Dangers of glass carboys

[brettg20]

Sooo...it's safe to say you didn't finish the batch when it broke?

I've only broken 2, one of which resulted in stitches on my arm but no nerve damage like yours. I still have 4 glass carboys but replaced the broken ones with BB's. Both times I broke them I was cleaning them out after brewing (and drinking while brewing). Hope you have a speedy recovery.

 

[brettg20]

Sooo...it's safe to say you didn't finish the batch when it broke?

I've only broken 2, one of which resulted in stitches on my arm but no nerve damage like yours. I still have 4 glass carboys but replaced the broken ones with BB's. Both times I broke them I was cleaning them out after brewing (and drinking while brewing). Hope you have a speedy recovery.

 

[CraigKing]

Sounds like you can honestly tell people your beer was brewed with BLOOD, sweat and tears now!

+1 for a speedy recovery.

+100 for plastic buckets and plastic carboys. I used Culligan water jugs.

 

[Rotgut]

Holy.. yikes!

I broke a nice Italian carboy that I'd had for over 20 years. I lucked out.. I was picking it up and clipped the edge of my tile counter. The glass spider-webbed but held together. I took it out to the garbage bin, and as I lowered it into the bin, the entire carboy just crumbled into a shards.

I still have a few glass carboys but I've been using buckets instead lately - not so much for safety concerns but more for the ease of cleaning them.

Speedy recovery to you!

 

[TheCanisDirus]

Ummm... ok seriously want to get rid of my 5 Pyrex carboys now... Real deal Pyrex is a lot stronger than normal carboy glass... right? I know it is thermally... but is it against shock?

 

[Daphne-weizen]

Wow. Speedy recovery dude. Has this changed your views on brewing? I think I'd be a little too traumatized to brew for awhile. However I have to admit that you are my inspiration for ordering a new 6.5 gal plastic bucket fermenter, which should be delivered sometime today. I plan on brewing a kolsch on thursday.

 

[sudbuster]

OP,
You Know, after seeing your pix etc, and realizing the pain and how your life has and will be changed for a while, I'm looking at my line up of glass carboys through a different lens. I am on blood thinners so a wound like that would put me in the ground. Thanks for the wake-up call. I have Better Bottles but really don't like them. I'm one of those folks that have a real aversion to plastic. I am in the process of wrapping my glass carboys in epoxy and fiberglass tape. The first one is an ugly thing, but the inside is still glass. We'll see what it's like to ferment in soon.
Again, thanks for the post and the heads up to the community. And, again, wish you a quick and full recovery.

 

[emyers]

Update. Pinky opens and closes for grip but I can't spread or close my ring and pinky. Left hand has 120lbs of grip 33 on my right. My wrist is super tight when flexing and extending. Back at work on light duty. The doc said my nerve is growing back at a good rate. I get tons of compliments on the scar lol.

 

[emyers]

And to answer the question about brewing. Ive brewed 5 batches so far. I still haven't made the batch of skeeter pee I was making at the time.

 

[Homercidal]

OP,
You Know, after seeing your pix etc, and realizing the pain and how your life has and will be changed for a while, I'm looking at my line up of glass carboys through a different lens. I am on blood thinners so a wound like that would put me in the ground. Thanks for the wake-up call. I have Better Bottles but really don't like them. I'm one of those folks that have a real aversion to plastic. I am in the process of wrapping my glass carboys in epoxy and fiberglass tape. The first one is an ugly thing, but the inside is still glass. We'll see what it's like to ferment in soon.
Again, thanks for the post and the heads up to the community. And, again, wish you a quick and full recovery.

And I wonder why modern science can't come up with a process where they coat a GLASS carboy in a clear plastic covering just to keep these accidents from hurting people.

Seems like SOMEONE ought to be able to come up with a solution to this problem...

I use plastic for most beer ferments, because I don't think the proper plastic vessel is going to leak enough O2 to cause a problem in the short time most beers ferment.

But, I do use my old glass carboys for some things like wine and mead and I'm always careful to use a brewhauler or plastic milk crate and to make sure my hands are free and clear in case it breaks.

OP That is a nasty gash! But at least it's a cool scar. Look on the bright side; now you can use that nickname you've always wanted: Frank!

 

[AlCophile]

Homer:
There used to be available 1 qt. glass bottles coated with vinyl all the way up to just below the threads, but, I haven't seen one in about 40 yrs. and don't know if available.
Sudbuster's idea of a fiberglass wrap has merit; best of 2 worlds. Maybe they'll be offered commercially? Hear that, vendors?

 

[willy_mugobeer]

And I wonder why modern science can't come up with a process where they coat a GLASS carboy in a clear plastic covering just to keep these accidents from hurting people.



Seems like SOMEONE ought to be able to come up with a solution to this problem...



!

Could you take a bunch of that shrink wrap plastic that's used for insulating windows in the wintertime (cheap at the hardware store) .... Wrap it around your carboy 5-10 times....and then hit it with a blow dryer to shrink it tight? Would probably look pretty ghetto, but could prevent the catastrophe.....



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[podz]

And I wonder why modern science can't come up with a process where they coat a GLASS carboy in a clear plastic covering just to keep these accidents from hurting people.

Those are available for precisely that purpose. They are laboratory-grade carboys made of borosilicate glass with PVC coating and they cost well over 500 bucks each for a 5 gallon (19 litres) model. Many of them even come with graduated measurement lines on the side. Bonus, since they're borosilicate you can even put boiling wort in them and place them straight into an ice water bath without fear of cracking.

http://krackeler.com/catalog/product/1718/PyrexPlus-Coated-Solution-Bottles-and-Carboys

Dream come true, right? So, you ready to drop the cash and buy a few?

 

[OleGoatBrewing]

Damn hope you get well soon! That looked pretty nasty. I'm a bucket guy - always have been. Just got me a SS Brew Bucket and I'm glad I did after reading this.


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[BBBF]

Ummm... ok seriously want to get rid of my 5 Pyrex carboys now... Real deal Pyrex is a lot stronger than normal carboy glass... right? I know it is thermally... but is it against shock?

I bumped a glass carboy into an empty pyrex carboy and the pyrex cracked. It didn't shatter like a glass carboy would have. I even took it outside and tried filling it with water before tossing it and it didn't leak. I would gladly trade all of my glass carboys for pyex.

Most of the time I just use buckets and corny kegs, but like Homer I keep the glass around for mead and wine and I try to keep them in milk crates.

I missed the orginal post, but I'm glad to hear the healing process is coming along.

 

[podz]

I bumped a glass carboy into an empty pyrex carboy and the pyrex cracked. It didn't shatter like a glass carboy would have. I even took it outside and tried filling it with water before tossing it and it didn't leak. I would gladly trade all of my glass carboys for pyex.

Pyrex is a brand name, not a material. As such, the materials used in Pyrex branded glassware have changed over time.

Borosilicate glass is the term you're looking for. Back in the day, all Pyrex branded glassware used to be made of borosilicate glass. Not anymore. Today, you never know what Pyrex is made from unless it's specifically a piece of laboratory glassware; then it is definitely borosilicate glass.

 

[RLinNH]

I didn't read the whole thread, matter of fact, I saw the pic in the OP's post, and clicked on last page. EEEEWWWWWWW. I switched over to Better Bottles on everything about 2 years ago. Getting on in my years, and the threads, like this one, scared me. Not to mention, my new plastic fermenters are easier to carry. I put them in plastic milk crates out of habit, but it helps with the "gurgling" of plastic carboys. Best of luck in your recovery to the OP. Nasty cut there.

 

[Homercidal]

Those are available for precisely that purpose. They are laboratory-grade carboys made of borosilicate glass with PVC coating and they cost well over 500 bucks each for a 5 gallon (19 litres) model. Many of them even come with graduated measurement lines on the side. Bonus, since they're borosilicate you can even put boiling wort in them and place them straight into an ice water bath without fear of cracking.

http://krackeler.com/catalog/product/1718/PyrexPlus-Coated-Solution-Bottles-and-Carboys

Dream come true, right? So, you ready to drop the cash and buy a few?

Who said anything about borosilicate? I merely want a plain glass carboy, but with a plastic coating added for fracture resistance. It doesn't seem that impossible to me.

 

[fiveohmike]

This is the reason I ditched glass in favor of Speidel tanks. Hope you have a speedy recovery.

 

[BrewMoto]

Sorry to hear about that man I like the wood crate idea I usually use thick leather work gloves when carrying around my carboys! Cheers


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[kh54s10]

I suppose there is a plastic that would be strong enough to protect against broken glass shards. Shrink wrap is not one of them. Kevlar comes to my mind. Big $$$$

How much are you willing to pay?? I would expect well over $100 for anything that would be cut proof.

 

[Homercidal]

I wouldn't expect it completely prevent the glass from breaking through, but there has got to be a dippable plastic material that would reduce it considerably, and lessen the chance of a major cut, and possibly help prevent the thing from cracking from small bumps in the first place. Maybe like a clear plasti-dip type thing.

 

[BBBF]

I wouldn't expect it completely prevent the glass from breaking through, but there has got to be a dippable plastic material that would reduce it considerably, and lessen the chance of a major cut, and possibly help prevent the thing from cracking from small bumps in the first place. Maybe like a clear plasti-dip type thing.

Like a 14" diameter vinyl tube that you can cut to the length of a carboy and slip over it. It can save you from minor bumps and maybe direct the broken glass inwards

 

[nextgenxx]

Carboy Parka???




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[jbaysurfer]

Mover's wrap is cheap, flexible and could be wrapped around the carboy a dozen times or until it's thick enough. I don't think the idea is to put an impenetrable to broken glass kevlar jacket on the thing, just something that might direct some of the broken glass inward instead of outward and into your arm.

 

[emyers]

UPDATE: Starting to feel localized tingly sensations on my ring and pinky fingers. My grip strength is stuck at 75 lbs vs 120 on my left hand, i need to regain control of the muscles before i see any improvement in strength. Hopefully over the next few months i can move my middle-pinky fingers side to side again if the nerve continues to regenerate. The Doc says i'm making good progress.

 

[grrickar]

Godspeed on the healing - that is truly an eye opener. I just bought one of the slings a few day ago to carry mine. I guess I have been naive to the risk all these years.

I wonder if you could spray plasti-dip on a carboy and make it safer? Kids put that stuff on their cars these days for rock chip protection, and to look 'cool' since it is peel off and temporary.

 

[passedpawn]

Get well. We have lots of members, none to spare.

Thanks for posting, I hope it helps. I moved to plastics many moons ago after breaking a glass one myself.

 

[JonM]

I wouldn't expect it completely prevent the glass from breaking through, but there has got to be a dippable plastic material that would reduce it considerably, and lessen the chance of a major cut, and possibly help prevent the thing from cracking from small bumps in the first place. Maybe like a clear plasti-dip type thing.

Spray-on bedliner.

 

[Braufessor]

Glad to hear you are progressing. Hope it continues to move in the right direction for you. Unbelievable the damage a broken carboy can do.