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vicratlhead51

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:mad:Yep my first Homebrew related injury. I dropped my 5gal carboy last night, tried to catch it with my left hand but was too slow and ended up sticking my hand in a pile of broken glass. It looks like a wild animal got a hold of my hand. 6 stitches in my index finger and 3 in my ring finger along with about a dozen other smaller cuts. On the bright side the entire batch was bottled already and I did it while cleaning the carboy, so I didn't loase a drop of beer!:ban: The beer I made was a mild maple brown ale and is one of the brews I've been most excited about since I started doing it. Bad part is now I need to buy a new carboy :mad: Think maybe I'll go with 2 2.5 gal ones insstead of the 5 gal since it was a little hard to handle and I can be a clutz. I figure that way when I wanna do a fruit beer I can do two flavors with one batch (I'm not huge on fruit beers but SWMBO likes them)
 
No shame in buckets. They're cheap to replace if you're concerned with the sanitary aspects. Of course, I've used glass carboys off and on for many many years and haven't broken one yet (knocking on wood), let alone injured myself.

Sorry for your injury. Keep on keeping on!:mug:
 
Yep I bought that carboy pretty early on when I was more worried about doing everything perfect. The more I read, the less difference glass makes vs plastic and plastic is way way easier to work with.... and it won't cost me a pint of blood :)
 
Carboys are all a matter of personal preference-no real advantages/disadvantages to either (aside from the hand mauling which you received :p). If you end up sticking with glass, do yourself the favor and get a carboy handle. Makes moving a 60 lb. hunk of glass and precious brau a million times easier. (I believe they make them for Better Bottles too...not sure about the snap-on versions though.)
 
same happened to me a year ago, horrible scare on my right pinky from it
 
I also did the same a year ago. I was lucky it only had sanitzer in the carboy. I promptly went to my LHBS and purchased a Better Bottle.
 
I use plastic milk crates to keep my glass carboys and I keep them in the crates at all times, even when washing, filling and scrubbing. I highly recommend the milk crate to keep you out of the ER.
-Jefe-
 
scrambledegg81 said:
Carboys are all a matter of personal preference-no real advantages/disadvantages to either (aside from the hand mauling which you received :p). If you end up sticking with glass, do yourself the favor and get a carboy handle. Makes moving a 60 lb. hunk of glass and precious brau a million times easier. (I believe they make them for Better Bottles too...not sure about the snap-on versions though.)
Click to expand...

Just a note, those linked carboy handles are NOT meant to support the weight of a carboy + brew. For that you need a brewhauler or a milk crate.
 
brewmonk said:
so, you'll be making a red ale next? (glad it wasn't worse)
Click to expand...

lol actually that is gonna be one I brew soon. My last batch of red ale is almost gone. Time to restock. Sounds like I'm not the only clutz here. I'm a pretty big guy so usually the carboy was pretty easy to manhandle but I pulled a muscle in my right shoulder while putting away the solar cover for our pool earlier this week and was on a muscle relaxer. SWMBO says I should stick to video games when I'm on drugs from now on :drunk: I really do think I'll shy away from the bigger glass carboys and just get a couple small ones. I'd go all plastic but I wanted to try and make some mead and I'd rather age that in glass. Funniest part of all this is this was my first batch I bottled without drinking any beer. I figured the muscle relaxer and alchohol would be a dangerous combo, little did I know the muscle relaxer would do it all by itself.
 
Glad to hear you're ok, & you're not alone as for being a clutz. I managed to break my 6.5 carboy about 2 weeks ago. 15 sticthes in the left fore arm.
 
Jawbox0 said:
Just a note, those linked carboy handles are NOT meant to support the weight of a carboy + brew. For that you need a brewhauler or a milk crate.
Click to expand...

+1 on this. carboy handles are just meant to stabilize your carboy when you're pouring from it and stuff like that. You shouldn't be lifting with it.

Milk crates and brew haulers are your best bet for moving them more carefully.
 
Glad you weren't hurt too badly.

However, this thread is worthless without pics. ;-)
 
carnevoodoo said:
+1 on this. carboy handles are just meant to stabilize your carboy when you're pouring from it and stuff like that. You shouldn't be lifting with it.

Milk crates and brew haulers are your best bet for moving them more carefully.
Click to expand...

I use carboy handles to carry bottles all the time. Where does it say you can't use them for carrying? It also gives you a little extra grip when cleaning them out.
 
I was pouring sanitizer out of my Better Bottle when I dropped it from shoulder height.

It bounced, scuffed the bottle a bit and was otherwise fine.

Threads like this are why I'm terrified of my one glass Carboy (5G that I only use for 2ndary)
 
Glad to know that you are OK, and ( relatively ) unharmed. YEARS ago, I had a glass carboy I used as a chage jar. My oldest son was jsut a kid and managed to explode the daggone thing when he hit it with a stuffed bear ( it had glass button "eyes" ). He was not hurt btw. But since gtting into this stuff, I have steered clear - I use buckets, and have some water cooler bottles i will use to fine for a few days before bottling.

I am thinking about a Better Bottle, simply out of curiosity of watching a brew ferment out. I'd almost rather borrow one for a single batch - but do not know any local brewers.
 
HerotBrewer said:
Glad you weren't hurt too badly.

However, this thread is worthless without pics. ;-)
Click to expand...

Ask and you shall recieve. Although it's not nearly as impressive now after being stitched up.
[IMG="http://img207.imageshack.us/i/dscn1025c.jpg/"]
[IMG="http://img197.imageshack.us/i/dscn1023rq.jpg/"]
 
Bulls Beers said:
I use carboy handles to carry bottles all the time. Where does it say you can't use them for carrying? It also gives you a little extra grip when cleaning them out.
Click to expand...

You can carry EMPTY ones with them, but it says right in the product description (http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/carboy-handle.html) that if your carboy is full, the handle is just an "assist", and it must be supported from the bottom... a la Brew Hauler or milk crates. You should NEVER carry a full carboy using just the handle, they are not designed to be "load-bearing"... plus, that's just bad physics... why on earth would you carry a 50+ pound full carboy using just the handle, and focus all that weight on the weakest part (neck)?

Sorry about your injury man... I can understand if it keeps you from using glass again. I think glass is awesome, and have found that simple precautions such as wearing dishwashing gloves for gripping power, or never grabbing a carboy that still has wet StarSan on the outside, go a long way. I've never even come close to a "FAIL" using glass... I think people just need to be a bit more careful. :)
 
MrInternet said:
You can carry EMPTY ones with them, but it says right in the product description (http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/carboy-handle.html) that if your carboy is full, the handle is just an "assist", and it must be supported from the bottom... a la Brew Hauler or milk crates. You should NEVER carry a full carboy using just the handle, they are not designed to be "load-bearing"... plus, that's just bad physics... why on earth would you carry a 50+ pound full carboy using just the handle, and focus all that weight on the weakest part (neck)?

Sorry about your injury man... I can understand if it keeps you from using glass again. I think glass is awesome, and have found that simple precautions such as wearing dishwashing gloves for gripping power, or never grabbing a carboy that still has wet StarSan on the outside, go a long way. I've never even come close to a "FAIL" using glass... I think people just need to be a bit more careful. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah hadn't had a problem before, I think it was the muscle relaxers for the pulled muscle in my right shoulder. In retrospect I probably could have left it on the yeast longer, at least untill I'm fully functional. :eek:
 
vicratlhead51 said:
Yeah hadn't had a problem before, I think it was the muscle relaxers for the pulled muscle in my right shoulder. In retrospect I probably could have left it on the yeast longer, at least untill I'm fully functional. :eek:
Click to expand...

Well, I haven't PERSONALLY tried "Relax, don't worry, have some prescription meds", but I'll try anything once. :)

Quick healing, man!
 

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