Erlenmeyer Flask Cracked

[sdp07d]

Today, I found a large crack on my Erlenmeyer flask. I made the starter that is currently in it 4 days ago and placed it in the fridge the this morning. I decanted some of the starter and it tastes fine. The flask is leaking slowly and the outside of the flask smells awful. I had planned to brew tomorrow morning. Do I need to make a new starter or will it be fine?

 

[llazy_llama]

If liquid can get out, bacteria can get in. If it was me, I'd ditch it and make a new starter, but that's just me.

 

[RedGlass]

Would it not be similar to gas pressure? If the liquid is flowing out, things wouldn't be likely to come in? I have no idea if it works for liquids too, but maybe a possibility...

 

[brewingkitty]

the liquid can back-flow organisms. think blood and aids/other viruses.

 

[chefchris]

same thing happened to me. I pitched it. Worked great. I would just taste your starter wort.

 

[sdp07d]

It was my roommate's turn to brew today and he was too hung over to brew so we just dumped it. The starter did taste fine, but we decided not to risk it.

 

[Jmiltime]

I think you made the right decision! It's not too difficult to get more yeast and make a new starter and you'd hate yourself if your beer tasted like ass because you tried to cut corners.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I have an E flask, 2l and have been debating on whether to boil in it or not. Have you boiled by placing the flask on the stove? I'd be interested in learning why it cracked. Most flasks should be borasilicate glass, which ought to be tougher than that.

 

[user 4295]

The thing about borasilicate glass is that it's fine right up until it's not! A brew buddy of mine used to use his flasks directly on the stove. That is, until one broke right in the middle of of a boil and sent 2500ml of hot sticky wort all down the sides of his stove and cabinets. His wife was none to pleased about it!

They should be able to handle the temp shocks from stove to water bath, but glass can be unpredictable. I no longer use my flasks on the stove. I just make the starter in a pot, cool it and pour it into a sanitized flask and on to the stir plate.

 

[Spartan1979]

I had a brand new 3 L flask and it cracked the very first time I was heating it! Off brand junk. Fortunately I avoided getting burned and the retailer gave me a full refund.

 

[bschot]

I wonder if it makes a difference of using it on gas burner vs electric? I've been using mine on a gas stove, I've seen a little wire stand for using it on electric stoves.

 

[djbradle]

There will come a time when borosilicate will crack after extended periods of hot and cold shocks. I get my flasks from my brother who works for Novartis. . . Nice and autoclaved when they come to me. As for the stuff sold in LHBS or online brew supply stores, some most certainly could be of dubious quality. That being said I started boiling in the pot and transferring directly to the flask and then to an ice bath. Back in chemistry class the flasks were directly on gas flames with no problems. I think long stress and/or low quality glass.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

the liquid can back-flow organisms. think blood and aids/other viruses.

Yeah I cracked my starter and some wort was dripping out. Now I have AIDS.


No seriously, I agree. I would ditch it.

 

[AR-Josh]

To me it's never worth the time and money to risk anything.

 

[badhabit]

I don't get it! You have a tin foil cover on the flask and then this causes concern for contamination. Help me understand.

 

[Hoppylikerabbits]

U dont want to boil Flasks on an electric stove. Its highly not recommended. They say if your going to boil in the flasks to use Gas. Did you ever put the flasks in Chemistry class on an electric burner or was it always a bunson burner?

 

[bovineblitz]

U dont want to boil Flasks on an electric stove. Its highly not recommended. They say if your going to boil in the flasks to use Gas. Did you ever put the flasks in Chemistry class on an electric burner or was it always a bunson burner?

People use flasks on hot plates quite often.

 

[bschot]

As far as the tin foil cover, as long as it was sanitized it should be fine. I put the tin foil on loosely when I boil, the steam should do a fine job of sanitizing. The nasty things we worry about don't have legs so they have to fall in, so as long there is a top cover there should be little to worry about.

I've only used a tin foil cover cause I haven't ordered the foam cork. I leave it loose enough to allow oxygen exchange but not enough to get blown off by a breeze. And I swirl often to dissolve more ambient oxygen.

I wonder if the hot plate applies heat to the (I assume) steel top which applies heat more evenly to the glass, but I don't know why that would matter when one applies spurs of burning gas to the glass.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

The thing about borasilicate glass is that it's fine right up until it's not! A brew buddy of mine used to use his flasks directly on the stove. That is, until one broke right in the middle of of a boil and sent 2500ml of hot sticky wort all down the sides of his stove and cabinets. His wife was none to pleased about it!

They should be able to handle the temp shocks from stove to water bath, but glass can be unpredictable. I no longer use my flasks on the stove. I just make the starter in a pot, cool it and pour it into a sanitized flask and on to the stir plate.

Mine is a Kymax Kimble model 26500. I looked it up in a lab equipment website, and it referenced an ASTM number and class 1, type 1. The class and type numbers refer to the physical dimentions and thickness. The astm number also required borasilicate glass. Certainly lab quality, not junk. I'll stick with boiling in a pot and pouring in after pitching just the same. Perhaps in the future we ought to check the manufacturer before purchasing.