Can a carboy handle break a carboy?

I've never had any problems w/my carboy handle (the orange handle that goes around the neck). But when i was talking to the guy at my LHBS, he said that people usually use a carboy carrier (the apparatus that straps around the carboy and has handles). He said that the carboy can actually break if you use the handle with too much weight in the carboy. I never knew this. Why would i even want a handle if I can't use it with a carboy full of brew? I can carry an empty carboy no problem, so to have a handle just to carry an empty carboy seems a bit ridiculous.

Has anyone ever broken a carboy at the neck b/c of a carboy handle?

What do you use? A carboy handle or a carrier or nothing?

I have not had one break, but have also heard this and wouldn't be surprised if it did break. I don't think they were made for that kind of loading around the neck. When I had glass I used the handle just to get a good grip while pouring and carrying, but always supported it from the bottom.

blizzard said:

I have not had one break, but have also heard this and wouldn't be surprised if it did break. I don't think they were made for that kind of loading around the neck. When I had glass I used the handle just to get a good grip while pouring and carrying, but always supported it from the bottom.

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i never support it from the bottom. i just carry it around by the handle like a bag full of groceries. I guess i've been lucky......should i stop doing this? Also, i don't use my carboy dryer b/c i'd have to take off the handles for them to fit into it, and the handles are too much of a pain to take off and on. Now i'm starting to wonder why the hell i have 3 of these damn handles if they're not good for the carboys.

handles are for carrying empty and ease of cleaning (like filling it with a little cleaner and shaking it around)

If you carry around a full carboy with a carboy carrier handle, you are asking for trouble. You can look forward to something like this:

MacBruver said:

If you carry around a full carboy with a carboy carrier handle, you are asking for trouble. You can look forward to something like this:

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I'm surprised that it didn't break closer to the neck. I'd say you got real lucky if you were holding it when that happened but you didn't end up cut up

The only time I lift mine with the orange handle, is when it is empty. When full it is lifted in the much bucket.

I use the handles but don't carry full carboys with them. Always support from the bottom when full. I couldn't imagine having to clean up 5 gallons of beer as well as shards of VERY SHARP glass!

I use carboy carriers, which is not only safer, but I think they balance the load a little better, and make moving easier on the back.

A guy at my LHBS had one break on him, and warned me when I was going to buy my first handle, so I went straight to the carriers and never even touched the handle. They probabaly would make cleaning a little easier though.

Whoa, been using the neck-handle carriers for a while now with full carboys. I think I will stop doing that, thanks for the safety tip.

P.S. yet another good reason to switch to buckets and/or better bottles.

LakewoodBrew said:

I'm surprised that it didn't break closer to the neck. I'd say you got real lucky if you were holding it when that happened but you didn't end up cut up

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Thankfully that is not one of my carboys- just a picture I found searching google for "carboy handle broken"... you can see a bunch of pictures just like that one, or some others where it separated right at the base. Either way it's broken glass and 5 gallons of liquid all over the place.

I use buckets for everything, and better bottles if I do secondary for any extended period of time.