Check your jars!

[8Ball]

Was getting ready to put away my hearts cut for aging. Did my usual check for cleanliness after I washed the jars. Found one that had a bunch of thin hairline cracks that you couldn’t notice unless you held them up to the light. This was a new jar too. Had to toss it away, but at least it was EMPTY.

8B

[still_stirrin]

Mason jars are on sale now at almost all of the big box and grocery stores right now. Pick up a couple of cases. The pint jars come a dozen per case, the quarts too, and the 1/2 gallons come 6 to a case. A case of each runs roughly $10USD plus or minus a buck or so.

Go getcha’ some inventory now...it’s the “canning season”. While you’re there...pick up some calcium hydroxide (pickling lime) too as it is also in the canning supplies section.
ss

[8Ball]

SS,
Ha! Have a case of jars in the cart right now waiting to check out.
8B

[NZChris]

I'm not a convert to Mason jars for anything but short term use, like nuking, (which I have abandoned except for experiments). The lids might be acceptable on this forum, but not in my shed.

I keep my eye out for glassware that will take natural cork that I can purchase locally. That saves me the trouble of inventing fixes for problems I wouldn't have if I hadn't bought unsuitable glassware in the first place.

[8Ball]

I'm not a convert to Mason jars for anything but short term use, like nuking, (which I have abandoned except for experiments). The lids might be acceptable on this forum, but not in my shed.

I keep my eye out for glassware that will take natural cork that I can purchase locally. That saves me the trouble of inventing fixes for problems I wouldn't have if I hadn't bought unsuitable glassware in the first place.

NZC,
I use HDPE wide mouth storage lids with PTFE discs from US Plastics
https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item. ... emid=33144" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
that I insert inside the lids. 100% teflon seal and I only fill the jars 7/8ths of the way, so it is vapor contact only.

Specs:
These are white PTFE discs for weighing pans and many other uses. They are .010" thick. PTFE has a virtually universal chemical inertness; of commercial chemicals, only molten alkali metals and gaseous fluorine at high temps and pressure attack PTFE. The working temp range is -20°F - 500°F. It has the lowest coefficient of any solid. It has no slip-stick characteristics; static and dynamic coefficients are equal. Nothing sticks with any strength to unheated surfaces. UV stabilized. Virgin material meets FDA standards and is USDA approved.
.010" thick
UV stabilized
Virgin material
Virtually universal chemical inertness
Lowest coefficient of any solid
Static & dynamic coefficients are equal
Nothing sticks with any strength to unheated surfaces
Temperature range: -20°F to 500°F
Meets FDA standards & USDA approved


8B

[NZChris]

My second problem with them is that they are too small for my preferred aging and storing volumes, 1 US gal to 5l.

[Fruit Squeezer]

It's hard to find ANYTHING packaged in glass these days, that we can re-use. Hell, even liquor has gone to plastic 1/2 gallon and 750ml bottles!

I recently went as far as to purchase a half gallon of Manechevwitz wine for the glass jug. It's hard to trust jugs online that may be from China and contain lead or lead-tainted dyes. Alot of that crap seems a little off-color, foggy, or just not right.

[The Baker]

I got a lot of two and three (the ones that sit upside down in a bar dispenser) litre spirit bottles from the local pub (would that be a bar in America?).
Seventeen three litre bourbon atm, haven't needed more for a couple of years.

Geoff