Cracked Carboy, Disaster Averted

[chudsonvt]

I just survived a horror and wish to share this experience with all of you. Learn from it, if you can.

A couple days after brewing, I noticed a small crack at the bottom of one of my carboys. I was concerned but not alarmed. I came home, today, and looked at it for the first time in a few days and noticed that my beer level dropped, as you can see where the krausen dried. I checked the crack with my finger and it felt damp. Now I was alarmed. The crack was bigger.

It seemed like a really bad idea to try moving it out of fear of it breaking and losing all of the beer (I really should get some milk crates or carboy carriers). So, being on the floor, I no longer had gravity on my side. I could not siphon and rack to another carboy. So I had to think outside the box.

A lightbulb went off in my head. I just started using a 12V pump in a HERMS. I should be able to use that if I could sanitize it and figure out how to prime it without the help of gravity. Hmmm.

I got help from the wife to hold tubes full of sanitizer, plugged with her sanitized thumb so I could prime the pump. After some frustration and three attempts, I finally started the flow.

I managed to save around 4 gallons when they could have all ended up on and in the floor. The floor boards are swelling a little. Hopefully they will shrink back. I doubt the landlord would appreciate that. I have hopes. Maybe luck is on my side?

 

[Yesfan]

The only thing I worry about is if slivers of glass from the crack are in the wort.

 

[chudsonvt]

The only thing I worry about is if slivers of glass from the crack are in the wort.

I'm not concerned. I pumped from the other side and will be racking one more time to get to a keg. Any slivers should be left behind with trub in either carboy.

 

[Michigan_Wolfman]

The only thing I worry about is if slivers of glass from the crack are in the wort.

Filter the beer through a funnel lined with a coffee filter or two, attached to a length of sanitized hose before bottling or kegging.

 

[chudsonvt]

Filter the beer through a funnel lined with a coffee filter or two, attached to a length of sanitized hose before bottling or kegging.

I could just put a hop bag on the end of the racking cane. That should be some reassurance.

 

[Michigan_Wolfman]

I could just put a hop bag on the end of the racking cane. That should be some reassurance.

Simple fix. Easier than my idea too.

 

[Singletrack]

Nice save!

 

[MaxStout]

I could just put a hop bag on the end of the racking cane. That should be some reassurance.

Make sure the bag-covered end is submerged, to prevent aeration. But still better than risking glass shards in the beer.

 

[chudsonvt]

Make sure the bag-covered end is submerged, to prevent aeration. But still better than risking glass shards in the beer.

Yes, I'm thinking on the inlet.

 

[OleBrewing]

Here is the funny thing about glass carboys they used to be the water cooler. They used to be knocked around and tipped upside down. Now that tthey are made for homebrewing the lighter side of glass has emerged. I have more trust in the old glass than I do with the new.

 

[Sailingeric]

Good save! The plastic bucket should be your new friend.

 

[Zepth]

Good to hear that a total disaster has been averted. Might be worth linking this from the carboy horror story thread. Seems that fewer and fewer people are using them these days. Myself included, though that was more of a batch size constraint rather than glass vs plastic debate.

 

[chudsonvt]

Good to hear that a total disaster has been averted. Might be worth linking this from the carboy horror story thread. Seems that fewer and fewer people are using them these days. Myself included, though that was more of a batch size constraint rather than glass vs plastic debate.

It has already been linked on the carboy horror story thread.

I would like to go conical, but i often have 4 batches going at once. I can't afford 4 SS conical fermenters right now! I am still making the debate in my mind.

 

[IslandLizard]

I'm so glad you caught this in time and didn't get hurt. A wise move not trying to move the cracked vessel.

Just next time, don't splash the beer when siphoning, keep the output hose under the beer surface.

For 5 gallon batches and ease of use, plastic (brew) buckets are great. They all come with a handle. If you have the extra money, those SS brew buckets could be a next step up if you don't want plastic. But you can buy 15 plastic buckets (with lids) for the price of one of those BrewTech SS buckets.

I now only use glass carboys for aging, mainly sours.

 

[jbb3]

Good save! That could have been disastrous in more ways than one.

Before building my fermentation chamber, I used the swamp cooler method to control temp. For the swamp cooler, I used a plastic tote so I could fill with water and ice as needed. Until you're able to replace them, it might be good to place the glass carboys in a plastic tote regardless of whether you use it for temp control...

Glad things didn't go terribly wrong for you!!

Now I use 2 Fastferment plastic conical fermenters. If I didn't have those, I would probably use Speidel plastic fermenters.

 

[chudsonvt]

Just next time, don't splash the beer when siphoning, keep the output hose under the beer surface.

I think the picture is deceiving, but the hose was under the surface the whole time. No unnecessary oxidizing here!

 

[IslandLizard]

I think the picture is deceiving, but the hose was under the surface the whole time. No unnecessary oxidizing here!

Oh, good! The distortion of the round glass walls plays tricks with that tube.

As you said before, when racking to the bottling bucket, tying a piece of muslin or a fine mesh hop bag on the siphon is a good idea, just in case a few flints of glass made it in there.

From the pictures it looks like that beer is about done. That "secondary" won't do your beer much good with all that head space.

Enjoy your "Amber Crack!"

 

[chudsonvt]

From the pictures it looks like that beer is about done. That "secondary" won't do your beer much good with all that head space.

Enjoy your "Amber Crack!"

Yeah, i might want to just get it into a keg now and condition in there. At least I can purge my head space that way. Or maybe hook up the beer gun to CO2 and purge in the secondary... I think I will try the latter this evening.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yeah, i might want to just get it into a keg now and condition in there. At least I can purge my head space that way. Or maybe hook up the beer gun to CO2 and purge in the secondary... I think I will try the latter this evening.

Keg it!