Disaster!! Just when you think it will never happen to you...

[HopheadNJ]

6 gallon carboy EXPLOSION!! Thank god I siphoned all the beer out before it shattered into 100,000,000 pieces in the bathroom!!! If you're using glass carboys and doing lots of moving/use, etc. be careful! Luckily, I walked away with just 1 pretty good cut on my middle finger & a huge mess to deal with. Could have been MUCH worse.

I'll take it as a lesson: buy Better Bottles!

 

[PseudoChef]

Knew what happened before I even opened the thread. Sorry for you loss, but am happy for no severed tendons.

 

[Montanaandy]

Sorry for your loss. One thing that you have spurred me to do with respect to handling my glass bottles is that I am going to wear leather work gloves when I am moving the glass carboys with the brew hauler so that I have some measure of protection from glass fragments on the hands in the event of a catastrophe. I guess that safety goggles also might not be a bad idea. Montanaandy

 

[ibbones]

How did it break? Was it hit against the bath tub?

 

[MacBruver]

let me sum up the various responses:


"This is why I never use glass"

"I've brewed 72,400 batches of beer with glass and never broken one"

"Use a milk crate"

"That's it, i'm switching to better bottles too"

Did I miss anything?

 

[Rick500]

How about "I'm going to start phasing out my carboys and picking up a Better Bottle here and there until I have enough that I won't have to use glass anymore."

 

[homebrewer_99]

let me sum up the various responses:


"This is why I never use glass"

"I've brewed 72,400 batches of beer with glass and never broken one"

"Use a milk crate"

"That's it, i'm switching to better bottles too"

Did I miss anything?

You're good...these are my two:

"I've brewed 72,400 batches of beer with glass and never broken one"

"Use a milk crate" :rockin:

 

[HopheadNJ]

How did it break? Was it hit against the bath tub?

Nope, had it by the neck with one hand & the bottom with the other..just kind of pulled apart almost. The bottom & most of 1 side was intact. I should have taken some pictures, but it wasn't exactly a priority at the time.

 

[Rick500]

I wonder if it had some flaw in it somewhere that you didn't notice.

I noticed one of my 6.5 gallons has a tiny pinhead-sized air bubble in the wall about halfway down. It has apfelwein in it at the moment, but it's going in the trash as soon as it's time to rack it.

 

[HalfPint]

I wonder if it had some flaw in it somewhere that you didn't notice.

I noticed one of my 6.5 gallons has a tiny pinhead-sized air bubble in the wall about halfway down. It has apfelwein in it at the moment, but it's going in the trash as soon as it's time to rack it.

Do you want my address?

I've been using a glass carboy for years that has one of those bubbles. Don't throw it away. Get a few heavy duty trash bags and put it inside of them with a zip tie around the neck. If it breaks you're out a batch of booze not a hand/foot because the glass will be contained inside of the bags. I've been scared of this ever since I got my first glass carboy. Those things should last for years if you don't bump it against stuff.

 

[Picobrew]

Sweet avatar, by the way. Where is it from?

 

[homebeerbrewer]

I broke one back in June (link) with worse results. I'm doing much better, but I still don't have feeling in my index finger.

I had a couple spare carboys, and I decided that one would be a sacrificial carboy for a product called Plasti Dip. It worked very well, so I'd recommend it if you still have glass carboys that you still use. The Plasti Dip thread link.

 

[mordantly]

wheres your sense of adventure? a month ago i rolled my 94 honda civic 6 times after colliding with the side of the mountain doing ~80 (too much unddersteer couldnt make the turn) and all that happened was a seat belt bruise, skinned elbow from the asphalt, and broken hand.

i have 4 carboys and ill rock em till they die! if it was my time to go, He would have taken me somewhere.

 

[MacBruver]

wheres your sense of adventure? a month ago i rolled my 94 honda civic 6 times after colliding with the side of the mountain doing ~80 (too much unddersteer couldnt make the turn) and all that happened was a seat belt bruise, skinned elbow from the asphalt, and broken hand.

You know the more that I read of what you write on here, the more inclined I am to do exactly the opposite of what you suggest.

i have 4 carboys and ill rock em till they die! if it was my time to go, He would have taken me somewhere.

Yeah, I won't be using glass any time soon. Or doing any canyon runs for that matter.

 

[MBasile]

i have 4 carboys and ill rock em till they die! if it was my time to go, He would have taken me somewhere.

I don't really understand that mentality. Rather than avoid an issue, you'll just wait until it arises and hope nothing too bad comes of it?

 

[Picobrew]

I don't really understand that mentality. Rather than avoid an issue, you'll just wait until it arises and hope nothing too bad comes of it?

It isn't really logic based, it is faith based. It's like the Christian Scientist Brewer.

 

[mrtrav]

Wow, I always lift glass carboys by the neck. The only time I had one explode was when I didn't notice it was wet until it fell out of my hand onto the cement right in front of me

 

[mordantly]

you have to stress glass before it fails. impacts are not typical brewing events of mine. oh yeah and two of them were blown in mexico and have bubbles in them.

OT: MacBruver, does this mean i won't be chauffeuring you for the holiday season?

 

[rico567]

wheres your sense of adventure? a month ago i rolled my 94 honda civic 6 times after colliding with the side of the mountain doing ~80 (too much unddersteer couldnt make the turn) and all that happened was a seat belt bruise, skinned elbow from the asphalt, and broken hand.

i have 4 carboys and ill rock em till they die! if it was my time to go, He would have taken me somewhere.

....and your handle is well chosen, sir.

 

[brewt00l]

Sweet avatar, by the way. Where is it from?

http://www.troegs.com/our_brews/nugget_nectar.aspx

 

[HopheadNJ]

Sweet avatar, by the way. Where is it from?

Sorry, must have missed your post. Mmmm, Nugget Nectar.

 

[MacBruver]

you have to stress glass before it fails. impacts are not typical brewing events of mine. oh yeah and two of them were blown in mexico and have bubbles in them.

The problem is that it's not immediately obvious if the stress has happened, and it doesn't always happen when the carboy breaks. Imperfections in the glass, scratches, chips, dings, whatever, can be enough to weaken the glass. There are far too many stories of people picking up full carboys only to have the bottom pop right off of it without any provocation. You just can't predict when they're going to go. That being said- if you are CAREFUL and use lots of precautions, you can reduce most of these risks, but you'll never eliminate them.

OT: MacBruver, does this mean i won't be chauffeuring you for the holiday season?

No. And you ought to spend the $150/day for track days, it's a lot cheaper than buying a new car...

 

[Pschof]

I keep my carboys in milk crates and use them to haul them around. Will that address most of the dangers associated with a glass carboy? I didn't know about this. It creeps me out.

 

[smizak]

I keep my carboys in milk crates and use them to haul them around. Will that address most of the dangers associated with a glass carboy? I didn't know about this. It creeps me out.

Mostly I think. I was bugged out for awhile after hearing some horror stories. I made a rule in my brewery that I don't attempt to move a carboy an inch without gloves on. I keep a pair of work gloves next to my carboys at all times, dedicated glass gloves. I use a brewhauler to lift carboys in and out of milk crates when I have to.

 

[TheMan]

I had one break, cut me up good...Since then I discovered corny kegs for myself! Not only are they pretty much indestructable and easier to clean, I can fit 3 of them in my freezer vs. 1 carboy. This = more brewing.

If I did use glass carboys I would use an egg crate. As it is though, I don't have the space for it and the corny's work fantastic.

 

[TexLaw]

MacBruver, you forgot "as soon as I have the cash, but they cost about as much as a batch, and I'd rather brew a batch." Those are the folks that fail to realize that they'll probably lose that batch, anyhow, when the thing breaks. Of course, that's only about the best case scenario, with the worst case being some serious medical issues.

I have glass carboys that I used for about 14 years. They never broke. I ferment exclusively in Better Bottles.

Playing the odds only works until you lose.


TL

 

[mordantly]

picking it up was mentioned. i wonder how many people that experienced a failure solely supported the carboy by the neck? rock the neck, grasp bottom and away you go.

the milk crate would aid in sliding on counters and benches.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I keep my carboys in milk crates and use them to haul them around. Will that address most of the dangers associated with a glass carboy? I didn't know about this. It creeps me out.

I've been using milk crates since 1994 and have never broken one yet.

For the person concerned about the air bubbles in the glass try these tips:

Measure out gallons of water and mark the outside of the carboy. You can also measure 1/2 gallon marks after 3.5 gals. After it's full dump the water.

Lay the carboy on its side (on a counter) and put some duct tape bands all the way around it. Be sure to pull the tape tightly before over lapping it. This will aid in containing any outward pressure.

Be sure to line up the tape with the measurement lines (gallon, 1/2 gallon) to mark the water/beer levels.