What is a Carboy and How is it Used in Winemaking?
The regular definition of a carboy is large glass storage container or bottle for liquids with the narrow neck. A standard size carboy will hold five gallons of fluid but they come in a range of sizes. Traditionally carboys were made of glass and were most commonly associated with the pharmaceutical industry rather than wine making. Indeed, carboys were used as the symbol of the pharmacy and a pharmacist’s shop would have a carboy displayed in his window filled with a coloured liquid. Today, the symbol of a carboy can still be seen painted on pharmacy signboards or even crafted from neon lights. In traditional brewing, carboys were also of glass although it was very common to see earthenware carboys with the bottom half in a deep brown colour while the top half in a cream or beige colour. These carboys were usually accessorized with a wicker holder. In modern homemade wine making the term carboy is used for the container in which the must will undergo secondary fermentation. Specialist
