Broke my first carboy

[sd_brewbie]

I am careful, I really am. Half the time I even remember to close the valve on my kettle before filling it. I thought I would be fine with a glass carboy, they are better after all. I was cleaning my carboy on my new Mark II carboy cleaner after racking to my keg and decided I would stick my auto siphon in there and pump some PBW through it... That is when it happened, I bumped my carboy ever so slightly and watched in slow motion as it tilted back and smashed to a million pieces on my back concrete patio. I should have just left it alone. I have lost a dear friend today.

Pretty sure I am about to order another glass carboy.

 

[dkennedy]

Glad that there weren't stitches involved, sorry for your loss.
I'm far too error-prone with glass to have a glass carboy, better bottle has taken a licking and is still intact.

 

[ChelisHubby]

YEp I know your feeling I had a few sips of beer while brewing with a friend and while I was putting mine down after shaking it to move around the disinfectant I set it down just a little hard on the concrete. And I am so glad I had a extra. I also will be buying Glass again. I might also make it a practice to sit it on a hard rubber pad in the future!

 

[podz]

I have a 5 gallon glass carboy that I have owned for 17 years or so. I use it constantly and it's never had a problem.

You know what I think your problem is? Made in Mexico thin glass.

Mine says Made in Italy. Ask for that when you buy a new one.

 

[z-bob]

I broke one Friday night; a 3 gallon full of cream ale. I was carrying it down the stairs and tried to adjust my grip. Dropped it. It really did bounce down the stairs in slow motion.

My 5's and 6's have handles. I usually put the 3's in a bucket to move them, but I wan't thinking this time.

 

[amcclai7]

a glass carboy, they are better after all.

Other than longevity I would strongly, strongly, disagree with that and there are many others on this site in the same boat. I am not trying to change your mind but you can make great beer in plastic buckets and never have to worry about them breaking.

 

[masonsjax]

I will never use glass carboys. I've had 2 friends with massive injuries from carboys violently exploding without warning. At the very least you should wrap some packing tape around them so when they explode, shrapnel doesn't go flying.

 

[sd_brewbie]

One day I might get stainless ☺

 

[Dixon9717]

My first broken carboy the bottom completely broke off in an ice bath and I slowly watched the beer drain into the ice bath. Still have no idea why the bottom broke off but thankful the mess was contained and no injuries....

 

[Tippsy-Turvy]

Had read so many glass carboy horror stories, so when I got my first glass carboys i decided to add side bumpers and rubber pads to the bases! Fingers crossed.

 

[Bradyj23]

Yeah they can explode. Had a blowoff tube get clogged and it exploded like a bomb. 6.5 gallon one. And it was thick walled glass. Shot pieces of glass into my ceiling. Thank God nobody was in there when it happened. Only plus side was it was in a bathtub so cleanup was fairly easy.

 

[DiggidyD]

I have used glass for years and had good luck until I had 2 recently crack. They are also a pain to clean. I know soaking is great, but I always seem to have to use a bottle brush even with the mark II keg washer.

I recently got the Speidel 7.9g and threw my 1st batch in it yesterday. So far it is great. Really sturdy, has a big opening on top, the airlock is ezmode, and the bung is flush on the inside so its really easy to get liquid out, which is a huge plus for me. On top of that it is light and really easy to carry.

I also ordered a SS brew bucket and may get a 2nd Speidel, but at this time I dont think I will get another glass carboy or a plastic bucket.

I am curious to see how they all work out.

 

[day_trippr]

My first broken carboy the bottom completely broke off in an ice bath and I slowly watched the beer drain into the ice bath. Still have no idea why the bottom broke off[...]

Umm....

 

[moreb33rplz]

I will never use glass carboys. I've had 2 friends with massive injuries from carboys violently exploding without warning. At the very least you should wrap some packing tape around them so when they explode, shrapnel doesn't go flying.

What? You must know the 2 in 2 million.

 

[masonsjax]

Seriously? Have you not seen the carnage thread here? It happens a lot.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=376523

 

[philipCT]

I had one break due to a clogged airlock. Stupid mistake not to have a blow-off rigged.

And I've read and learned from a lot of the carboy horror stories here. After reading those I bought a pair of work gloves that I keep in the brewery and I have a simple rule: never handle the carboys unless I have those gloves on. I also bought square milk crates (home depot) for each one. Second rule: they live in the box - always. I do love the glass - so easy to clean.

Full disclosure - I also own two SS chronicals and an SS brew bucket - and when I'm brewing major pipeline - they're all full.

I love them all equally when they have beer in them.

 

[Scotty_g]

The carnage thread is enough to scare a guy, that's for sure. Any time a story includes the phrase, "and the doctors say I'll make an almost complete recovery" I get spooked.

I have a few glass carboys but more plastic ones (and buckets)...the glass only comes out when the plastic is all full - and I'm gun-shy even then. I realize that if you're careful the chances of a mishap are very, very low - but the drawbacks of plastic are also very, very low and much less painful.

 

[Chadwick]

Plastic. It's what I use.

I'm a member of the camp that doesn't believe the benefits of glass are worth the potential of disastrous injury. I have children in my house and some of them have a gift for breaking things. It would be one thing if I was the only one that may get injured, but with the kids around I won't take the chance with glass.

 

[JINKS]

I have these on all my glass carboys. I'm now worry free. Plus it keeps down incidental UV exposure.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7qqCcD0e9U[/ame]

 

[Stealthcruiser]

I've seen that video before ^^^^^^^^

I wanna' see a full one dropped, with that around it!

 

[kombat]

Pretty sure I am about to order another glass carboy.

"Order?" There are dozens of them on Craigslist/Kijiji, you should be able to easily snag another one for $10, no tax, from someone nearby who bought them to make wine and eventually realized they weren't as interested as they thought.

 

[kombat]

you can make great beer in plastic buckets and never have to worry about them breaking.

No, you worry about scratches, infections, and oxidation instead. Choose your poison.

 

[kombat]

Still have no idea why the bottom broke off but thankful the mess was contained and no injuries....

Because you put a glass vessel containing very hot liquid into an ice bath and thermally shocked the glass?

I can't think of any scenario which would require immersing a glass carboy in ice water. The wort should be chilled to the target temperature before being transferred to the fermenter.

 

[kombat]

They are also a pain to clean. I know soaking is great, but I always seem to have to use a bottle brush even with the mark II keg washer.

Are you washing them right away after racking from them? I haven't touched my bottle brush in years, and I don't own a dedicated carboy washer. I just rinse them with warm water immediately after draining them, swirl it around to get out most of the yeast, then fill it to the brim with warm PBW/Oxyclean solution and let it soak for a day. The next evening, I pour out the solution and rinse it a couple of times with plain, warm water, and the carboy ends up sparkling clean.

 

[grainbill]

I have both Italian and Mexican carboys, 8 total. All are at least 25 years old, some 27.
I use furniture "sliders" dollys etc. to move them around. Once the keezer/fermentation chamber is finalized I'll use a come-along type fixture to raise and lower the carboys into the fermentation chamber.

 

[vincentAlpha]

I quite like my glass carboys, difference is I ferment in buckets and only use the carboys for wine the occasional cider when I don't have a keg free. They are >20 years old if the guy who sold them to me wasn't blowing smoke, though I'd never trust one near concrete or even hardwood flooring. Broken too many glasses from that vs. carpet or laminate flooring to try that one out, laminate may be cheap Chinese crap but it saves glasses, though I doubt it would help for a carboy other than being gentler for setting down on vs stone.

 

[kombat]

I own buckets, Better Bottles, and glass carboys, and I only ever use the glass carboys. However, I'm very aware of the dangers, and have adopted a safety protocol similar to @philipmeese. I only ever handle them while wearing thick leather work gloves. I never set them directly onto a hard surface like tile or concrete. They're usually in a milk crate when being moved around, in addition to a BrewHauler strap while being lifted into/out of my fermentation chamber.

I've only ever had one break on me, and that was my fault. I had set it on top of an empty box (to keep it from sitting directly on the concrete) as I filled it with wort. As it filled, the increasing weight caused it to sink into the box unevenly, and it tipped over and smashed on my garage floor.

 

[AnOldUR]

I haven't touched my bottle brush in years, and I don't own a dedicated carboy washer.

Same with me except I actually built a carboy washer (just because I already had everything I needed) and never use that either. Used it a few times, but stopped. OxiClean soak is so much easier.

I don't even fill it. Easier to handle with only a couple of gallons in it. Flip over to cover the krausen and wait.

 

[kh54s10]

No, you worry about scratches, infections, and oxidation instead. Choose your poison.

I do not worry about scratches, infections, or oxidation... I have used Better Bottles for 4 years, no scratches, no infections and no oxidation.

I have aged beer in them for more than 2 months without problems.

All the stated objections are due to misuse.....

 

[kombat]

I do not worry about scratches, infections, or oxidation... I have used Better Bottles for 4 years, no scratches, no infections and no oxidation.

I have aged beer in them for more than 2 months without problems.

All the stated objections are due to misuse.....

The issues I listed are more concerns for buckets than Better Bottles. Better Bottles have their own issues. My main reason for eschewing my Better Bottles is because when you pick one up to move it (i.e., raise it up for siphoning, moving it into/out of the fridge), it deforms a little bit, causing it to suck air in through the airlock (in addition to whatever liquid was in it, if you were using a 3-piece airlock). Glass carboys hold their shape when you lift them, preventing this issue.

 

[vincentAlpha]

The issues I listed are more concerns for buckets than Better Bottles.

I've been using buckets for all my brews and can honestly save I've never had any of those issues and I've had batches sit around on a decently long primary(4+ weeks a time or two, generally 3ish, 2 if I'm thirsty ). Heck I don't even bother with an airlock given how bad every bucket I've ever used or run into seals, just snap down two sides and let the fermenting begin. You might have to be a BIT more gentle while cleaning but so long as you don't let a yeast cake linger for more than a few hours they clean up with almost just a hit of water. Admittedly I'd be a bit hesitant to have a bucket sit like that for a few months but I'd also just close it off...

 

[Hello]

I am glad there wasn't any injury involved. I won't get into the glass vs everything else debate. I know myself and I barely wash a normal glass without some incident. I know a glass carboy is out of the question for me, probably.

Same with me except I actually built a carboy washer (just because I already had everything I needed) and never use that either. Used it a few times, but stopped. OxiClean soak is so much easier.

I don't even fill it. Easier to handle with only a couple of gallons in it. Flip over to cover the krausen and wait.

Okay, I need to see more of this. How is the water not draining out into the bucket?

My first broken carboy the bottom completely broke off in an ice bath and I slowly watched the beer drain into the ice bath. Still have no idea why the bottom broke off but thankful the mess was contained and no injuries....

You really don't know why?

 

[Brew_G]

Because you put a glass vessel containing very hot liquid into an ice bath and thermally shocked the glass?

I can't think of any scenario which would require immersing a glass carboy in ice water. The wort should be chilled to the target temperature before being transferred to the fermenter.

Cold crashing. Carboy is in a rope-handled tub filled with water that has ice bottles in it. This is after fermentation temp is controlled by an aquarium heater that's immersed in that same water.

At least that's what I do.

 

[AnOldUR]

Okay, I need to see more of this. How is the water not draining out into the bucket?

I use a standard orange carboy cap with the stem covers Crazy Glued in place. Also wrap a heavy rubber band around the carboy cap for extra security. Sometime get a small amount of leakage into the bucket, but never had one pop off.

edit to add: The paper towels around the bucket rim help to keep it from shifting.

You really don't know why?

 

[kombat]

Okay, I need to see more of this. How is the water not draining out into the bucket?

You could fill the bucket with plain water up to the level where it just covers the mouth of the carboy. That would prevent liquid in the carboy from draining out (science!).

 

[AnOldUR]

At least that's what I do.

Putting the carboy into tap temperature water and then adding the ice would lessen the thermal shock.

 

[sfish]

I keep my carboy in a milk crate for protection.

 

[b-boy]

I have these on all my glass carboys. I'm now worry free. Plus it keeps down incidental UV exposure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7qqCcD0e9U

That's a good idea, but I'd bet most breakage occurs during cleaning. I don't think this would help you there.

 

[Hello]

You could fill the bucket with plain water up to the level where it just covers the mouth of the carboy. That would prevent liquid in the carboy from draining out (science!).

That I know, but if you read his post, he mentions about how little water he is using, or less water. That suggested to me that he was doing something that allowed him to only use a few gallons as opposed to 6. Like any home water system, like Sparkletts and such, I understand the concept you propose, but I was looking to use less water. Then this happened...

I use a standard orange carboy cap with the stem covers Crazy Glued in place. Also wrap a heavy rubber band around the carboy cap for extra security. Sometime get a small amount of leakage into the bucket, but never had one pop off.

edit to add: The paper towels around the bucket rim help to keep it from shifting.

Perfect! Off to the LHBS soon I go to do this. as I filled a carboy last night with 6 gallons of water to only clean the krausen ring, I thought about how ideal it would be to have it upside down. It's so simple, I'm embarrassed that I didn't think of it.

 

[kombat]

I guess I'm not really worried about my water bill, it's by far our cheapest bill. Electric? $180/month. Natural gas? $160/month. Water? $30/month. Water is cheap and plentiful up here.