Catastrophic Failure

OK, so sometimes things don't always go according to plan. I had recently racked (transferred from one container to another) 5 gallons of a White Zinfandel from primary fermentation into a glass carboy (basically a large glass jug) for secondary fermentation, the next stage of the winemaking process. As I was walking through my wine room to head to work the following day I noticed the wine level was quite a bit lower than it should have been. Upon investigation I found a lot of wine had somehow leaked out onto the countertop. Without thinking I lifted the carboy to move it to the sink and the entire bottom fell out, pouring 5 gallons of wine all over the countertop and floor, into drawers, on my shoes and shirt, and pretty much everywhere else. This was a new experience for me, obviously the carboy had developed a hairline crack that I had failed to notice, and when I lifted the container it couldn't hold the weight any longer. A lengthy cleanup process followed, and was just completed this evening. Everything has been washed and put back in place, ready for the next batch. Of course I am out a 5 gallon carboy, currently about $40 or so, but more distressing is the 5 gallons of lost White Zin, which I only make because my daughter Alex is a big fan of it. In the overall scheme of things it's a fairly minor inconvenience, so I doubt I'll lose any sleep over it, and I can always make more. Maybe I'll even inspect the containers a little closer next time. No, probably not. On the plus side, my other daughter Kasey will be in town this weekend, and we will dig sweet potatoes from the garden, so a sweet potato wine just may be on the agenda. Another one I haven't made before, always up for something new!