People who brew beer, wine, hard cider & mead use glass jugs called Carboys which come in a range of sizes, from 3 gallon to 6 gallon. The carboys are extremely important in the process as they do not allow oxygen to pass through and change the beverage inside. If the oxygen reaches the beer, wine, mead and cider, after fermentation is over, it can change the flavor and smell of the final product.
Carboys are thus necessary equipment for the brewers and drinkers as the result without it is not at all positive. The carboys need to be sanitized well before the brewing. They can be sanitized using a solution of one tablespoon of bleach/1 gallon of water as it will not absorb any bleach aroma and can be filled in advance. This is a solution people generally use to sanitize other things too so same can be used for carboys.
For carboys one needs accessories like the funnelBeer, strainer, a separate & special brush to clean it, a handle to install under the lowest bump on the neck, stick-on thermometer, a milk crate which comes in handy for moving carboys and keeping them off rough floors, like concrete and a blow-off set-up.
The filled carboy should be placed on a clean and smooth surface to avoid any kind of contamination. Otherwise pressure points are created that can crack the glass. The carboy can be placed on a flattened piece of cardboard or on a towel/rug. When one is fermenting in the glass it is necessary to strain out. As the hops can end up clogging the racking cane.
While brewing the beer if one allows the brew to stay in carboy for more time, clarification and conditioning will happen and when bottled one will find that the brew is more and is better conditioned. While using carboy keep it in a dark place as light hitting the beer will create a weird aroma and don’t forget to check the airlock as it will affect the flavor too.
