Carboy question

[jeffpn]

I've been wanting to pick up a third 6.5 gallon carboy for a while, but I just didn't want to part with $42 plus tax for it. I found a used one advertised for $30. I talked him down to $20. After cleaning it, some white spots remain as shown. You can see the spots toward the bottom, under the water drops. I tried OneStep, dish soap and bleach, and CLR just in case it is calcium or lime stains. Nothing seems to be effective. I have noticed a flaw in this carboy. There seems to be a bubble in the glass. It has a date of 1973 on it. Would you be concerned with it?

 

[J A]

Bubble is probably not an issue. I'd put in warm PBW and let it soak overnight to get the last of the skunge out of it.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Second this give her a good soak jeffpn.

 

[jeffpn]

I don't have PBW. $20 carboy plus $10 PBW, I should've just bought a new carboy! At least that was my reasoning for not buying PBW to deal with the spots. I only mentioned the bubble because it's an old carboy, and maybe they allowed for minor flaws way back then. I'm not really looking for additional cleaning ideas here. My question, as stated above, is would you be concerned with the white spots? Sanitation kills, right?

 

[Nosybear]

Looks like internal glass flaws. No issue with sanitation but these could become fracture points. Be careful, all cautions about glass carboys apply.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I just use plastic buckets, I don't need to see everything and gawk at it and their cheap and easily to lift

 

[Nosybear]

I use plastic too. Less weight and not as slippery. Less risk, too.

 

[MrBIP]

I just use plastic buckets, I don't need to see everything and gawk at it and their cheap and easily to lift

Coming up on five years with this hobby now and I still like to gawk at it.

 

[jeffpn]

And I have carboys. I don't have buckets.

 

[Mark D Pirate]

If you're gentle with it it should last a while , not like you're adding pressure or fast temp changes to a potentially weakened vessel
Can't say i know any brewers locally that use glass to ferment it

 

[Head First]

Looks like internal glass flaws. No issue with sanitation but these could become fracture points. Be careful, all cautions about glass carboys apply.

Yup what he said. Brew On!

 

[MrBIP]

I just now opened the ferment fridge and gawked at the pale ale I brewed yesterday morning.

 

[The Brew Mentor]

Have you tried a stronger acid?
Put an ounce of star san in there with 1 gallon of water and walk away for a couple days. You can then dilute that to proper rates for sanitizer.
Cheers,
Brian

 

[jeffpn]

I haven't tried Starsan yet. I do have some. Currently I have CLR sitting in it. Been there about 3 days. I just haven't got back to it yet.

 

[nflamedrash]

If it is just a flaw in the glass the recommendations above are solid, clean until you are comfortable enough to give it a test. However, if those are fine scratches in the glass it may be best to abandon the idea now before you lose a batch of beer. 1973 is old and the carboy may have been used to hold coins or other damaging objects in the past.