Decanting a glass carboy
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Decanting a glass carboy
Not sure what section this best fits, so went with general.
Given the mason jar shortage and price gouging, I decided to put my distillate into some glass carboys I had on hand.
Seemed like a good idea... glass, etc.
Now I'm wondering how I'm going to get it out, lol.
I dont think its advisable to syphon out with rubber tubing, for obvious reasons.
Too heavy to try and pour (combined with the gloshing/gulping effect)
I have a tap that fits and locks on, but given its plastic (for water jugs), that too isnt a valid option.
Anyone have any tried and true methods for decanting distillate from a glass carboy?
Thanks
Given the mason jar shortage and price gouging, I decided to put my distillate into some glass carboys I had on hand.
Seemed like a good idea... glass, etc.
Now I'm wondering how I'm going to get it out, lol.
I dont think its advisable to syphon out with rubber tubing, for obvious reasons.
Too heavy to try and pour (combined with the gloshing/gulping effect)
I have a tap that fits and locks on, but given its plastic (for water jugs), that too isnt a valid option.
Anyone have any tried and true methods for decanting distillate from a glass carboy?
Thanks
- Twisted Brick
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I rest my carboy on a 6”-high wooden box on its bottom edge, then tilt it over slightly and slowly collect in a low stainless pot. I do this several times, maintaining contact with the box at all times. Once I’ve drained 5gal (it’s a 7-gal carboy) out of it I can pick it up to finish emptying without any trouble.
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I put a piece of copper tube in the mouth to prevent the chugging when pouring out a carboy if I need fine control, otherwise I just put a couple rags on the rim of my kegs 6" ferrule and completely upend the carboy on top. Yes, they are heavy but I will also only 2/3 to 3/4 fill them if I expect to need a controlled decanting, and that helps make them more manageable. I also keep my carboys in milk crates so the handles help too.
Stainless racking canes are available and it would be easy to make a copper one. For tubing, well that's up to the individual. We know what is acceptable for wash, for low wines or finished product I can't offer any community accepted solution.
Stainless racking canes are available and it would be easy to make a copper one. For tubing, well that's up to the individual. We know what is acceptable for wash, for low wines or finished product I can't offer any community accepted solution.
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
Thanks, to both.
- jonnys_spirit
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
Teflon tube and cooper racking cane -
Quickun PTFE Teflon Tubing Tube, 8mm ID x 10mm OD Teflon Tube for 3D Printer, 3.3Ft Length
Quickun PTFE Teflon Tubing Tube, 8mm ID x 10mm OD Teflon Tube for 3D Printer, 3.3Ft Length
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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- Windy City
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
Wowjonnys_spirit wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:11 am Teflon tube and cooper racking cane -
Quickun PTFE Teflon Tubing Tube, 8mm ID x 10mm OD Teflon Tube for 3D Printer, 3.3Ft Length
I really like this idea and it’s very affordable
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Cranky"s spoon feeding for new and novice distillers
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=52975
- jonnys_spirit
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
Would be very convenient to have a couple lengths in the shed. Ordered.
Cheers!
Jonny
Cheers!
Jonny
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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- jonnys_spirit
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
That tubing probably isn’t the right diameter for garden variety 1/2 copper from the HW store...
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I believe that even a CSSt tube of a small diameter would be useful, the curved shapes quite well. Only another option.
- still_stirrin
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
Here’s what you can do: get a carboy cap (see here),
And make a “racking cane” out of 3/8” copper tubing to insert through the center opening on the cap. Hold a measuring cup or jar under the “hook end” of the racking cane and simply blow into the 2nd opening/inlet of the carboy cap. Your liquor will come flowing out of the cane as if it were pumped out.
I have a couple of these caps for siphoning out from a carboy. Very easy (and cost effective) way to transfer liquid out.
ss
And make a “racking cane” out of 3/8” copper tubing to insert through the center opening on the cap. Hold a measuring cup or jar under the “hook end” of the racking cane and simply blow into the 2nd opening/inlet of the carboy cap. Your liquor will come flowing out of the cane as if it were pumped out.
I have a couple of these caps for siphoning out from a carboy. Very easy (and cost effective) way to transfer liquid out.
ss
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I found myself in the same situation once, with botanicals in the carboy as well..... I quickly bought a SS milk can for that purpose. I am very happy with it.
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
The same method as still_stirrin It can be done with a cork stopper and 2 pieces of tube if you have it at home.
- still_stirrin
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
And while you’re shopping the local home brew store, get one of these:
It’ll make it much safer for you to move your carboy, whether full or empty.
Gotta’ have the right tools for the job even if it is just a hobby.
ss
It’ll make it much safer for you to move your carboy, whether full or empty.
Gotta’ have the right tools for the job even if it is just a hobby.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
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- jonnys_spirit
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I don’t recommend those carboy handles. A full carboy is heavy and lifting by the neck with the handle concentrates a lot if pressure at that point. Shattering carboys are very dangerous. Handle with extreme care and be safe.
Cheers!
-jonny
Cheers!
-jonny
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I always understood those handles that clamp around the neck to be for moving empty carboys. Like Jonny said a full carboy puts a lot of uneven pressure on the neck.
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Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I have the handles like still stirrin suggests but the PTFE tubes look like a good idea. Don’t use my carboy’s that much anymore as I have a 4 gallon and a two gallon mason jar that I store my overflow with wood chips until I can move it to one of my 10L barrels for aging.
Re: Decanting a glass carboy
Never had a problem with full bottles.
Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I believe a variant of those handles could be this
It would also be easy to build ...Re: Decanting a glass carboy
Then there is the demy version (since we are )
This is the interior of a "damigiana" that traditionally was covered by an intertwining of woody material, then replaced by the plastic.Re: Decanting a glass carboy
Recomend a racking cane/auto-siphon. Beer/wine hobby stores usually carry this.
Re: Decanting a glass carboy
+1 Only I use a kitchen chair.Twisted Brick wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 2:10 pm I rest my carboy on a 6”-high wooden box on its bottom edge, then tilt it over slightly and slowly collect in a low stainless pot. I do this several times, maintaining contact with the box at all times. Once I’ve drained 5gal (it’s a 7-gal carboy) out of it I can pick it up to finish emptying without any trouble.
So plastic is ok if it does not come in direct contact with the alcohol? I'm just kind of wondering what everyone is using to seal up their carboys during storage?still_stirrin wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 5:31 am Here’s what you can do: get a carboy cap (see here),
And make a “racking cane” out of 3/8” copper tubing to insert through the center opening on the cap. Hold a measuring cup or jar under the “hook end” of the racking cane and simply blow into the 2nd opening/inlet of the carboy cap. Your liquor will come flowing out of the cane as if it were pumped out.
I have a couple of these caps for siphoning out from a carboy. Very easy (and cost effective) way to transfer liquid out.
ss
Oh, and is there an easy way to have an image show up in a quote?
- jonnys_spirit
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
Milk crates are pretty good for holding and moving carboys around safely but I tend to just be very careful and lift mine without any contraptions... I get nervous thinking about it!
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I think we can all agree with your points here.jonnys_spirit wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 6:02 am I don’t recommend those carboy handles. A full carboy is heavy and lifting by the neck with the handle concentrates a lot if pressure at that point. Shattering carboys are very dangerous. Handle with extreme care and be safe.
Lifting the carboy exclusively by the neck is asking for trouble, multiple lifting points is a requirement. That said the I believe handle is a key additional piece of safety equipment as it provides a secure mechanical connection to your hand which is lacking from straps or similar solutions.
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I use handles for my car boys but I lift them with my arms and then use the handle to guide where I want the chugging to happen lol
Re: Decanting a glass carboy
still_stirrin wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 5:31 am Here’s what you can do: get a carboy cap (see here),
9E8E3F20-192C-4C2C-A3D0-67A2A87D15A2.jpeg
And make a “racking cane” out of 3/8” copper tubing to insert through the center opening on the cap. Hold a measuring cup or jar under the “hook end” of the racking cane and simply blow into the 2nd opening/inlet of the carboy cap. Your liquor will come flowing out of the cane as if it were pumped out.
I have a couple of these caps for siphoning out from a carboy. Very easy (and cost effective) way to transfer liquid out.
ss
Your suggestion combined with Demy's lead me to this.
Used a bung, drilled a 2nd hole for an air inlet tube.
Is this what you mean?
Force air into inlet tube, and likker will flow from the racking cane?
Cheers
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I just put a peice of cellophane or foil over mine for storage. It's l only in there for a week or two until can get to the spirit run. I really need to order a cork stopper.
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I've left carboys effectively open (paper towel or cheese cloth over the opening) for months without measurable loss or change in ABV. The volume compared to the area of the mouth of a typical carboy makes for very little evaporation. Some of my best neutral has come from low wines stored in carboys that could breathe, often for months after stripping prior to the spirit run.
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Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Zed
When the Student is ready, the Master will appear.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Re: Decanting a glass carboy
Lots of good ideas here. With low wines, I usually just flip that sucker onto my 8 gallon milk jug boiler and let it glug out. But I've not stored or aged any final product in carboys.
I do have some copper tubing sitting around.....
I do have some copper tubing sitting around.....
- jonnys_spirit
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Re: Decanting a glass carboy
I do the same with a flour sack towel stuffed in the carboy throat so it can breathe and upend it into the milk can to dump low wines into the boiler. I don’t have a teflon racking hose yet for higher abv but i do use a standard auto siphon to rack into a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 at a time for filling the boiler just to minimize moving any full carboy if there’s any way to avoid it.
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
Re: Decanting a glass carboy
Yes, it is one of the methods that has always been widely used, there are many. The basic principle is that by blowing into the (transparent) tube, pressure is created in the container which will make the product flow into the copper tube. The disadvantage of the method is that you have to create some pressure with your mouth, alternatively use a tool that does it for you (.... like inflating the tires). I wanted to build a kind of self-siphon in copper or stainless steel but I haven't collected the ideas yet ...
Your suggestion combined with Demy's lead me to this.
Used a bung, drilled a 2nd hole for an air inlet tube.
Is this what you mean?
Force air into inlet tube, and likker will flow from the racking cane?
Cheers