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davidicus · 08-06-2011, 01:01 PM

I received an old glass carboy from my father in law that has a hole in it about the diameter of a pencil near the bottom/side. I don't have extra funds to buy a new one and I really want to fix this one so I can brew more than one batch at a time.

Question: What can I use to plug this hole that will be strong and trustworthy, and yet won't contaminate the flavor of my wort? I thought about silicone caulking, but am not sure.

Any ideas?

**makomachine** · 08-06-2011, 01:03 PM

Is the hole cut or is it a crack? I'd be extremely hesitant to fill a carboy that has a sign of weakness as you risk serious injury.

**Revvy** · 08-06-2011, 01:13 PM

Nothing. Can't do it. We had a thread about this a couple years ago. There's no way that won't 1) be able to stand even the slightest bit of pressure during fermentation, 2) not run the risk of biomatter getting stuck in there and possibly infecting your beer, 3) possibly kill everyone off with some toxic chemical or metal that would taint your beer 4) Not require you to be stretch armstrong to be able to contort your hand into some shape that you could stick down the neck of the carboy in order to apply whatever solution you could come up with that wouldn't be disqualified already from the above conditions.

It's not like you can stick a cork in the hole and have it hold up to everything, do you really want to risk all the money you spent on ingredients? If you can't afford 20 bucks for a better bottle, or even a water jug, or a bucket from somewhere to ferment in, do you really want to risk 40 worth of grain, hops and yeast?

I have a better idea, everytime you have change in your pocket, dump it into the carboy, and when it gets 1/4 of the way full, upended it and take the change and go buy something that won't be leaky or potentially hazardous to your beer.

nos33 · 08-07-2011, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revvy

Nothing. Can't do it. We had a thread about this a couple years ago. There's no way that won't 1) be able to stand even the slightest bit of pressure during fermentation, 2) not run the risk of biomatter getting stuck in there and possibly infecting your beer, 3) possibly kill everyone off with some toxic chemical or metal that would taint your beer 4) Not require you to be stretch armstrong to be able to contort your hand into some shape that you could stick down the neck of the carboy in order to apply whatever solution you could come up with that wouldn't be disqualified already from the above conditions.

It's not like you can stick a cork in the hole and have it hold up to everything, do you really want to risk all the money you spent on ingredients? If you can't afford 20 bucks for a better bottle, or even a water jug, or a bucket from somewhere to ferment in, do you really want to risk 40 worth of grain, hops and yeast?

I have a better idea, everytime you have change in your pocket, dump it into the carboy, and when it gets 1/4 of the way full, upended it and take the change and go buy something that won't be leaky or potentially hazardous to your beer.

agreed

BradleyBrew · 08-07-2011, 02:24 AM

cork the pencil hole....pour in wort... pitch yeast...put in a solid stopper in the carboy...flip over... put air lock in the pencil hole... thats all I got. I would go to lowes and buy a paint bucket and lid before I attempted my suggested 1/2 A$$ rig job lol...

SwampassJ · 08-07-2011, 02:38 AM

Think of it this way. You have a weak point in a 20lb glass jug that may and most likely will shatter causing it to break into several large, multiple pounds in weight, pieces that are as sharp as a scalpel. Now the odds of this happening when you are carrying it, and or moving it, or even just standing near it are much more likely than if you where away from it thanks to some jerk off named Murphy (Murfy?) and his stupid law.