more glass carboy woes - be careful!

Be careful!!! I did this simply scrubbing out the ol carboy. I use a regular carboy brush. I guess I was getting aggressive. I'm not a strong guy or anything but . . . One more thing to think about!

Betcha at some point in it's career it was knocked at that point and weakened. Glad no fluids were lost, bodily or beer wise.

Boy, that could have been disastrous! No more glass carboys for me. Better bottle here I come...

yah thats odd as all get out

Eh, built in blow off tube

If you soaked it overnight you probably wouldn't have that problem...

A good soaking and waiting does wonders. Most of the time you don't have to use any elbow grease since the crud falls to the bottom like sediment.

just a hot water soak? Or oxyclean?

Just asking because i'll be cleaning out a carboy for the first time this weekend.

I don't think your bottle brush is supposed to be made out of several hammer heads tied together

Look to the left of the carboy and you'll find the culprit. Damn hummingbirds!!!

Just a hot water soak does wonders. I wouldn't soak it with oxyclean as it tends to leave a residue when you let it soak. The last time I did that, I had to follow up with a good hot water soak and then scrub the carboy to get it all to go away.

ahh, nothing a little duct tape wont fix.......

it's not the patience with the hot water soak, it's the amount of water and not wanting to reuse it for anything. Plus fermentation crud-rings are stubborn and just cuz I can't see it........

Anyway, there were lots of little shards that, if I hadn't been glancing to the side, could've ended up in my eyes.

I still love glass.

If I ever upgrade from my Ale Pails, this is another reason to go with the better bottles.

homebrewer_99 said:

If you soaked it overnight you probably wouldn't have that problem...

A good soaking and waiting does wonders. Most of the time you don't have to use any elbow grease since the crud falls to the bottom like sediment.

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How does hot water repair a hole in glass?

Lucky, so lucky that this didn't happen with a batch in it.

jharres said:

Boy, that could have been disastrous! No more glass carboys for me. Better bottle here I come...

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???

Because of a freak occurence?

I always add water to level up to about two inches from the top of the carboy, so this way i don't have to scrub very deep, and it makes more beer this way, and if you make it with a slightly higher gravity, it doesn't taste watery at all.

Then when it's time to clean it, way easier and i don't have to force anything.

just my .02 cent worthless of take on the matter.

yikes! I usually soak with oxyclean and water over night, drain and then re-rinse and store until the next brewday/primary to secondary transfer. Then before I use the carboy for what ever I give it another rinsing, with half of it filled with hot water I cover the mouth of it with my hand and rock it in my lap. Then the obligatory star-san soak, and dump it about 3 or 4 minutes before I pour the wort in. I havent had a carboy crust-worthy enough for the brush. Do you clean after each time you use it? I could see it getting bad if not. Im skeered now, thats alot of glass to get everywhere! I might start brewing with eye-protection on from now on!

Does the testosterone you are adding to your beer add any off flavors?

You guys, I have reason to believe mandoman is really Chuck Norris. Look at the facts: Beard? Check. Can break rigid objects with flimsy brushes using intense feats of strength? Check. I think it's pretty obvious.

Only two replies till the Better Bottle chestnut got drug out. Lovely. I hate it when people flip the F out like ninjas whenever a glass carboy mishap occurs.

Loup said:

I don't think your bottle brush is supposed to be made out of several hammer heads tied together

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But it was only $2!!

Yeah, this ain't no plastic vs. glass thread. It was a freak thing for sure. Not sure about Revvys comment - I suppose something could've been dropped on it and weakened it at that spot and then a little pressure from the brush and pow. And it was mostly three big pieces, just a few little shards went flying. Considering it's probably the 15th or 20th time I've cleaned this particular carboy this way it's still pretty unlikely. I'll definitely replace it with another glass one although I do have a better bottle i use as a backup as well as 5 other glass carboys. I rarely fill the 6.5 gallon carboy to the top as I'm getting about 5.5-6 gallons from my system so there's always 3-4 inches of crust at the top. I generally rack the beer when it's time, rinse with hot water thoroughly by filling about a half gallon and covering the top mix it well. Still, theres always a ton of crust that i use the brush to remove. I figure clean it soon before **** starts to invade. I would like to find a different kind of carboy brush - one that doesn't have the poky metal tip - that's what did it this time. Maybe I'll write the manufacturer and suggest it.

Chuck Norris. Too funny. Might put that in my sig.

I've never scrubbed a carboy - Oxyclean and soaking for 2-3 hours and rinse a few times - works great

I was always scared of that. Thats why I just picked up a few new better bottles. They are awesome.