Broken Glass Carboy Horror Stories Compendium

[IslandLizard]

Just silicone that bottom back on! As good as new.

 

[Stillraining]

Holy $hit!

I think I just moved from Glass Wine fermenting and storage to Pet!

 

[Newsman]

I think I just moved from Glass Wine fermenting and storage to Pet!

Well, a lot of folks here swear by fermenting in PET, but long-term storage/aging in glass. A good idea a lot of folks have done here is to use a plastic crate to carry your glass in, so it is less likely to break. And if you're using it for long-term storage/aging, you're less likely to be moving it around a lot.

 

[b-boy]

Hmm this is amusing and sad.

Glassware is delicate.. on a side note I teach a general chemistry lab and the first thing the students do is check into their drawers. Meaning pulling out glassware inspecting it and putting it back. First lab I ever was responsible for freshman this girl literally crushes a test tube in her hand. Not ****ting you. So I take her off to the stock room her hand gushing and the moral is be careful.

Is this the girl????

 

[passedpawn]

Well, a lot of folks here swear by fermenting in PET, but long-term storage/aging in glass. A good idea a lot of folks have done here is to use a plastic crate to carry your glass in, so it is less likely to break. And if you're using it for long-term storage/aging, you're less likely to be moving it around a lot.

Right, I would think a glass carboy in a crate would be pretty safe to handle. Seems like an ideal setup.

[edit] well, I guess there's the cleaning part

 

[b-boy]

Every time I've come close to dropping one was during a cleaning session. Wet, slippery, and glass are not a good combination.

 

[Mainer]

I swear by glass carboys.
They're dangerous, but they make you look cool.
Just like smoking.

 

[shoengine]

Impressive amount of destruction. I think there are some good best-practices from this thread that could be summarized in the OP. A solid carrying device like a milk crate is absolutely on the top of my list. Second is a carboy cover.

 

[Stillraining]

Well, a lot of folks here swear by fermenting in PET, but long-term storage/aging in glass. A good idea a lot of folks have done here is to use a plastic crate to carry your glass in, so it is less likely to break. And if you're using it for long-term storage/aging, you're less likely to be moving it around a lot.

Yah I know where your coming from but I just cant get past this image burned in my brain.
Our wine is not something that's going to win an award anyway so I think I'm selling the glass. We use the web type carrier's but there are enough food for thought images on this thread for me to pull the trigger and just remove the risk completely from our process before we add one of our own for all your viewing enjoyment.

Carry on.

 

[shoengine]

Just crated up my fermenter last night.

It makes sense that these things fail though. Unknown quality of manufacture, unqualified suitability for purpose, improper handling, insufficient inspection intervals. It all adds up to accidents eventually.

 

[passedpawn]

I have glass car boys n I just now shattered one with homemade strawberry wine I hurried n transferred it can it be saved???

 

[Diver_Alan]

I have been using glass carboys since I started brewing about 3 years ago. THey have always worked great other than they can be more difficult to clean then same other types of fermentations. I have been wanting to upgrade to a SS conical for some time but the cost has held me back. What can I say I am cheep, that's why I started brewing. I thought I would save money. (Ask me how that worked out)

This all changed about a month ago I was cleaning my carboy and it was slick from the soap. It slipped out of my hand. It only dropped a few inches but unfortunately I have granite counter tops.

The good news is I didn't loose any beer however it did lead to a trip to the ER and 13 stitches to my hand. It was not painful at the time but a month later it is quite painful if I put any pressure on my hand and they say I may have nerve damage.

Until last month I thought glass carboys were great and still agree you can make great beer in them. I did not upgrade to Stainless steel because I was cheap.

I have now spent much more on medical bills than a top of the line SS conical would cost and I am currently using a POS plastic bucket to make my beer in.

Glass carboys are great until they are not. If you choose to use them you will break one at some point. Wear gloves shoes and long pants so when you do break one the only damage will be to the carboy.

Be safe

 

[shoengine]

Use what you are comfortable using. If you aren't interested in minding the health of the carboys or controlling the conditions the carboys are used in, then PET is the way to go.

I've been drinking out of glass, plastic and metal for many years. My wife will argue with me that aluminum is the way to go, at least for Coke, but I've always preferred glass, with plastic an unfortunate delivery system at the bottom of the list. Figures since I'd rather not go with plastic to drink out of, why would I want my beer to ferment or condition in a plastic container?

 

[bja]

If you choose to use them you will break one at some point.

What makes you think that?

 

[Newsman]

What makes you think that?

Law of averages??? Seems like almost everyone who uses one eventually breaks one.

 

[bja]

Law of averages??? Seems like almost everyone who uses one eventually breaks one.

Conjecture.

 

[passedpawn]

Conjecture.

Prove it

 

[pinemarten]

This thread could double as SS BrewBucket advert.

 

[nasty_rabbit]

I have been brewing off and on since 1993 using only glass and have only had one broken here. It wasn't me who broke it, a friend dropped it. Awareness of your surroundings and average caution are all that is needed to maintain a safe environment. 1 seven gallon, 2 six and a halves, 2 fives, about 20 one gallon jugs and a boat load of common sense.

 

[passedpawn]

This broken carboy belonged to the same guy as the strawberry one above. I think he broke this one first.

The second picture was because I didn't pay a bit of attention n had the harness around it not very secure under it

 

[shoengine]

Prove it

That ain't how that works.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

If you choose to use them you will break one at some point.

What makes you think that?

Law of averages??? Seems like almost everyone who uses one eventually breaks one.

When I took motorcycle safety, the instructors talked about learning how to prevent a wreck and how to minimize the damage when you fall. They were very specific: it's not "if", it's "when". You have to behave in a manner that makes the assumption of "when". You might go through your whole life never wrecking on your bike, and you might do the same with a glass carboy, but act as if it is always possible that you will eventually, and you might come out alive.

 

[Newsman]

When I took motorcycle safety, the instructors talked about learning how to prevent a wreck and how to minimize the damage when you fall. They were very specific: it's not "if", it's "when". You have to behave in a manner that makes the assumption of "when". You might go through your whole life never wrecking on your bike, and you might do the same with a glass carboy, but act as if it is always possible that you will eventually, and you might come out alive.

Yep. Always act as if disaster is around the corner when brewing and you're likely to live to brew again.

 

[jerbrew]

I have been wanting to move to fermenting in cornys for a while now for several reasons. I pretty much resigned to the fact that I would do that when I broke my carboy somehow. Anyways, I was sanitizing my carboy on sunday during brew day and let the thing down a little too hard and broke it. 5 minutes later I got it all cleaned up and had a keg full of starsan sanitizing instead. Only got a little cut on my ankle. got off lucky and have a few dozen brews done in that carboy. RIP carboy but I don't think I'll regret moving to keg fermentation.

 

[Queequeg]

If no one has suggested it already, for those that insist on using glass carboys, perhaps a wrapping of something like this is in order.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GSIK40S/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[kh54s10]

If no one has suggested it already, for those that insist on using glass carboys, perhaps a wrapping of something like this is in order.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GSIK40S/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Why not just buy a PET fermenter, they don't cost much more than that roll of film. Though it does appear you could wrap 2 carboys.

 

[Queequeg]

Yeah, I agree. I use a HDPE container. Just thought if you need to use one wrap it.

 

[RevKev]

Ick

 

[shoengine]

If no one has suggested it already, for those that insist on using glass carboys, perhaps a wrapping of something like this is in order.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GSIK40S/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

There isn't much insisting on using glass. It seems more like a lot of folks insisting others use plastic.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

If no one has suggested it already, for those that insist on using glass carboys, perhaps a wrapping of something like this is in order.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GSIK40S/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

What do you do if you wanna' clean the carboy, after wrapping with this stuff?

The outside would look like hell!