mikescooling
Well-Known Member
Another brewer and I were talking about taping the carboy glass or wrapping it in cling wrap, so if dropped it would be more like shatterproof glass? And not blow big shards of glass all over. Anyone have some ideas?
Another brewer and I were talking about taping the carboy glass or wrapping it in cling wrap, so if dropped it would be more like shatterproof glass? And not blow big shards of glass all over. Anyone have some ideas?
There is only one way....and it involves a hammer.
The longer I brew, the more I wonder why anyone would ferment in a breakable light whore.
Before I dipped a whole glass carboy in plasti-dip or wrapped it in auto film or duct tape, I'd consider a Better Bottle. It's one of those things that makes me wonder.
Well we managed to get through nearly 70 plus posts before the armchair quarterbacks started chiming in with negative.
That's gotta be some sort of a record.
The "point" of doing this, is to see if it will be beneficial to do it....Just like someone decided to use a turkey fryer, or a gott cooler, or an coil of copper referigerator tubing plunged into boiling wort with cold water running in it, or the stone at the bottom of an aquarium hooked up to a red oxygen bottle.
We don't think twice about any of the above non traditional/non brewing gear...but at some point someone thought out of the box and decided to try it.
It is how new ideas get incorporated into things....New ground gets broken.
There have been countless threads about broken carboys, so if this makes them safer then it's a good thing...there have been threads about how great opaque carboys would be and even using glass paint on them to make them more light tight...so if this helps then that is another niche that this could fill.
So there are enough reasons why this could potentially have merit. And I bet if the op HAD just posted a complete thread with it done...even you nay saysers and can't understand whyers would be sporting a chubby about how great it is....but no...because people actually want to collaborate, to brainstorm you feel the need to pee in our potty?
Why dontcha start a "why plastic dipping won't work on a carboy" thread of your own, instead of taking a dump in here? I don't walk into your home and pee in a corner. Why do you nay sayers feel the need to do it here?
I believe this discussion, just like the discussion in the original thread I posted, where people tried all sorts of ideas, is for people who ALREADY OWN GLASS, and want to continue to use them, and be safe about them.
For example someone just posted within the week, that they scored 6 glass carboys. I can see, like I did years ago in that thread, how this would be appealing to folks who have them, or still find the superior to plastic.
Me personally, I use buckets and Better bottles, and am slowly going all Better Bottles as my buckets get replaced. But I can STILL see the merits of this idea for those who want to use glass.
Found them. I remembered that one of the solutions was "Plasti-dip"
Here's one of the threads. Trying to solve the carboy problem
And in there I actually had linked two other discussions I had recalled. But they never went anywhere. The one above did.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/carboy-protector-12749/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/clear-plasti-dip-glass-carboys-119405/
If I were doing this, I think I would first glue some window mesh around the glass to contain any shards if it did fail, like using fiberglass mesh when working with that stuff. Heck even clear plastic packing tape if it didn't react with the plasti-dip. THEN I would apply a ton of plasti-dip in multiple layers.
Hey, why not doing fiberglass over them?
you are right. However, if I was given 6 glass carboys today, they would go STRAIGHT on Craigslist and the proceeds would buy BUCKETS.
I would NOT use them, no matter how many I had.
How many "I smashed my carboys on purpose" threads are there? Not a ton, but a lot.
I would try it if I used glass...
I believe this discussion, just like the discussion in the original thread I posted, where people tried all sorts of ideas, is for people who ALREADY OWN GLASS, and want to continue to use them, and be safe about them.
PlastiDip is what I was going to say before I scrolled down to your answer. At work we're using a new product for water proofing a shower pan. It's a liquid that you paint on with a roller or brush that dries with a rubber-like texture (very similar to plastidip). I would try it if I used glass...
You're right. I got sucked into the old glass-plastic thing again. Gawd, sometimes I'm weak.
Carry on, all!
(but I did recommend auto film; I've been looking at "foiling" cars - not the window stuff but used as an alternative to paint. Very cool. It would work for a carboy I think).
Before I dipped a whole glass carboy in plasti-dip or wrapped it in auto film or duct tape, I'd consider a Better Bottle. It's one of those things that makes me wonder.
Edit:
So I just came across this site describing PET/PETE and the potential of leeching antimony trioxide?? Is this true?
http://beerlegends.com/fermenting-buckets-and-plastic-carboys
you are right. However, if I was given 6 glass carboys today, they would go STRAIGHT on Craigslist and the proceeds would buy BUCKETS.
I would NOT use them, no matter how many I had.
How many "I smashed my carboys on purpose" threads are there? Not a ton, but a lot.
Found them. I remembered that one of the solutions was "Plasti-dip"
Here's one of the threads. Trying to solve the carboy problem
And in there I actually had linked two other discussions I had recalled. But they never went anywhere. The one above did.
I don't feel like wading through 15 pages of discussion... did anyone take the plunge and break a glass carboy coated in plastidip (either intentionally or accidentally)?
Yes......
And the results, I'm not going to answer, you can skim it yourself. I skimmed it earlier. It took all of 5 minutes. A scroll button is a great thing for skimming forums.
Thanks for being helpful....
Anyways, the only test that I was able to find via pictures wasn't enough to convince me that plastidip would do anything more than contain the largest glass debris. Dropping a carboy into a cardboard box onto slate in the grass is far from a worst case scenario. I'd venture a guess and say a full, plastidipped glass carboy dropped from waist height onto a concrete floor would still explode into glass shards.
I use a cobination of web holders I made myself or the milk crate transport method. They are an inherent danger, but for long term storage, nothin beats glass. Just a note to ponder.... My LHBS had "trade in days" last year that allowed you to swap your good clean non-chipped glass carboys for better bottles. You might ask your LHBS if that is something they would consider...IF using glass has got you worried.
After the extreme fascination of studying my first few beers as they fermented and buying as many glass carboys as my wallet and fermenting closet could handle... i became a little more practical and switched to plastic buckets.
I might be wrong, can't find what I read before. But IIRC, PET/PETE only leeches chemicals if they get really hot (like leaving water bottles in your car in the summer) or after very long storage. Since most beer is only in the bucket for 3-4 weeks it is not a long enough time to leech anything significant.
Just switch to better bottles. Shipping them to your house is cheaper, they themselves are cheaper, easier to clean and tote around..just all around better.
I've had two carboys break in 6 months and I'm done.
I have a bunch of glass carboys, but I really like buckets. They just work so well. Easy to use, easy to clean. And since I can't see what's going on, I don't dick with them as much.
Moderator note: There are plenty of other threads encouraging brewers not to use glass carboys. Please feel free to add to those threads or start a new one on that topic. Lets keep this thread on the OP's topic - using glass carboys safely.
Pappers_
Have you guys not read the comments in here about NOT making this a plastic vs glass vs bucket thread? The PREMISE OF THIS THREAD is to share ideas about how one WOULD MAKE A GLASS CARBOY SHATTER PROOF. The MODS have even come in and said to keep conversation to the topic at hand.
We ALL know about plastic, hell, I prefer it, BUT THE PURPOSE OF THE THREAD IS TO COME UP WITH IDEAS TO MAKE GLASS CARBOYS SHATTERPROOF for those who want to have this discussion.
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