Home Distiller

I'm sure to most of you guys this is old news but it is a good read. Especially for the folks that flip their sealing lids upside down.
BPA In Mason Jar lids, article is dated 2010 bud updated 2013
http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/bpa ... seriously/

I saw this posted quite a while back and I use them. They work great.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.a ... &catid=720" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

MichiganCornhusker wrote:I saw this posted quite a while back and I use them. They work great.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.a ... &catid=720" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Yeah I saw that a few times, I've been looking for the post that someone stated the sizes for the mason jar regular mouth and widemouth but cant find it.

Found it.

Re: mason jar lids

Postby S-Cackalacky » Wed Nov 19, 2014 3:33 pm
I've been using these - http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.a" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow ... &catid=720 . The 2.725" size fits a regular mason jar and the 3.5" size fits a large mouth mason jar.

I use these for aging on glass - http://www.widgetco.com/jar-cork-stoppers-standard" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow . The 3.5" (size 48) fits a 1 gallon large mouth pickle jar.

get this and cut to size
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1PC-PTFE-Shee ... 1IWt7AjtNQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I use the 3.5" for widemouth jars, and using the lid as a pattern I trim them down to about 3.25" to fit.

I use antique glass lids. You can find on ebay.

Some of the mason jar lids are BPA free. Here is how you can tell if they are
http://onceuponatimeinabedofwildflowers ... -bpa-free/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

zach wrote:I use antique glass lids. You can find on ebay.

I found these to be a different size to my current jars. Either that or the seller measured them wrong...

BPA free or not they still use plastisol as a sealer. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 0#p7216051

These corks work nice in wine or beer bottles. They seal the 25 oz wine or 12 oz beer bottles.

http://www.homebrewohio.com/pd-tasting- ... -of-25.cfm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

The mason jar lid liners are more expensive than these corks and still have a chance of failure ( and exposure to nasty chemicals).

Hello,
I'm new here so I don't know what the protocol is to posting on topics. Just doing a bit of reading in the "what not to do section" as I plan out my still. I saw this thread so I thought I would read. I'm trying to find an article that relates to this subject. My wife and I are big canners. I believe last summer (Summer '16) both Ball and Kerr stopped producing metal canning lids with BPA's in them. For whatever reason it was sort of hush-hush or not as publicized as you think it should have been. But I read the article and was pretty happy. All the new canning jar lids I have seen at my local stores all say BPA free. I will keep searching for the article, but if you re buying new metal lids, not ones that have been sitting in a stores stock, then they should be BPA free.

Hi Ferthy.

BPA free or not - they all still have plastic/rubber compounds on the inside of the lids, so should not be used with high proof spirits.

We only like copper, stainless steel, PTFE and glass here, and only those first 3 in the still.

zach wrote:I use antique glass lids. You can find on ebay.

The Mason Jar and Moonshine are like brother and sister. But a tin mason lid is not a glass crown lid. The Glass lid is way better than a mason lid. But I have a question here that sort of harkens back to the Inner Tube thread. A glass lid has a rubber seal ring. That seal ring is made to hold up to sugary preserves and pickles with vinegar but how does that rubber seal ring hold up to Alcohol?

FranklinNewhart wrote:

zach wrote:I use antique glass lids. You can find on ebay.

The Mason Jar and Moonshine are like brother and sister. But a tin mason lid is not a glass crown lid. The Glass lid is way better than a mason lid. But I have a question here that sort of harkens back to the Inner Tube thread. A glass lid has a rubber seal ring. That seal ring is made to hold up to sugary preserves and pickles with vinegar but how does that rubber seal ring hold up to Alcohol?

Those rings are not high proof alcohol tolerant... There are other options and I know several members have come up with better alternatives...

Like cutting your own out of Cork Gasket?

Farther and further on this subject. When you go to the package store to buy store bought whiskey at 40% ABV an awful lot of it comes in Plastic Bottles with Plastic Caps that have Plastic Seal Liners. If plastic is so damn bad then why is it used commercially. Does Alcohol suddenly become a non-disolvant at 40% or are we over reacting here?

FranklinNewhart wrote:Like cutting your own out of Cork Gasket?

Farther and further on this subject. When you go to the package store to buy store bought whiskey at 40% ABV an awful lot of it comes in Plastic Bottles with Plastic Caps that have Plastic Seal Liners. If plastic is so damn bad then why is it used commercially. Does Alcohol suddenly become a non-disolvant at 40% or are we over reacting here?

There are a lot of things that commercial distilleries do that we don't recommend doing here because we strive to make better spirits than the commercial offerings, and many here do just that... And those plastic bottles degrade over time... They gamble on the caps and pourer's not being brought into question... And, after all, most consumers don't even take the packaging into consideration... But, in answer to your question, the lower the proof of the alcohol the less possibility and/or amount of leaching that could potentially take place... We consider wash safe in synthetics but absolutely no distilled spirits in contact with synthetics...

Heck, why not throw all caution to the wind and store distilled spirits in biodegradable gallon milk jugs like you've no doubt seen on Moonshiners...??? Because we can, and should, do better...!!! And that's how we see synthetic bottles... We can do better... Our stance is just say "No!" to synthetics, plain and simple...

Oh, and as for cork, it needs to be musical grade solid cork instead of composition cork made from cork crumbs and an unknown adhesive agent... Again, avoid the synthetics...

Starting to see a theme here...??? We're all about safety...

I understand the safety concern. I was a Machinist for a working lifetime and I can still count to ten on my fingers. Most Machinists can't. The view here though is the availability of cork. If one has to step up from rubber rings to hand made cork rings and a person needs to buy some cork to do that it might be that cork crumb kind from the auto supply store but it is still cork. Now go out and find me some pure cork with a certification that is 100 % natural with no binders and you start to run into supply problems. I can understand being as safe as you can be but being a purist perfectionist is beyond the scope of most people. If nothing else is available then would not cork of whatever grade be a big step up from Rubber Sealer Rings?

I'm sure the ptfe disks works out cheaper

FranklinNewhart wrote:

zach wrote:I use antique glass lids. You can find on ebay.

The Mason Jar and Moonshine are like brother and sister. But a tin mason lid is not a glass crown lid. The Glass lid is way better than a mason lid. But I have a question here that sort of harkens back to the Inner Tube thread. A glass lid has a rubber seal ring. That seal ring is made to hold up to sugary preserves and pickles with vinegar but how does that rubber seal ring hold up to Alcohol?

I agree.

I don't use a rubber seal with the glass lids on mason jars. I use the jars around the house with the glass lids placed on the jar without a synthetic seal. I use the jars for ageing with an oak sticks.

If I want to travel with a liquor, I use a stainless flask or a wine bottle with a cork. I always save the wine bottles after parties - discretely.

If anyone wants to lower your testosterone level, and have a limp dick, use plastics:

http://www.livescience.com/29401-bpa-te ... evels.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Swedish Pride wrote:I'm sure the ptfe disks works out cheaper

Not always. I purchased the antique glass lids for less than the cost of the ptfe disks. I purchased 30 lids for $50. Last time I looked at the PTFE disk they were $2.50 each. I get mason like jars ( with yogurt) each week so I have more jars that I need.

I tried wrapping a bpa disk with ptfe tape and wasn't happy with it. I found one jar with the tape saturated and clear and discarded the jar.

The lowest cost option for product is used wine bottle with a cork. I purchased new 50 corks (the kind made for liqour bottles) for $10 on amazon.

FranklinNewhart wrote: If nothing else is available then would not cork of whatever grade be a big step up from Rubber Sealer Rings?

Better options are available with a little effort. I wouldn't use rubber or a cork with a synthetic binder.

Mason jars are great for collection and airing out product. Not so great for moving product to another location or long term storage.

You don't want to use composite automotive cork gasket material to seal your jars... You really need to start thinking about safety when it comes to what you ingest... Do you have any clue as to what the bonding agent is...??? I can guarantee you that it isn't even considered food safe, and is most likely rubber or petroleum based - neither of which is healthy for you... If you aren't going to take personal safety seriously, why are you here...??? Heed the advice of those with more knowledge than you...

I've seen a composite cork disintegrate when the bloke who thought he would get away with it tried to remove it. It hadn't been in long, maybe two or three months.

I have bought many ptfe lids....all WELL under a dollar each:

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.a ... &catid=720" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

they work great and never go bad....one and done!

I don't know what musical grade cork is. Can someone care to tell me if these are good to go? I plan on using them for sealing gallon jugs holding low wines.

https://morewinemaking.com/products/tap ... AsWY8P8HAQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Solid 1 piece. Looks ok to me.

Great, thank you.

1/2 gallon glass jugs of cherry cider are 5.25 at my local fruit stand. I do use some mason jars with balls silver lead free lids flipped upside down. I love that cherry cider, that's my new route.