Bottom broke out of carboy

[Hello]

I don't think that's necessarily true. Why would water and a cleaning solution be a "recipe for disaster" with glass carboys? The only problem (and it's a big one) would be wide fluctuations in temperature, such as filling a cold carboy with hot water. The presence/absence of PBW or Oxyclean is immaterial - it's the hot water that's stressing the cold glass, creating weak spots and priming it to eventually fracture under otherwise tolerable loads.

Because cleaning solutions make things slippery. At least what I use which is PBW. Maybe you have super tacky skin on your hand but I don't.

 

[JEnglish]

Because cleaning solutions make things slippery. At least what I use which is PBW. Maybe you have super tacky skin on your hand but I don't.

A simple fix to that problem is a $5 carboy handle.

I've been using carboys that were once my grandpas (they're around 45ish years old) and have yet to seen one break. I hope they never do, but if your careful with them they can last a long time.

 

[kombat]

Because cleaning solutions make things slippery.

Ah, OK that makes sense. Sorry, I thought you were suggesting that cleaning solution is somehow corrosive to glass and could weaken it.

A simple fix to that problem is a $5 carboy handle.

If you're talking about the little metal loop thingys that grab the carboy by the neck and give you a handle to grip, I don't trust them. Even with an empty carboy, it seems to me that it would subject the glass to very uneven stresses and eventually snap the neck/top off. With a full carboy, it's suicidal.

I carry my full carboys with BrewHauler straps. When cleaning, I wear thick leather work gloves which both give me better grip, and protect my hands and wrists in the event one should ever break on me during cleaning.

 

[Hello]

Ah, OK that makes sense. Sorry, I thought you were suggesting that cleaning solution is somehow corrosive to glass and could weaken it.



If you're talking about the little metal loop thingys that grab the carboy by the neck and give you a handle to grip, I don't trust them. Even with an empty carboy, it seems to me that it would subject the glass to very uneven stresses and eventually snap the neck/top off. With a full carboy, it's suicidal.

I carry my full carboys with BrewHauler straps. When cleaning, I wear thick leather work gloves which both give me better grip, and protect my hands and wrists in the event one should ever break on me during cleaning.

Nah, not at all. If it is then we have bigger issues I would think.
I wash my dishes by hand, I know just how clumsy I can be with glass and soap. Luckily pint glasses seem sturdy enough to fall 6" and not break. Carboys and me probably would not have similar happy results.

 

[poptarts]

How's that going, anyway? I don't think I ever saw a pic of the finished brewery.

Pretty well running out of fun things to buy haha
http://laramiebrew.club/2014/06/foustbrewing/

 

[kwikness]

I know two things about glass carboys.
1) Avoid the Chinese ones like the plague.
2) One bump against a hard object can cause a tiny crack nearly too small to see. It will become a larger crack eventually. Inspect your glass carboys regularly.

This. Especially #2. It's also very important to make sure your carboy isn't subject to rapid temperature fluctuations.

While PET carboys are obviously safer in terms of the risk of sustaining some gnarly lacerations, the fact that they degrade and leech harmful chemicals into the beer-- however slightly-- when exposed to things like ethanol, is enough for me to not want to use them.

 

[ram5ey]

I'm sorry what do those links prove? You posed it as a fact but neither source claims that PET degrades from ethanol exposure or leaches chemicals....

 

[DrewschBag]

Stainless is better than plastic or glass. Now that the debate is over, let's drink some beers.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

This. Especially #2. It's also very important to make sure your carboy isn't subject to rapid temperature fluctuations.

While PET carboys are obviously safer in terms of the risk of sustaining some gnarly lacerations, the fact that they degrade and leech harmful chemicals into the beer-- however slightly-- when exposed to things like ethanol, is enough for me to not want to use them.

Seriously your worried about leeching chemicals from a PET bottle?

You do realize what damage that alcohol is doing to your body is infinitely worse than any minuscule of plastic you may get over years of using a PET carboy?

Obviously dont ferment in a lead container or a non food safe bucket, your going to be dead of alcohol poisoning long before you should worry about leeching plastic from a PET carboy.

Also as others have stated, your not posting a scientific document..your posting some guy on a chemistry forum the equivalent of Ask Yahoo.

 

[podz]

I've got a batch of skeeter pee finishing up right now in my one and only "carboy" (I don't classify my 5 liter jugs as carboys, but that's a different topic). I bought this carboy in 1998 and it has been through 7 house moves, including 2 international. I've used it more times than I can remember - I don't keep logs. It's a 5 gallon glass carboy Made In Italy.

Anyway, I'd never buy a carboy again - glass or better bottle. The shape absolutely sucks for the purposes of fermentation as well as cleaning. Demijohns are far superior in both areas - both in terms of headspace minimisation as well as having a shape that actually lends itself to proper cleaning. That, and they come with locking baskets that make carrying and cleaning easy peasy lemon squeezy.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

I just started brewing over the weekend and I use a glass carboy. Fear ensues after these horror stories. Thanks guys!

Don't let all the fear of glass scare you away. In 18 years of brewing I have broken zero carboys. I own one 6.5, two 6's, four 5's, and two 3's. I made my own brew straps for all but the 3's, and never use carboy handles. Are the dangerous? Sure. So are motorcycles. But the first rule of riding motorcycles is that you WILL dump it, it's just a matter of when. I handle my carboys knowing it's just a master of time before I break one, so I'm going to do everything right in handling them to delay it as long as I can.

If I could afford it, I might switch to all stainless fermentors, but then I couldn't watch the process like I like to. Glass works best for me. To each his own!

 

[kwikness]

I'm sorry what do those links prove? You posed it as a fact but neither source claims that PET degrades from ethanol exposure or leaches chemicals....

Seriously your worried about leeching chemicals from a PET bottle?

You do realize what damage that alcohol is doing to your body is infinitely worse than any minuscule of plastic you may get over years of using a PET carboy?

Obviously dont ferment in a lead container or a non food safe bucket, your going to be dead of alcohol poisoning long before you should worry about leeching plastic from a PET carboy.

Also as others have stated, your not posting a scientific document..your posting some guy on a chemistry forum the equivalent of Ask Yahoo.

You're right; maybe I shouldn't have stated it as absolute fact. I guess I've just seen enough evidence to convince myself against using PET. No need to get all defensive.

I wasn't aware that the forum rules warranted posting links to scientific documents when you re-state findings of studies you've read in the past, but here's one: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2854718/

If you think consuming ethanol in the amounts of a few beers a day is "infinitely worse" than consuming trace amounts of plasticizers, which have been found in some studies (go find them yourself this time) to stay in the human body virtually permanently and potentially affect the endocrine system, that's your opinion, but I'd strongly advise you to do some more reading.

Nonetheless, I don't use PET because of the studies I've read, one of which I linked above. That's enough for me. With glass carboys, I'm risking slicing open an artery on my leg. PET carboy users are risking the potentially consuming plasticizers which may or may not be harmful long-term. We're all taking risks just as we do when we cross a street or drive our cars.

 

[jbaysurfer]

This. Especially #2. It's also very important to make sure your carboy isn't subject to rapid temperature fluctuations.

While PET carboys are obviously safer in terms of the risk of sustaining some gnarly lacerations, the fact that they degrade and leech harmful chemicals into the beer-- however slightly-- when exposed to things like ethanol, is enough for me to not want to use them.

Scare tactic. You ingest more plasticizer on the street on a windy day from road grime that kicks into the air then Better Bottles leech into an entire batch of beer. We're talking measurements in the PARTS PER TRILLIONS.

I don't know why this is such a common theme here for the plastic haters, but if you use silicon hoses in your system you're getting more plasticizers from that then you'll get in 100 batches of beer fermented in better bottles. If you drink from a straw you're getting more plasticizer then a better bottle puts into an entire batch. If you drink bottled water, if you use a toothbrush with a plastic handle, if you use a plastic lid on your coffee cup....

Please ignore the irrational scare tactics people use to defame better bottles.

That said, I think glass is getting a little bit of irrational treatement lately around here as well. Just BE CAREFUL. Good tips here about using brewhaulers (don't trust them blindly, they can break), milk crates, leather gloves when handling, and not subjecting them to extreme temperature swings.

 

[podz]

Please ignore the irrational scare tactics people use to defame better bottles.

Indeed, I agree. Glass isn't any more more structurally unsound for one person than it is for the next. However, it's next to impossible to scratch glass in a way that can harbor bacteria. Plastic, not so much. So, if you want to use plastic, then be prepared to spend more money over the long run due to replacing scratched plastic. Simple. I mean, I'd never expect a plastic fermenter bucket to last for 20 years. I am reguarly fermenting in glass that is over 50 years old.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Indeed, I agree. Glass isn't any more more structurally unsound for one person than it is for the next. However, it's next to impossible to scratch glass in a way that can harbor bacteria. Plastic, not so much. So, if you want to use plastic, then be prepared to spend more money over the long run due to replacing scratched plastic. Simple. I mean, I'd never expect a plastic fermenter bucket to last for 20 years. I am reguarly fermenting in glass that is over 50 years old.

Totally irrelevant to what I posted. Not sure why you quoted me. Don't scratch it then. You siphon with an auto-siphon? A plastic racking cane? Vinyl tubing?

Making sure your gear is clean is part and parcel of brewing good beer. Doesn't really matter what materials you're using, that remains true.

 

[krackin]

Don't let all the fear of glass scare you away. In 18 years of brewing I have broken zero carboys. I own one 6.5, two 6's, four 5's, and two 3's. I made my own brew straps for all but the 3's, and never use carboy handles. Are the dangerous? Sure. So are motorcycles. But the first rule of riding motorcycles is that you WILL dump it, it's just a matter of when. I handle my carboys knowing it's just a master of time before I break one, so I'm going to do everything right in handling them to delay it as long as I can.

If I could afford it, I might switch to all stainless fermentors, but then I couldn't watch the process like I like to. Glass works best for me. To each his own!

Agreed. I really love glass. Love riding too. I've broken 1 carboy in many years just last year and it was my own fault for being in a unjustified hurry. Still, it broke and was a real bitch to clean up even with no injuries. I still love glass but went Speidel last year. I will still carefully use my glass in milk crates for long term aging only to reduce handling and getting cocky again.

I recommend dropping a bike every 15,000 miles which keeps one humble. Stop lights are very good places to lower one's false pride. Gas pumps are good as are parking lots. Anyone who never dropped a ride never rode. Always avoid crashes, they are way too humbling.

 

[Natdavis777]

I recommend dropping a bike every 15,000 miles which keeps one humble. Stop lights are very good places to lower one's false pride. Gas pumps are good as are parking lots. Anyone who never dropped a ride never rode. Always avoid crashes, they are way too humbling.

Hilarious! I dropped one of my bikes only once... Parked... Late at night.... Drunk.... Sitting on it smoking a cig...
I was the only one who sustained damage. It was humbling


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[kh54s10]

All these people who obsess over leaching chemicals out of plastic. I would bet that with a look in their refrigerator you will find plenty of items of plastic or at least items that were once in plastic. Probably some plastic cookware etc. Their fears are not really different than mine of getting sliced to ribbons by a shattered carboy. I do not, and will never own a glass carboy.