How to Use Plastic Water Jugs for Wine Carboys
A carboy is a type of container used to hold wine during the fermentation process. Plastic jugs are one of the recommended kinds of carboys, according to the University of California, but only if it is virgin polyethylene plastic. Using plastic jugs for carboys is a very simple process, but the sanitization of the jugs is essential to prevent mold and bacteria from growing inside the wine.
Things You'll Need
- 1 to 5 gallon polyethylene plastic water jugs
- Dishwashing soap
- Plastic jug lids
- Bleach
- Funnel
- New wine
- Rubber stopper with hole
- Wine air lock
Instructions
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1
Wash and dry the water jugs before using them as carboys. Clean the jugs with a solution of a few drops of dish soap placed into the jug half full of hot water. Place a cap on the top of the jug and shake the jug to clean all parts of the jug.
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2
Drain the jugs and rinse with hot water until all of the soap bubbles are gone. Fill the jug with hot water, and add one tablespoon of bleach. Allow the bleach to sit in the jug for 10 minutes. Drain the jug.
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3
Turn the jugs upside down onto a drying rack and allow to dry for 24 to 48 hours, or until all of the water inside the jug is gone.
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4
Fill the plastic jugs with the new wine through a funnel. Place the rubber stoppers in the top of the jugs. Make sure the stoppers are large enough to fill the jug hole. Most stoppers of this kind are tapered, so that the top end is larger than the bottom end. This is done so that the stopper can be pulled out of the jug, and so that it cannot be pushed all the way through the hole into the jug.
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Push an air lock through the center hole on each rubber stopper. This air lock seals the external air from the wine inside the jug and prevents if from going moldy.
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Fill the air lock with enough water to reach the fill line on the side of the air lock. Most air locks should be half full of water. Close the lid and set the jugs aside. Keep the wine in the jugs until the fermentation process is complete.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not store the wine in the plastic jugs once the fermentation process is over. This can give the wine a strange flavor.
