carboy

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A 6.5-gallon glass carboy acting as a fermentation vessel for beer. It is fitted with a fermentation lock.

A Bulgarian demijohn (damadzhana)

A carboy is a container for fluids, typically used for in-home fermentation of beverages, often wine.

Brewing

In brewing, a carboy is also known as a demijohn. It is a glass or plastic vessel used in fermenting beverages such as wine, mead, and beer. Usually it is fitted with a rubber stopper and a fermentation lock to prevent bacteria and Oxygen from entering during the fermentation process.

During the homebrewing process, a primary carboy is used for fermentation. Once primary fermentation is complete, the beer is either transferred to a secondary carboy for conditioning or it can be transferred directly to bottles for conditioning. (This process of transferring is usually called racking.)

Polypropylene carboys are also commonly used in laboratories to transfer purified water. They are typically filled at the top and have a spigot at the bottom for dispensing.

The word carboy is from the Persian qarabah (قرابه), from Arabic qarraba, "big jug".^[1]

Carboys come in various volumes ranging from 1 gallon to 6.5 gallons (4 to 25 litres). The term carboy used on its own will generally^{[by whom?]} refer to a 5 gallon (22.5 litre) carboy, unless otherwise noted. A one gallon carboy is usually called a jug. A 15 gallon carboy is often^{[by whom?]} called a demijohn (in the Philippines, "dama juana"^[2]). "Demijohn" is an old word that formerly referred to any glass vessel with a large body and small neck, enclosed in wickerwork. The word is said to^{[by whom?]} derive from the name of a Persian town, Damaghan, but this is not supported by any historical evidence. According to The Oxford English Dictionary the word comes from the French dame-jeanne, literally "Lady Jane", as a popular appellation. This is in accordance with the historical evidence at present known, since the word occurred initially in France in the 17th century, and no earlier trace of it has been found elsewhere.

In Britain, demijohn refers to a one-gallon glass brewing vessel.

In Southeast U.S. slang, a demijohn jug, of any size, is referered to as a jimmyjohn.

The name is sometimes misspelled as "carboil," "carbuoy," or "carble."

A carboy is known in some circles as a "conrack" after author Pat Conroy who is also known in some circles as "Conrack".

Laboratory

In modern laboratories, carboys are usually made of plastic, though traditionally were (and still are in many University settings) made of feric glass or other shatter-resistant glasses immune to acid corrosion or halide staining common in older plastic fomulations.^[3] They are used to store large quantities of liquids, such as solvents or deionized water. In these applications, a tap may be included for dispensing. Carboys are also used to collect and store waste solvents. Collecting waste solvents in plastic carboys is preferable to reusing glass Winchesters due to the lesser chance of breakage if a solution is placed in an incorrectly labeled carboy.

See also

• Fermentation (food)
• Conrack

References

1. ^ Hull Museums Collection [1]
2. ^ Ocampo, Ambeth R. (August 9, 2006) Philippine Daily Inquirer Tanduay. Page 13.
3. ^ For example, see the selection by Nalgene: http://www.nalgenelabware.com/products/productList.asp?search=3&category_id=135

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Demijohn.

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