A travesty....

[Skacorica]

it was 10 degrees below freezing outside, so I was cleaning out my primary #2 in my upstairs bathroom. I filled it up with water/non scented soap and let it sit over night. I then proceeded to dump the water out into the toilet the next night. Midway it slipped sideways a bit and shattered....all over my bathroom. Shards of glass and soapy water, everywhere in the master bathroom.

Needless to say, I was not amused ($60 carboy down the drain) and my wife was even less amused (glass and water everywhere). The best part was reaching down into the toilet drain to pull shards of glass out.

Two lessons for everyone:

1) Dont clean carboys inside (or if you do, dont be an idiot)
2) Buy a shopvac. Seriously. I would have jumped off my roof if I hadnt had the shopvac...

 

[llazy_llama]

3) Look into Better Bottles.

I know, every time someone breaks a glass carboy around here, that shameless plug comes in. We really do mean it though, those things are so great. After I saw the first after photos of someone who severed tendons and had to be hospitalized over a shattered carboy, I knew BBs were for me.

Sorry about the loss of your carboy though, it's never fun to lose a close friend.

 

[Skacorica]

Thanks I suppose it actually would have been a travesty if there had been beer in there when it broke...

Im definitely considering getting a better bottle, thats for sure.

 

[llazy_llama]

Better Bottles and Ale Pails are all I use, and all I've ever used.

</shameless plug>

Anyway, don't let one little accident get you down. Replace that bad boy, and get back to brewing!

 

[chemman14]

good thing you didn't break the toilet while you were at it

 

[wildwest450]

Man up and buy more glass! Glass rules, better bottles are better than nothing.

 

[Wellshooter]

I'm too much like the guy in the commercial that gets the job with the demolition company. So I started with BB's. I have dropped a full one twice, and all it did was bounce.

 

[Montanaandy]

"Midway it slipped..."

There is a world of difference between a slippery glass carboy (say a 6.5 gal) and a slippery BB. Glass carboys are not partial to any oxyclean on their exterior and trying to pour oxy out of the glass after cleaning is akin to trying to wrestle a greased pig. Your odds are not great. The plastic on the BB while a bit slippery give you some grip. I should have prefaced this by stating that I use rubber gloves when handling either the glass or BB.

 

[osagedr]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune--glad you weren't hurt!

$60 for a carboy? Ouch!

I have never once cleaned a carboy outside my house...must have done it over a hundred times indoors by now.

 

[Skacorica]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune--glad you weren't hurt!

$60 for a carboy? Ouch!

I have never once cleaned a carboy outside my house...must have done it over a hundred times indoors by now.

Thanks I was amazed I didnt get any cuts considering I was wearing a tshirt and jeans, and yeah, bought it from the LHBS, might have been $50, either way well overpriced buying there (vs ordering).

 

[Skacorica]

"Midway it slipped..."

There is a world of difference between a slippery glass carboy (say a 6.5 gal) and a slippery BB. Glass carboys are not partial to any oxyclean on their exterior and trying to pour oxy out of the glass after cleaning is akin to trying to wrestle a greased pig. Your odds are not great. The plastic on the BB while a bit slippery give you some grip. I should have prefaced this by stating that I use rubber gloves when handling either the glass or BB.

The really weird thing is that it didnt exactly even fall, it was maybe a 3 inch slip, but it must have hit the toilet just right to shatter.

 

[smizak]

Man up and buy more glass! Glass rules, better bottles are better than nothing.

That's almost sig worthy right there.

Dear Better Bottle,

Make a freaking 6 1/2 gallon version!!!!!!!!!!! I'll retire my glass immediately and spend a bunch of money on new fermenters.

Love, Damon

 

[IrregularPulse]

Glad your okay, This is why I use an autosiphon to empty my carboys after cleaning. That things needs cleaned just like the carboy, might as well clean both together

 

[JayInJersey]

I just made the switch to BBs as I was cleaning a glass bastard in my newly installed garage utility sink and while I was holding it on the lip of the sink to drain it it slipped and fell into the sink.
Granted it is only a foot at the most...and the sink was only plastic. But it shattered...not the carboy mind you, the sink.

Yup tore a big ole "new drain" in the bottom of the brand new sink (it was an off the shelf tub from the Depot...so it was crap, but overpriced crap)


Lifting a full BB compared to a full glass makes me feel like Heracles

 

[skadalajara]

I have each of my carboys in BrewHaulers and wipe the necks off before handling them wet.
I also clean them outdoors and lay them on their sides on the patio til they stop flowing. Then it's a lot easier to lift them to finish draining.
Haven't dropped one yet.
My only worry is when I get a chest freezer for ferm temp control and have to lift them in and out of it.
Actually, I can prolly rack to them in the freezer from the BK. It'll just be getting them out that'll be worrisome.

Anyway, moral of the story: wipe the neck off before trying to handle it. And invest in a BrewHauler. Not the one that clamps onto the neck.

 

[smizak]

I have each of my carboys in BrewHaulers and wipe the necks off before handling them wet.
I also clean them outdoors and lay them on their sides on the patio til they stop flowing. Then it's a lot easier to lift them to finish draining.
Haven't dropped one yet.
My only worry is when I get a chest freezer for ferm temp control and have to lift them in and out of it.
Actually, I can prolly rack to them in the freezer from the BK. It'll just be getting them out that'll be worrisome.

Anyway, moral of the story: wipe the neck off before trying to handle it. And invest in a BrewHauler. Not the one that clamps onto the neck.

Milk crates my man. They work miracles.

 

[bknifefight]

$60 for a carboy? Ouch!

My thoughts exactly. What size was it?

 

[Saccharomyces]

Glad you weren't hurt. Every time I see one of these threads I think of the folks who spent a night in the ER. That's a lot worse and more expensive than the broken carboy itself.