Broken 6.5 gallon...bad timing..save the beer!!!!!

Well I have been brewing for 5 years now and always careful and like my glass 6.5 and 5 gallon..but might be time for change. I brewed up 11 gallons of my nut brown today and had it split into my two primarys..I have them in the basement and while moving one it bumped the other..well u know the rest..I was lucky it didn't break but only crack just a bit on the top. I transefered some beer to the other fermentor and plan to buy a better bottle tommorrow.......suggestions..I taped the glass and it seems all together. Spider crack..

leave until fermentation done? or transfer in the AM before it really gets going?

Either way it sucked for the end of a nice brew day....

J

If it were mine,and I had something to move it to I'd not take the chance of the fermenting temp or pressure causing it to break and spill my brew and I'd move it

Thats what I plan to do..I have to wait until the AM so it will be in full swing fermentation..I have to move it to transfer the beer..so pray for me. I'm just not sure what a transfer during active fermentation might do...

J

I'm druck...but if you're worried about the crack spreading, windshield repair from your local auto store? Just a thought

you could also waitt to pitch the yeast until tomorrow. Not ideal, but I'm betting that thing will break over night if the yeast starts working.

I had pitched the yeast when it broke..It is actively fermenting this AM

..I taped the outside and plan to run out and get a new primary today/ I have never moved a beer in mid fermentation so I just hope it doesn't stall it out slow it down.

J

I would get another pack of whatever yeast you are using for this batch when you get your new primary... Just in case you stall the fermentation...

Personally, I wouldn't move it. If the carboy isn't sitting high enough to siphon, take your auto-siphon and manually pump it into the new carboy. Sediment and everything.

I would probably wrap a boat load of duct tape around the fermenter, say a prayer and proceed about normally. I would rack fairly early, though.

It's tough to rack during the vigorous fermentation, as there is so much yeast in suspension. The yeasties don't much care for the racking at that point, either. They might do fine, but we all know they can be a finicky bunch.


TL

Duct tape can fix anything if you use enough of it.

I really didn't want to take any chances..we are not talking about one small crack..but several larger cracks. I went ahead and transfered into a 6 gallon B.B.

I used S-05 and always have a bunch of this stuff on hand so if it seems to be weaker fermentation than the other primary I will pitch another packet. My fear was that as fermentation built up the cracks would get worse and possibly leak.. This was my oldest glass carboy so I guess it was about time to retire it. I like the better bottle..the only problem I could forsee is that I usually aim for 5.5 gallons into primary..this will over flow for sure.



J