Using a Demijohn to Create Wine or Beer

A demijohn is a bottle container used to ferment ingredients to make wine and beer. It is legal to make wine and beer at home in the United States so some people use a demijohn to make their own.

Here's more information about the demijohn and how to use one.

A demijohn, also sometimes referred to as a carboy, is a large bottle with a narrow neck. These bottles are up to 10 gallons in size.

They are made of either glass or plastic and usually surrounded by a wicker holder. A rubber stopper is placed in the top of the neck and holds the wine or beer ingredients in the the container. The container will also include an airlock that prevents bacteria and oxygen from getting in the bottle as the ingredients ferment.

A variety of ingredients may be added to make wine including grapes, yeast and sugar. The recipe you use to make wine or beer is up to you and your tastes.

Once the wine or beer has fermented in the container, you can transfer it to another container for storage or directly into bottles.

There are antique demijohns available for purchase and newer ones on the market today. Antique demijohns, or carboys, were hand blown in a process that required a lot of skill on the part of the glass maker. Some bottles have pontiled bottoms. You'll find these containers in aqua and olive green most commonly. Rare colors for demijohns are amber and cobalt blue.

You can buy a modern 14-ounce gallon demijohn for about $60. You'll also have to get the accessories including the airlock, rubber stoppers and bottle sanitizer separately.