Most often broken piece of brewing equipment

ODP said:

I haven't begun brewing yet, but after unpacking my equipment that came in the mail yesterday, my guess is that the hydrometer will be the first to perish due to my clumsy hands. That little guy looks a little fragile.

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Congrats on your pending first brew. When it takes hold of you, there's no turning back.

Not only have I broken mostly airlocks, they're the only thing I've broken. Have three hydrometers, three racking canes (1 gal, stainless, and auto), and 20+ glass carboys. Must have gotten used to being careful working in the machine shop, or something.

Also, the airlocks were only broke because they were too clogged to bother cleaning them.

Pride, is the most oft broken piece of home brewing equipment.

Usually sanity comes right after.

Airlock. I usually keep 2 brand new ones on hand. probably broken 5 just this year.

Although I went about 4 years with one hydrometer and then broke 3 in one month. Pretty careless and frustrating month.

Cool a zombie thread brought back to life! I broke a hydrometer once and the plastic "L" tube of my auto siphon back in the days when I used to bottle. Hey Passedpawn enjoyed your story about the carboy with hot wort shattering in the pool and the algae bloom afterwards! Wonder if that wheat wort made it take off like no tomorrow!

John

When I opened this thread, but before I started reading it, I thought "well, I'm fortunate because I haven't broken many things." I thought of a hydrometer that rolled off a counter and an airlock I somehow crushed. Then I saw the choice "bottles". Oh yeah. I've broken more bottles than anything else. One of these days I'll start kegging, but it will not bring back lives of those bottles that died so many senseless and clumsy deaths. One even broke itself at the bottom of a washtub. I'm not sure how it happened, I just found the remains. It's bottles for me.

I have learned from copious experience that hydrometers don't bounce. Not when you drop them on concrete, granite, kitchen mats or even shag carpets (don't ask). I have learned to keep at least 2 new ones waiting in their padded tubes.

2 hydrometers, 1 carboy, 1 autosiphon, 1 thermometer. Not bad in almost 5 years of brewing, and scanning the rest of the necroed thread, about par for the course. Oh yeah, I have 3 airlocks with cracks, but I just ducktape those.

not that I break it but I replace auto siphon's more than any other piece of equipment-- Just due to the build up of funk that gets in it...

1 wine thief glass, 1 wine thief plastic, 3 hydrometers, 1 thermometer, 1 test jar, numerous other pieces. All in 1 1/2 years!

I've broken a single airlock in a year and a half of brewing. I guess I'm doing alright.