently buzzed and sucking down another 4 liter bottle of Carlo Rossi Merlot to replace the broken one and to satisfy my sadness. Some intoxication is inevitable as well.
Before everyone goes off about the risks of others, this batch will be ingested by only myself and others who will be greatly warned about the possibilities. It will be transferred multiple times, and filtered multiple times.
Maybe you guys can talk me out if it, but I'd hate to waste a half a years worth of waiting/watching for this to go down the drain...
In the process of transferring it into my 1 gallon carboy (a used Carlo Rossi wine bottle) the neck of it decided to crack and break off. I had noticed a blemish in the neck of the bottle after I bought it, sort of a raisin-sized bead of glass stuck to the inside of the neck of the bottle. But I paid little attention to it, and had no problems using it for several yeast starters. The bottle and the mead were at room temp when transferring, so I wouldn't think temperature shock would be my problem. I think that all this time, I had a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode.
After it cracked (the entire neck of the bottle broken off, maybe I'll attach a picture), I decided to let it sit for a half hour to help let any glass possibly settle out. Then I racked it out of the broken jug into 2 smaller jugs, leaving the bottom 2 inches of mead in the broken jug. I'm going to let it sit in those new bottles for about a week to settle more, then carefully pour it out of the bottles through a couple coffee filters into another bottle, leaving another inch or two behind. Yes I'm aware that oxidation is probably inevitable at this point, but I really don't want to dump this batch. Taste tests have found this to be absolutely awesome!
Sorry for the long post. I'm currently buzzed and sucking down another 4 liter bottle of Carlo Rossi Merlot to replace the broken one and to satisfy my sadness. Some intoxication is inevitable as well.
Before everyone goes off about the risks of others, this batch will be ingested by only myself and others who will be greatly warned about the possibilities. It will be transferred multiple times, and filtered multiple times.
Maybe you guys can talk me out if it, but I'd hate to waste a half a years worth of waiting/watching for this to go down the drain...