Broken Glass Carboy Horror Stories Compendium

[m3n00b]

Well, once more I successfully cleaned one of my old water company jugs (this one from 1960), filled it, and got it safely tucked away in my fermenter.

But you better believe I was thinking of this thread every time I touched it, and handled it more carefully than I used to...

I think of this thread everytime I touch a carboy...or any glass to that matter.

 

[IvanBrew]

By way of an update: I officially got lucky. The cut missed the tendon in my thumb by about a millimeter and missed the nerve in my index finger by three... I'll have no long term effects other than s slight scar.

I went out that night and got 4 more better bottles. My wife's uncle picked up the glass ones the next day...

 

[bja]

I guess it goes to show just how unpredictable glass can be.

Glass is completely predictable. It's called physics. People are what's not predictable.

 

[bja]

I agree glass just doesn't break on its own. It had to have some unseen damage...

Unseen damage? Really?

It couldn't be that cleaning a carboy in a bathtub is just a really bad idea?

...one of those one in a million things.

Nah, people have bad ideas more often than that.

 

[insanim8er]

Glass is completely predictable. It's called physics. People are what's not predictable.

Unseen damage? Really?

It couldn't be that cleaning a carboy in a bathtub is just a really bad idea?

Nah, people have bad ideas more often than that.

Feel better?

Next you're going to tell me because of the laws of nature, we all die. Therefore our death is also predictable.

Maybe you should become a physic psychic and sell your services to keep all these people from the injuries from being caused by these completely foreseen accidents.

Carboys are glass and glass reacts under predicted circumstances--we throw a hammer at it, we cause major thermal shock--but even those set circumstances can fail. And even unexpected actions can cause breakage. Thus making it deterministic.

There's even a name for it, "spontaneous glass breakage." There can be unforeseen flaws in glass during the manufacturing process. Therefore, a person could have done nothing and still have the carboy shatter. This is an unpredictable circumstance...

 

[brewguyver]

Feel better?

Maybe you should become a physic psychic and sell your services to keep all these people from the injuries from being caused by these completely foreseen accidents.

Carboys are glass and glass reacts under predicted circumstances--we throw a hammer at it, we cause major thermal shock--but even those set circumstances can fail. Thus making it deterministic. Next you're going to tell me because of the laws of nature we all die, so our death is also predictable.

There's even a name for it, "spontaneous glass breakage." There can be flaws in glass during the manufacturing process. Therefore, a person could have done nothing and still have the carboy shatter. This is an unpredictable circumstance...

So I've been bugging a product engineer buddy about this - supposedly UV light and a good "CMOS chip" would be able to find breakage points. His 2nd son was born yesterday, so I'll be a while before we play with the tech, but I'll let you guys know what I find.

Given how I've treated my carboys this far, I'm surprised none have broken. They're definitely used and abused, have had PBW sitting in them for months, regularly spray with hot water using my cleaner, etc.

 

[bja]

There's even a name for it, "spontaneous glass breakage." There can be unforeseen flaws in glass during the manufacturing process. Therefore, a person could have done nothing and still have the carboy shatter. This is an unpredictable circumstance...

You obviously don't know what tempered glass is. Carboys are not tempered.

 

[insanim8er]

You obviously don't know what tempered glass is. Carboys are not tempered.

Wooo.... Good thing were not on judge Judy. You might have gotten her to yell at me.

 

[troy2000]

You obviously don't know what tempered glass is. Carboys are not tempered.

What's your point? Are you trying to say that only tempered glass breaks spontaneously, or.....?

Untempered glass is less likely to break spontaneously than tempered glass, but it can and does happen.

 

[bja]

What's your point? Are you trying to say that only tempered glass breaks spontaneously, or.....?

Yes.

 

[troy2000]

Interesting thought: would it be possible to heat-treat and temper an ordinary glass carboy, like my old water jugs? I'm betting the makers of glass cookware have ovens large enough, but the composition of the carboy glass may be all wrong.

 

[troy2000]

Yes.

You're wrong. Look it up.

 

[DeafSmith]

Just wondering how many of these "spontaneous" breakages might be due to cleaning with caustic chemicals, as explained in post #2 of this thread.

 

[bja]

You're wrong. Look it up.

I did.

 

[BeerGrylls]

I believe the logical conclusion he's making is, all non-tempered glass is now broken.

 

[TimelessCynic]

I left 3 carboys full of cleaning solution outside a month back. I went on a business trip. I came back and the temp had dropped below freezing for a couple of days. They were all cracked. I tried to brew with them and cut an arm and two legs off. Just kidding. Um..... During the disposal of the shards i put them in a large plastic bin and smashed the large shards with the corner of a brick. I was surprised how much actual force was required to break the glass. These carboys are much stronger than they appear in these horror pictures. I am sure however that they do crack from minimal force on some very special angles and spots.

 

[beersk]

I believe the logical conclusion he's making is, all non-tempered glass is now broken.

"What if two swallows carried the coconut tied to a string...

Could've been an African swallow!

But of course, African swallows are non-migratory..."

You get the idea...

 

[IvanBrew]

You're wrong. Look it up.

I did.

Both of you have added good information to this thread, but the above isn't included in it.

I was enjoying the thread's original purpose, at least until I became a part of it by making a trip to the ER.

 

[troy2000]

I did.

Then you need to look harder. Spontaneous breakage is less common in untempered glass, but can and does happen. Back when I was a tract superintendent, I had to replace several windows in the second phase of a housing tract in Sunland, CA.

Modern window panes are cut from float glass, and all float glass is potentially subject to inclusions that create the possibility of spontaneous breakage. The most common such inclusion is nickel sulphide, but it's hardly the only one.

I don't know whether there are inclusions in glass carboys that could cause spontaneous breakage, but it seems at least possible....

 

[bja]

Then you need to look harder. Spontaneous breakage is less common in untempered glass, but can and does happen.

No it doesn't.

Back when I was a tract superintendent, I had to replace several windows in the second phase of a housing tract in Sunland, CA.

There are a number of reasons why a window pane would crack without any apparent external forces, none of which is "spontaneous breakage". The most common is improper installation of the glass into the frame causing a pressure point along one of the edges. I've seen this happen several times.

Modern window panes are cut from float glass, and all float glass is potentially subject to inclusions that create the possibility of spontaneous breakage. The most common such inclusion is nickel sulphide, but it's hardly the only one.

I don't know whether there are inclusions in glass carboys that could cause spontaneous breakage, but it seems at least possible....

Spontaneous breakage in tempered glass is caused by internal stresses which are induced during the tempering process. These stresses are not present in non-tempered glass.

Inclusions in glass are only an issue during the manufacturing process. If they are going to cause the glass to crack, it will happen while the glass is initially cooling. After that it's not an issue.

Why is it that people will not take responsibility for their actions and are constantly looking for someone or something else to blame.

 

[beersk]

Why is it that people will not take responsibility for their actions and are constantly looking for someone or something else to blame.

Is that supposed to be a question or a statement?

Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew.

 

[passedpawn]

I think you can stop this now. You've made your point too many times here. You don't need to say it again.

If you're careful, pay attention to what you're doing and what's happening in your surroundings, you don't need luck.

Unseen damage? Really? It couldn't be that cleaning a carboy in a bathtub is just a really bad idea?

Nah, people have bad ideas more often than that.

Glass is completely predictable. It's called physics. People are what's not predictable.

It certainly is, and if you don't see that, then you're quite naive. Just because you're a klutz doesn't mean everyone else is.

You're blaming an inanimate object for your carelessness.

Regardless of the circumstances, if you break a carboy, it's because you were careless. Period.

 

[TimelessCynic]

Why are you guys even talking about tempted glass? Do you know a source that sells tempted glass carboys cause i would love to buy some. Probably much safer than non tempered.

 

[troy2000]

Why are you guys even talking about tempted glass? Do you know a source that sells tempted glass carboys cause i would love to buy some. Probably much safer than non tempered.

Unfortunately, I've never heard of a tempered carboy. I'd buy one...

 

[passedpawn]

 

[passedpawn]

 

[Cider123]

This whole thread just gives me the willies. The pics in that first post are horrifying. What it tells me is something I already know. Glass carboys are just not worth it. In fact , I have a better bottle that hasn't been used in two years cause it is such a pain to clean.
Plastic buckets are so much easier.

 

[BeerGrylls]

This whole thread just gives me the willies. The pics in that first post are horrifying. What it tells me is something I already know. Glass carboys are just not worth it. In fact , I have a better bottle that hasn't been used in two years cause it is such a pain to clean.
Plastic buckets are so much easier.

Better bottles are super easy to clean. Fill with hot tap water, some oxy clean versatile free, let it sit for a few hours, and rinse. All the crud go bye bye.

 

[Hello]

Better bottles are super easy to clean. Fill with hot tap water, some oxy clean versatile free, let it sit for a few hours, and rinse. All the crud go bye bye.

Exactly. That's what I do.

 

[govner1]

++1 on easy to clean re Better Bottles. I use 1 Tbsp of B-Brite per gallon of hot water & let them soak about an hour, then rinse w/ lukewarm water. I've had to use a brush only once or twice in 3+ years.