so...one found some one gallon wine jugs. very nice vessels they were, though no tops...on the search for tops one wondered if the normal tops would even be appropriate for extraction...so i need to replace the lids mcgyverly...i was thinking tinfoil and rubber bands? ooor?

ps. if i got new jugs with tops would they be appropriate to use without causing contamination

If your referring to glass wine jugs similar to Rossi wine jugs with the metal cap, then i've always used the cap, making sure it's screwed on tight. Literally the best extraction vessel I have ever used, with the thin neck being able to hold just enough non polar solvent to be pipette'd quite easily.

This might belong in the extractions section of the forum. Don't use aluminium whatsoever when working with caustic solutions such as water and lye, it will break down and leak.

...soo what would you use if you do not have the caps?

Might want to check a recycling facility in your area - at the one I'm familiar with you can just drive up to the glass drop boxes and grab anything you want out. There are always lots of alcohol bottles and many of them have lids. I've definitely seen one gallon wine jugs several times.

Aluminum also reacts with lye to produce hydrogen gas, IIRC. Hydrogen gas is definitely not something you want to be filling your kitchen with.

Tat: Those Carlo Rossi jugs are a nice shape/size for extractions, but only when working with the right solvents. I once tried to use one for an A/B mescaline extraction, with D-limonene as the nonpolar solvent, and the coating on the inside of the cap almost completely melted into goop. I discovered it during the "mix/separate/repeat" step, because it started to leak while I was mixing it. If that coating had been in contact with the solvent for a longer period of time, I imagine it would have dissolved completely.

ok what about those rubber quark things they make for glass brewing carbouys (the kind without the little hole for the pressure release bubbler)? would that be reactive with the bases or solvents? it seems like it would work better than a plastic or metal screw top at least, it'd make a good seal to

Glass stoppers come to mind, but idk if they'd stay on easily.

Go to hardware store and purchace a solid black rubber bottle stopper..
They are available in many sizes..
I usualy make shure they push in very tightly ..and enough is sticking out the top to grab hold of..
The rubber stopper will ..[resist chemicles..and swell a little after a while..[inside bottle] causing a perfect tight fit..

Certain solvents will degrade rubber as well. Many people continue to use rubber and plastics anyways, but I really try to avoid it whenever possible.

i just used the cork that came with the wine jug. really worked great. only minimally reacted with the lye. since the bark is wood and the cork is wood i figured it would cause no harm. just a thought

With the Carlo Rossi jugs, rinsing the cap and wiping any basified solution from the top of the jug every time you shake/roll the jug when you open it to release gas pressure seems to keep the rubber/plastic on the top from degrading. I wouldn't use the same cap for multiple extractions.

I was doing this prior to the cap lining melting. It is not the basified solution that will degrade it, it is the nonpolar solvent. Just letting it sit out for a few hours is enough to do some damage, because some of the solvent will evaporate and stick to the inside of the cap.

Another idea is to use a piece of a plastic grocery bag as a liner between the lid and the jug. These bags, or at least all the ones I see, are HDPE plastic - like milk jugs, which some people use to extract with. It may tear a bit after unscrewing/replacing the lid several times, so just replace with another piece as needed.

No plastic/rubber is ideal, but this has worked in a pinch.

Edited to add disclaimer: does not mean HDPE is suitable.

If the top is a screw kind, and a common sized thread, you can easily find a suitable replacement cap from bottles of solvent such as white spirits or turpentine/substitute. If there is no thread then I don't recommend rubber. I've tested naphtha with many types of rubber, all of them reacted. Some slowly over time, shrinking and becoming brittle, some slowly dissolving.

you can still use your origonal cap ..[first scrape off the degraded origonal inner cap seal].. then ...
[with sissors.. cut a round rubber disc from old bicycle inner tube to fit inside your origional cap...
clean rubber disc and inner cap with alcohol...
Cut rubber disc to good fit .. you may want to dry the cap and add a few drops of silacone sealer under the rubber disk and let dry before using...
Ive done this and it seals great!

hdpe is really not suitable for extractions, as has been posted in numerous other places on the forum.

You can find vessels with ptfe-lined caps online or in-person. You can also find individual ptfe-lined lids of varying sizes online.

Yes I should have included that. [Edited to reflect this information]

this discussion has been somewhat helpful, but i still haven't seen any clear answers, it seems like mostly all options are not ideal...i have been trying out a few of the options including some unknown source material of white rubber stoppers used in beer brewing, have not seen any notable degradation, but have found info saying that rubber is fairly reactive with solvents and bases..but then there is confusion as to the different types of rubbers available...i also tryed cork which had many positives, one being that it stayed in the stopper whole when rubber might be inclined to slip out, and two being even if it degrades im less concerned about the health effects of consuming small amounts of cork over small amounts and rubber or plastic, the down side seems to be that it can degrade rather quickly in the presence of bases and solvents...so does anyone have any definitive answers yet, cause i have only seen inprompto suggestions and others who would say those suggestions are not adequate?

just use a glass bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or something?