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View Full Version : Doesn't anyone make Glass Fishtanks anymore?



Royal Dragon
03-06-2007, 06:30 PM
I am trying to find a tall 5 or 10 Gallon Octagonial shaped 100% GLASS fishtank to ferment Rice in, for the later distillation into Chinese White Lightning for making herbal jows, liniments, and tonics, but I can't find them in glass anymore!! All of the styles I need are modern acrylic!!

Anyone know where I could find one in solid real 100% Glass?

It takes 5 gallons of regular rice wine, to make 1 gallon of White Lightning. If I go with a 2 Gallon distillation I get rice wine that is something like 50% Alcohol (Which is fine for my needs).

I have my fermentation process perfected now, and I am distilling by freezing the fully fermented wine in the freezer to seperate the alcohol from it so I can create an alcohal concentraight (White Lightning).

I am trying to find a large glass container (5-10 gallons) so it is easy for me to watch the fermentation so I know when the proccess has reached it's peak alcohol production.

Anyone got any ideas (besides my fish tank one)?

David Jamieson
03-06-2007, 06:34 PM
go to a wine making store and get a carboy. they come in 5 gallons and up and are more suited to making alcohol based fluids than a fishtank. probably a lot cheaper too.

Royal Dragon
03-06-2007, 06:43 PM
The necks are too thin, I need a wide mouthed glass container. The wine making places want to sell me food grade plastic fermenting containers, and I just don't feel comfortable doing that. Especially with the fact that I am basically engageing in a pharmisutical persuite. Who knows how those plastic resines will react to the various herbs that my Alcohol will be extracting from.

I need real Glass.

If I can't find that, I will be useing a stainless steel stock pot. The draw back there is that I have to open the lid to monitor, and I don't want to do that.

The Glass fishtank idea allows me to seal a large quantity of fermenting rice, AND monitor the fermentation without haveing to break the seal as it ferments.

I do this now with a 1 gallon, wide mouthed jar that I put an S shaped glass tube in the top. It is filled with Voldka so that it can release the gass without breaking the seal.

TenTigers
03-06-2007, 07:10 PM
couldn't you simply buy Sam Jing Jow-triple distilled liquor, which is what many herbalists use?

Royal Dragon
03-06-2007, 07:24 PM
Too expensive. I can make the same thing, like 30-50 gallon quantities, for $9.00 worth of rice.

The process is simple.

1. Boil Brown rice untill it is mush.

2. Let sit in open air a day or so untill it is bubbling like Champagne (Fermentation has begun).

3. Add warm water to top it off, Seal in the container,and wait 12-14 days.

4. Syphon the liquid out into 1 gallon Ice Mountian jugs and feeze...repete untill you can no longer get ice when you freeze (it will be flamable at that point!!).

You can make a gallon of white lightning, for $2.00 (or less) of rice. You can speed the process by adding a Champagne yeast, and adding honey to it, but the cost goes up to as much as $7.00-$10.00 for 50 gallons.

How much does it cost to buy it premade?

David Jamieson
03-06-2007, 07:40 PM
why do you need a wide mouth?

But if you're dead set on it, just use your bathtub. :p

Royal Dragon
03-06-2007, 07:56 PM
Because I am boiling a large quantity of rice, and then putting it in the container to ferment. if I have a skinny one, it's going to get all sloppy, messy, and take forever to get the boiled rice into the cointainer.

The Carboys are for after the fermentation.

The Bathtub is out, because it cannot be sealed well.

David Jamieson
03-06-2007, 07:58 PM
jerry cans?

if you get the right grade of plastic what is the issue?

just find plastic that won't leech.

David Jamieson
03-06-2007, 07:59 PM
or you can try and get your hands on some barrels. My pals used to use those for making shine wine before they distilled. big rubbermade garbage cans for instance will work.

unyma
03-06-2007, 08:25 PM
Once you've boiled the rice I don't think you really need the grains anymore, you've boiled the starch out of the grain and into the water. If you then siphon the liquid into a glass carboy and add a little yeast you should have plenty of fermentation.

Mitch

Water Dragon
03-06-2007, 09:22 PM
learn how to use the interweb, Gian.

http://www.nextag.com/Anchor-Glass-Jar-wCover-81380804/prices-html

Mr Punch
03-06-2007, 09:28 PM
1) Plastic brewing bins are not going to be designed with plastic that leeches into the brew. I'b brreud hunnerdza galonz ob vin nnn ahmalroigh.

2) You can get wide-necked five/six gallons plastic brewing bins.

3) You should be able to find five-ten gallon stoneware pots in your local Chiense supermarket, with cork tops you could bore out for your s-tube.

4) Learn how to use a funnel! :p

Lama Pai Sifu
03-06-2007, 09:30 PM
Get a 5-Gallon Mason Jar. Wide mouth and no silcon seams (fishtank). It's what I make all my DDJ in.

TenTigers
03-06-2007, 11:55 PM
I use glass water cooler jars.
..but then again, I know how to use a funnel!:p

Samurai Jack
03-07-2007, 12:07 AM
You can get a ten gallon tank (made by a company called "All-Glass Aquariums" no less) for $10 and change at Wal-Mart.

Good luck.

Royal Dragon
03-07-2007, 07:59 AM
Once you've boiled the rice I don't think you really need the grains anymore, you've boiled the starch out of the grain and into the water. If you then siphon the liquid into a glass carboy and add a little yeast you should have plenty of fermentation.

Reply]
I tried that before, and it only ferments for a day or so. If I leave the grain in, it ferments for 6 days or more. I am going for Max Octane here. The longer it ferments, the better.

WD, Thanks for the link!! It says that one is 25 Gallons too!! :D

As for the plastic brewing bins, OK, even if a food grade bin is fin, it's still not see through. I want to be able to monitor the process without haveing to open it up. That requires glass.

Royal Dragon
03-07-2007, 07:33 PM
WD,
Never mind, it's a typo, and is only 2.5 gallons. I need at least 5.

Lama Pai Sifu,
Where did you find your Mason jars?

TenTigers
03-07-2007, 11:45 PM
I found huge mason jars with a rubber seal and stainless steel tops in Target.

Royal Dragon
03-08-2007, 07:57 AM
the 5 gallon style? or the 1 gallon? I found 1-2 gallon jars online, but I really need at least 5.

5 gallons of rice wine, distills down into 1 gallon of white lightning (80%-90% alcohal), or 2 gallons of about 45% alcohal. I may go with the 45% as it's about the strength of Voldka.

You can distill 2 ways, with a regular fire breathing still like an old Moonshiner, or by freezing your wine (The alcohal does not freez). I have been triplle distilling with my freezer by putting the wine into 1 gallon Ice Mountian jugs.

After the third freez, you have got some STRONG STUFFF!!!

Sang Feng Fan
03-08-2007, 11:35 AM
Perhaps a ceramic container.

Royal Dragon
03-08-2007, 11:44 AM
I have been thinking thta as well, but I cannot monitor well because ceramic is not clear.

What I want iis those old glass octigonial 5-10 gallon fish tanks. They were perfect, made out of one solid piece of glass, not sides glued together with silicone. They were basically big giant glass bottles.

I can find arcylic ones all day long, but no one seems to carry the old fashioned glass ones anymore.

Becca
03-08-2007, 12:53 PM
Thrift shops. You'd be surprized what y'all cain find at one a them secind haind storse...:p

But seriously, try antique shops and thrift stores. Look in the nick-knack section. It might take a while to find what you're looking for, though. To clean the mineral deposits off, try Easy-Off Bam, the run it through the dish washer if it will fit. (you might need to take the top rack out.) :)

Mas Judt
03-08-2007, 01:47 PM
First thing in Google:

www.all-glass.com

Couldn't figure out on first glance if it was assembled or solid.

Royal Dragon
03-08-2007, 01:57 PM
The backs are glued on with silicone. I already looked into those.

The closest to what I want is the 2.5 gallon one WD linked to before, but I want one 5-10 gallons.

I remember as a kid working in a petstore that used to sell exactly what i want....only today they are no longer glass but acrylic. The petsmart by my house sells them.

PlumDragon
03-08-2007, 03:40 PM
Glass aquariums still come in glass in a variety of sizes. You should be able to find most of the below at specialty pet stores--Im a fairly avid herpetology guy and always can find good deals on used tanks at stores that carry reptiles and such.

- 10 gallon tanks should be available for $5-10 at just about any pet store on the planet.
- 20-longs are cheap too, and can often be found used.
- 29 gallon tanks start to get more epensive.
- 45 gallon breeders are a fairly cheap; they are shorter and wider. I wouldnt recommend filling a 45 gallon breeded though as the glass isnt made as thick as say, a normal 50 gallon tank.

Keep in mind that ALL of these tanks, while glass, are still held together by an industrial adhesive. However, considering that people fill these tanks are let them sit for years and years and years and years without the adhesive being eaten away, I think youll be fine...

Sang Feng Fan
03-08-2007, 05:06 PM
Glass aquariums still come in glass in a variety of sizes. You should be able to find most of the below at specialty pet stores--Im a fairly avid herpetology guy and always can find good deals on used tanks at stores that carry reptiles and such.

- 10 gallon tanks should be available for $5-10 at just about any pet store on the planet.
- 20-longs are cheap too, and can often be found used.
- 29 gallon tanks start to get more epensive.
- 45 gallon breeders are a fairly cheap; they are shorter and wider. I wouldnt recommend filling a 45 gallon breeded though as the glass isnt made as thick as say, a normal 50 gallon tank.

Keep in mind that ALL of these tanks, while glass, are still held together by an industrial adhesive. However, considering that people fill these tanks are let them sit for years and years and years and years without the adhesive being eaten away, I think youll be fine...

Fish tanks are held together with silicone that cures as the alcohol leaves it, putting alcohol in a tank with silicone seals is a very bad idea. When re-sealing a tank you use alcohol to clean out the residual silicone deposits: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=36

Royal Dragon
03-08-2007, 05:46 PM
I am looking for the old style Tall Glass tanks, that were more like giant Glass bottles, than standard fish tanks.

Becca
03-09-2007, 08:02 AM
Still think you'd have some luck at an atique shop. They used to make clear pickle jars around 5 gallons; my great grandmother used them all the time. And they are, indeed, up to handling white lightning, as they were designed to handle home made vinigar. They are also at least 6" across at the mouth because they are/were pickle jars.

Royal Dragon
03-09-2007, 08:51 AM
That is exactly what I need. Unfortunetly I can only find 2.5 gallon ones comercially avaliable today.

I actually saw one last summer at a garage sale for $1.00, and I didn't get it because i thought I'd never use something like that!! :rolleyes:

AJM
03-21-2007, 02:07 PM
Bingo! All Glass aquariums are good.

Royal Dragon
03-21-2007, 03:56 PM
Yes, thye are good, but where do you find them in today's age? Most seem to be acrylic tanks now.

AJM
03-23-2007, 08:26 AM
I was refering to the aforementioned brand All Glass. I used to be in the business and thought they were put together the best There are cheeper and more expensive glass aquariums available but All Glass is probably the best deal for the money. I know they used to make tanks from 2 1/2 to 120 gallons. Still own a thirty.

Royal Dragon
03-24-2007, 12:19 AM
Are they making solid glass tanks? or multi part ones glued togteher with sillicone?

I need solid glass, sillicone will contaminate my wine.

Royal Dragon
03-31-2007, 02:05 AM
I Found it!!

http://www.infused-vodka.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=16

I don't need the spigot, but THIS is the glass jar I was looking for!!!

I guess they don't use them for fishtanks anymore, but they are still around, only wiht a spigot now!!

Yippeeee!!!