Carboy bottom.....blew out..

[SeeAliceBrewery]

What an interesting day this has been....plans to start this day.

1. Brew up 6 gallons of Hard Apple Cider

2. Brew up 5 gallons of Irish Red.

Got everything good to pour in my cider...had 4 gallons in and I heard a loud pop...next thing I know...the kitchen floor is flooded with 4 gallons of cider.

I cleaned up....and started on batch two of the day. Got it completed...then called the company I purchased the new carboy from. They were more than gracious...and they are replacing my Carboy with an upgrade to one of the wide mouth carboys...feels good to relax...I should be good for awhile for the negative brewer days...not much is worse than 4 gallons of cider with 4 pounds of sugar blended in on the kitchen floor!

 

[elimn8u]

That's a bummer. Glad to hear you're getting a free upgrade.

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

Yea...they were really cool about it. I tend to give them all of my business...and my loyalty is now reinforced!

 

[Jwerner23]

That sounds like a sh*tty day. hopefully your second brew went better.

 

[bajaedition]

had that happen once

I use plastic Spiedel fermenters now

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

That sounds like a sh*tty day. hopefully your second brew went better.

The Irish Red brew went finished without a hitch....now I just have to wait for my new Carboy to arrive...then start my Nukey British Ale!

 

[quincy07]

If it makes you feel any better, my glass cooktop cracked after finishing up my last brew on Saturday night. The glass itself is over $200, depending on the website, and they're all special order.

 

[Teromous]

This thread really needs pictures.

Also just be clear this was a glass carboy? Was it on the ground or were you holding it when it burst? It's a good thing you weren't hurt, many people get hurt by dropping glass carboys.

 

[IslandLizard]

If it makes you feel any better, my glass cooktop cracked after finishing up my last brew on Saturday night. The glass itself is over $200, depending on the website, and they're all special order.

Damn, that sucks even worse. Maybe time for a 3500W induction burner?

Here's the HBT thread.

 

[Doctor_M]

First off glad you weren't hurt, second is at least it was the cider... sucks that you lost it but isn't cider a lot less labor intensive to make compared to brewing beer? I personally only use glass for my erlenmyer flasks. I used glass carboys for my first brew and quickly told myself never again.

 

[bigken462]

I would imagine with 4-5 gallons of brew on the floor/carpet, you've just received a lifetime ban from the spouse from ever contemplating the idea of using the kitchen again. lol

 

[seckert]

Cider is less labor intensive, but more expensive depending on the recipe. The one i make is comparable to one of my more pricey brews. Its the good cider you have to buy that is pricey.

 

[IslandLizard]

What an interesting day this has been...
[...]
...not much is worse than 4 gallons of cider with 4 pounds of sugar blended in on the kitchen floor!

I admire your positive attitude, but can only guess at what really transpired in those couple seconds after you heard the loud pop and the hour thereafter.

Glad you didn't get hurt!

Aren't we all in this love-hate relationship with our beautiful glass carboys?

I now have 3 plastic ale pails on my shopping list. I'll keep the carboys for long-term aging, in an effort to reduce the amount of handling time and exposure to the glass demons drastically.

 

[pumpkinman2012]

Let me start by saying I'm sorry that your carboy blew up on you, but glad that no one got hurt!
What type of surface is your floor, was it tile by any chance? What type of carboy were they?
The reason that I ask is that the only time that I've personally witnessed a carboy cracking around the base was at a buddies place, he had 4 carboys, filled, on a tiled bar top, we were just standing around talking, testing new brews and have a grand ole time when we heard a noise that sounded like a windshield cracking, we all fell silent and started looking at the carboys, two of these puppies cracked around the base! The carboys in question were the chinese carboys, my buddy didn't realize that the LHBS had started purchasing the cheaper Chinese carboys.
The LHBS was gracious enough to replace the carboys with Italian carboys and refund the money that he spent making one batch of ber, and one batch of wine.
Do you know which type of carboy you used, and the surface it or they were on?

 

[quincy07]

Damn, that sucks even worse. Maybe time for a 3500W induction burner?



Here's the HBT thread.

I'm gonna buy a propane burner. Thanks though.

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

It was a 6 gallon Carboy...had it on linoleum kitchen floor. If this were not the first problem I had with my Carboys I would be less leary moving forward. However...this was the third replacement that I had received...the original two showed flaws that made me too scared to use. This one had flaws as well...(possibly from China. I did note that part of the glass was much thinner on one side than the others. The company that I deal with is not only upgrading me to the Big Mouth Carboy...but also supplying me with a beer kit...and some supplies to cover my losses. My wife freaked out a bit...(as expected). But once I had it cleaned up....(2 hours later....man what a sticky mess) she was fine...if I get anymore carboys...I will probably go the way of plastic pails moving forward. It would have been one thing if I had dropped this thing...or banged it against something...but to be just sitting on the floor and....POP! Had a nightmare about it last night....LOL

 

[Terek]

And this is why I use plastic

 

[beergolf]

Glad you did not get hurt. I bet it was a big sticky mess to clean.

I mostly use buckets, but when I do use my carboys, they are in a milk crate for safety.

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

Glad you did not get hurt. I bet it was a big sticky mess to clean.

I mostly use buckets, but when I do use my carboys, they are in a milk crate for safety.

I like the milk crate idea...but sadly it would not have helped my situation...

 

[Paps]

not much is worse than 4 gallons of cider with 4 pounds of sugar blended in on the kitchen floor!

4 gals + blended sugar + hospital visit for sliced artery definately would be though. Glad that nobody was injured.

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

4 gals + blended sugar + hospital visit for sliced artery definately would be though. Glad that nobody was injured.

I agree....the damned dog was all over wanting to help me clean up....thus....a floor cleaning...and a dog bath...(for the dog not me)

 

[IslandLizard]

I agree....the damned dog was all over wanting to help me clean up....thus....a floor cleaning...and a dog bath...(for the dog not me)

The mess on the floor is one thing, but how about all the cider that ran underneath the cabinets, fridge, dishwasher, etc.? How did you deal with that? It sounds like way more than a nightmare.

How are they compensating you again?

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

The mess on the floor is one thing, but how about all the cider that ran underneath the cabinets, fridge, dishwasher, etc.? How did you deal with that? It sounds like way more than a nightmare.

How are they compensating you again?

Fortunate for me....the rugs in the kitchen absorbed a great portion of the mess...guess this was a light in the tunnel if there was one.

Compensation wise...they are giving me one of the new BIG mouth Carboys...a beer kit and some other supplies. All and all...I am very pleased with the way they back their products. I wish I could get that level of customer service everywhere else I shop.

 

[Fishn-tin-sean]

Been there done that. My second batch of home brew was a Sierra Nevada clone, 1 day into fermentation the bottom fractured clear off. 5 gallons on the closest floor, in my shoes. The smell was soo goos and it hurt bad to loose a whole batch.

Almost was my second and last brew. I overcame, lol!

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

Hate to revive my old thread....but I had another glass carboy bottom blow off last week. Wife was not happy...and neither was I. Was very close to selling off everything I bought in January when I started brewing....thinking maybe these were signs that I should not be brewing. But then I realized how much I love to drink my own brew...and how much I truly enjoy the process. So....I ordered two 6 gallon plastic BUBBLER bottles and one plastic BIG mouth bottle. The only glass I intend to use going forward will be my glass BIG mouth bottle...and that will be for secondary only. I sure hope no one else has the crappy luck that I have had with brewing...and all in a very short time. As I stated I just started in January...I really hope the manufacturer of the crap glass carboys goes bankrupt.

 

[Doctor_M]

Hate to revive my old thread....but I had another glass carboy bottom blow off last week. Wife was not happy...and neither was I. Was very close to selling off everything I bought in January when I started brewing....thinking maybe these were signs that I should not be brewing. But then I realized how much I love to drink my own brew...and how much I truly enjoy the process. So....I ordered two 6 gallon plastic BUBBLER bottles and one plastic BIG mouth bottle. The only glass I intend to use going forward will be my glass BIG mouth bottle...and that will be for secondary only. I sure hope no one else has the crappy luck that I have had with brewing...and all in a very short time. As I stated I just started in January...I really hope the manufacturer of the crap glass carboys goes bankrupt.

Glad no one was injured, and while I understand for long term aging glass does have some advantages to plastic I still don't understand why people use glass for anything in the brewery except flasks and hydrometers.... SS isn't cheap I know but it's better then paying for stitches + pain and suffering.

 

[rekoob]

First, glad no one was hurt. What a mess...
I use glass carboys, have a 6.5, 6, and four 5's. I have not had any problems with them but had a 6.5 crack on me once. I had if full of cleaner sitting on my back patio. It wasn't even leaking! I'm guessing the cold cement and it being full was the cause. Of course as soon as I tried to gently move it towards the screen door (with my welding gloves on) the bottom completely popped off.
I agree with everyone about moving to SS or other "good" plastic stuff and will do that sooner or later.

 

[rico567]

Glass is glass. Just had my first two bottle bombs last night after 6 years in this pastime......and in a beer that passed FG on the hydrometer with flying colors....

 

[Homercidal]

Glad to hear you are ok. I have a single glass 6.5 gallon carboy I bought way back in '90 or '91. I'm very careful with it after reading the stories on here and seeing pictures. I won't buy a new glass carboy due to the cheap stuff they seem to be coming out with these days.

Wife bought me a plastic large mouth bubbler for my birthday and I'm excited to try it out for a secondary and maybe even a primary for smaller batches.

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

You are going to love the plastic BIG boy....the only issues I have found with them are....do not leave the airlock in when you are moving it...it will suck whatever you have it loaded with back into the Carboy. Also...you really have to crank it down tight....I mean really tight to get a seal. I had it going for a 4 days ...and nothing. I was not getting any airlock action and had the top down to what I considered to be tight....but obviously not tight enough....I really torked it down...and within a day...I was getting some action. Aside from that...the product is top notch...I am really digging the glass one as well...prolly going to be the only glass I use. I bottled my recipe of Maple Pecan Ale tonight....added a 1.5 tsp of maple extract to my carbing sugar...and it is nothing short of amazing. Not gonna share this one!

 

[FastDogBrewing]

I have a lot of Carboys, and am getting rid of all of them. With the cool new plastics and cheaper SS the glass is just not a safe option. Anytime I think a lass carboy is cool I look down at my leg at the scar I have from an exploding carboy.


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[403Brewer]

I bought a SS fermenter after reading too many of these stories, danger aside I do not want to clean up 5 gal of wort ever. The $200 sucked for something that a $15 bucket could handle, but I won't have to replace it for a long long time and there is 0 chance of a catastrophic failure

 

[govner1]

I'm strict Better Bottles and have been since I started 3+ years ago. I have 3,5,&6 gal sizes. Only wish they made a seven gallon.
They're easy to clean, lighter, and don't break.


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[troy2000]

I use old five gallon bottled-water carboys (Arrowhead/Puritas) for fermenters. That's crowding things a little for five-gallon batches, and I've considered buying some modern six or six-and-a-half gallon carboys so I can maybe retire my blow-off tubes. But reading all the horror stories about carboys getting broken or just self-destructing has pretty much scared me out of the idea.

The three I use are all fifty or sixty years old, and much heavier-duty than what I see at my LHBS. They were designed to be manhandled: they were schlepped around in trucks after being cleaned and refilled, carried in and out of houses and offices, and mistreated by folks switching them out on their water coolers. I figure if they've lasted this long, they aren't going to be popping on me unexpectedly....

On the other hand, I treat them with a lot more respect and care than I did before reading what can happen.

 

[jpsmithny]

I have several glass carboys that I use for both beer and wine.
I do not have any cheap ones though. They are all made in Italy or the older ones that were made in Mexico. They are all quite thick where it matters.

After each use I look over them carefully for any spots that look chipped or otherwise could be compromised.

Are there actually ones made in China?