:(

It finally happened

Ouch...How did it happen?

Hope that's beer in the sink and not blood. . . .

Looks like one of the Hecho in Mexico models that I have a couple of. I still use them occasionally, but after looking through the HBT thread on glass carboy injuries, I'm definitely wary.

Sorry for the lost brew - hope no one was hurt!

Everyone made it, including the beer (well most of it). I was racking out, told the carboy a little and it shattered. I guess if it was going to happen that was the best time and place. I think I'm gonna make the switch to better bottles though haha

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Glad no-one got hurt. And timing was impeccable.
It amazes me how that bottom sheared off rather cleanly.

This weekend I just bought 2 extra 6.5 gal buckets. I'll be using carboys for secondary, and only if absolutely needed, long term aging, and sours. That image really worries me.

Make sure to add it and your story to the broken carboy compendium.

Sorry to hear about your loss. When my glass primary went glass and beer went flying everywhere in big shards. Although compared to some of the horror stories I've read about cuts and what not, it could have been much worse.

I switched to better bottles right after, and have been very happy with them.

PLOVE said:

Hope that's beer in the sink and not blood. . . .

Looks like one of the Hecho in Mexico models that I have a couple of. I still use them occasionally, but after looking through the HBT thread on glass carboy injuries, I'm definitely wary.

Sorry for the lost brew - hope no one was hurt!

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I doubt those ribbed carboys came from Mexico.

When I started brewing in 2009 the carboys were smooth, unribbed and definitely made in Mexico. I have a few of them. Then the price of those went through the roof in 2009/2010, became scarce, and the Italian made ones took over the market. They were ribbed like this one. I have at least a few of those. From what I read the newer ones that are currently available, also ribbed, are made in China (where else huh?). And I see a lot of pictures with sheared-off bottoms appearing...

Better bottles are great, but they still have one of the downsides of carboys. Their shape makes them more difficult to clean and store than buckets, not to mention they cost more. After I broke 3 carboys I switched to buckets (I'm a slow learner) and for the last 12 years of using them I couldn't be happier.

Denny said:

Better bottles are great, but they still have one of the downsides of carboys. Their shape makes them more difficult to clean and store than buckets, not to mention they cost more. After I broke 3 carboys I switched to buckets (I'm a slow learner) and for the last 12 years of using them I couldn't be happier.

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I'm on the bucket list, too . After life made the decision that I need to lighten the loads I carry, I chose buckets over BBs because of the handle. Beer-wise, it works for me but I maintain several glass carboys for wine and long-term aging purposes.

I clean better bottles with knockoff oxiclean, look like new with no scrubbing.

If I owned any glass carboys, I'd wrap them thoroughly in strapping tape. I had a friend seriously injured when a carboy decided to explode in his hands. Glass shrapnel embedded in the opposite wall and he nearly lost some fingers. No thanks.

masonsjax said:

I clean better bottles with knockoff oxiclean, look like new with no scrubbing.

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And I clean buckets the same way. They still have the advantage IMO.

Denny said:

And I clean buckets the same way. They still have the advantage IMO.

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I like staring at my beer. I do use buckets though.

I like the visibility too. Also buckets are too permeable for aging wild beers and such. Buckets are easy to carry and cheap though. Anything but glass for me.

I have glass carboys, better bottles, and buckets. I've gone back to using buckets mostly because watching the fermentation has kind of lost its novelty. I think that for most applications, buckets > better bottles > glass carboys. Although, I'm at least a little interested in these new big-mouth bubblers - glass jar with screw-top lid.

Buckets are ok, but I like my Better Bottles.

I have a 6 gallon glass carboy I haven't used in years. I don't see myself going back. I keep it in case I decide to do same serious aging, but I'd probably just toss it in an old keg at this point. I probably ought to just sell it.

Teromous said:

I like staring at my beer. I do use buckets though.

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Me 2! :fro:

It's mesmerizing :fro:

Teromous said:

I like staring at my beer. I do use buckets though.

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I got over that about 400 batches ago!

masonsjax said:

I like the visibility too. Also buckets are too permeable for aging wild beers and such. Buckets are easy to carry and cheap though. Anything but glass for me.

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I use kegs for aging.

Is it true that the bucket plastic is easier to scratch than the BB?

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I would think only because with such a large opening you might be tempted to carry things in a bucket. Nothing more abrasive than a hop pellet ever goes into my Better Bottles, so I don't think scratches are a concern at all for me. Buckets are even cheaper than Better Bottles though so if they get damaged, a replacement is not difficult to acquire.

I use better bottles (I have 10 of them)...

I like being able to see when I am at low Krausen so I know to swap my blowoff tube for a normal 3-piece bubbler. But I can see why it isnt necessary.

As far as scratching, I soak my BBs in warm Oxyfree and rarely do I have anything left to clean. I use ~3 gallons and rotate when I notice its clean. If there is anything left, I put a clean sock (that I dont use as clothing) on the carboy brush and after a few strokes.... its gone.

I'm not sure why people think buckets are easier to store. Just because you can nest them together doesn't mean you SHOULD. I've bought a lot of homebrewer equipment leftovers off craigslist, and any time there's a bucket included, they have it packed full of junk (caps, capper, ingredients, whatever). That bucket will never hold wort again, not for me.

So, in my brewery (garage/patio), buckets take up as much space as a betterbottle.

It's easy enough to see into a bucket by shining a flashlight through the top (to get a rough idea of where the krausen is at). Buckets are easier to clean too. And cheaper. And re-purposable if you decide to retire one.

But I still like to watch my beer fermenting Better bottle wins!

I re-purposed an old,large printer stand as a fermentation stand/storage unit. I don't stack any buckets either,no scratches for mine. I like the 6 gallon BB I traded a member in WY a bunch of Cooper's PET bottles for. I oak the occassional beer,but that's about all I use it for. But I could do a 5G batch in it with a blow off when I can afford it.

Phhhbt. Wimps.



Cheers! ("I like to watch" )

I have 5 glass carboys but I use them just to age wine and any longer term beer aging (my bourbon barrel porter is in one) However they never come out of the milk crate they are in unless they are empty and I'm cleaning them.