Making holes in a glass carboy

[Sundy]

I added bottling valves to my plastic ferments, they are awesome. I would like to add valves to my glass carboys. Does anyone have experience with this? We drill ceramic pots with diamond drill bits on a regular basis, but not on the curved part of the pot.

 

[Jtvann]

I would avoid doing this at all costs. Glass is dangerous enough. The glass walls support the weight of the liquid inside. Introducing a weak point in that scares me. I’ve seen very few people that didn’t pick up and move car boys while full.

I already look at car boys like a grenade. They are safe enough to carry around while the pin is still in it. Drilling a hole sounds like pulling the pin.

 

[jrgtr42]

Yeah, I would highly recommend NOT doing this. I think there are bits that will let you drill through glass, but I have no idea how to avoid it cracking. regular drilling is basically scraping away bits of the material - glass would usually crack before scraping.
Look up the thread about carboy accidents.

 

[dwhite60]

Could use a Dremel and a diamond burr and just kind of grind your way through it.

I wouldn't recommend it. Glass on some carboys is incredibly thin. I don't use glass anymore. Seen too many accidents.

 

[_BullDog_]

Any stress to the side could cause the glass to shatter.... don’t do this

 

[matt_m]

Steps:
1) get rid of glass
2) buy PET or stainless with hole already included

 

[bruce_the_loon]

Like the others said, don't do it.

If you can drill or burr it without cracking the glass, and somehow fit the valve without the tightening of the valve nut cracking the glass because it is a flat nut putting pressure on a curved surface, you'll have a focused point for load stresses that will have micro-cracks on the edge of the glass. It will likely shatter from the micro-cracks outwards.

About the only way it could be done safely would be to have the hole as part of the carboy mold or bored in while the glass is still hot and pliable when being manufactured. I doubt you could successfully melt a hole into a carboy without causing thermal expansion and breaking it either.

 

[govner1]

What @matt_m & @bruce_the_loon said!
I was in the glass business for over a decade (OI) and this is a terrible idea!

 

[Sundy]

OK! Does anybody want to buy some glass carboys?

 

[_BullDog_]

That is the right question.

 

[Beermeister32]

I tossed out my glass carboys. One trip to the internet showing all the hand gashers and stiches was all I needed!

 

[Beermeister32]

On a lighter note, my Dad once attempted to drill a round glass outdoor table for an umbrella hole.

The thing was made of tempered glass. As soon as the drill dug in, the tabletop vaporized in front of his eyes and showered the deck below with a trillion little glass chunks!

 

[Sundy]

I have been using glass carboys for 30 years and have never had one break. (knock wood) They are getting heavier as time goes on though.

 

[Brooothru]

On a lighter note, my Dad once attempted to drill a round glass outdoor table for an umbrella hole.

The thing was made of tempered glass. As soon as the drill dug in, the tabletop vaporized in front of his eyes and showered the deck below with a trillion little glass chunks!

Exactly what "safety glass" is supposed to do, just like your car's windshield.

Brooo Brother

 

[Konadog]

A shotgun works best for this, once complete making your hole, pick up a few plastic buckets or stainless fermenter to finish the project.

PS. some aquarium bottoms are tempered also, don't need to tell you how I know.

 

[Tom Foolery]

I saw the pics and all the stitches someone got from a shattered carboy. I have one 5 gal left and it's in the attic. Might fill it with change one day. Went and bought stainless buckets. No amount of money is worth all the stitches I saw in that guy...

 

[bkboiler]

Another consideration is that residual stresses exist from cooling the formed glass (non-uniformly). Any new drilled hole could compromise the "stability" of pre-existing flaws... A hole also concentates stresses in that area and makes catastrophic crack propagation more likely.
would instead recommend getting more ported plastic and just donating the glass...
the plastic has sufficient ductility and a "toughening mechanism" as a part of the microstructure so is much more forgiving for brewery usage.

 

[Sundy]

I like the price of this. FermZilla Flat Bottom Fermenter Has anybody used them?

 

[Beermeister32]

One additional thing - those old water jug carboys from the 1920's - 1950's were made of seriously HEAVY thick glass. I have one here at my house that I throw change in. Incredibly thick, which you would figure they would have to be for delivering water reliably for all those years.

The glass carboys I initially bought for this hobby were nothing of the same effort. Lighter and thinner by a huge degree. If I had to use glass, I'd suggest one of those vintage ones used for water. The current ones are too scary, those pictures show deep tissue damage, I need the use of my hands. They fit nicely in my recycling trash bin. Go PET plastic, yeah!

 

[Toto's]

Yop, got a nice 7 stitches from a 6 gallons glass carboy. I am not mooving any glass carboy anymore!!!! I do wine as well so i keep them for that since i dont need to moove them.
I would also recommend PET plastic carboy, they are light, you can bring them for a walk if you want and they will not hurt you!

 

[apache_brew]

being that you're already accustomed to fermenting in carboys, why not just switch over to sankey kegs? Essentially the same access and cleaning procedures but with 0% chance of breaking or light intrusion.

 

[Sundy]

I would like to switch my whole setup to Sankey kegs. $$$

 

[AkTom]

Love my glass. I don’t pick them up with more than a gallon or so of liquid. I use a vacuum pump. Works great. As with all things, use common sense. How many people still drive cars? I have family who have died in auto accidents. I still drive. Use caution and drive those carboys!
Cheers

 

[AirLock Sniffer]

I'd not heard of the issues with glass carboys until it was pointed out on the forums. Knowledge is definitely key, am very cognizant now of the potential hazards, have a pair of "grip" gloves that I use for handling and am very careful. They don't seem particularly difficult to clean provided the angled brush is used with some B-Brite. I like them, but I look at them with a wary eye!

 

[apache_brew]

I would like to switch my whole setup to Sankey kegs. $$$

 

[Sundy]

I just bought a new cleaning brush and I remember now why I hate small neck carboys. A pain in the ass to clean. Don't even tell me about the drill powered brush. I can buy a carboy for the same price as that brush.

 

[bracconiere]

I use a vacuum pump.

LOL, i'm invisioning so many things! i don't even know where to start...

 

[Sundy]

LOL, i'm invisioning so many things! i don't even know where to start...

It does make one wonder.

 

[harrower]

I can tell a lot about my fermentation by the co2 bubbles using a clear wide mouth. I started out with the narrow neck. Maybe good for wine, but a pain to clean. I switched to the pet Big Mouth Bubbler. You can also get these with a bottom valves.