Gentlemans_Ale
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I still think carboys are better than buckets. My thought after dropping the carboy was - "I can go get it sewed after I finish sparging." Anyone else a casualty of the jug?
Glass carboy accidents
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Gentlemans_Ale
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There are many threads along this line.
PLASTIC for the win. It will save you from much pain!!!
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PLASTIC for the win. It will save you from much pain!!!
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sumbrewindude
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I prefer to think of how much grain and hops I can buy with the money of an ER deductable...
Milk crates (for the glass stalwarts) for the win!
Milk crates (for the glass stalwarts) for the win!
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Gentlemans_Ale
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They are not meant for carrying a full carboy. But yes, they do help a LOT when cleaning.
Have a look at the following thread. You'll feel better about your cut. I added you to the end of that thread BTW. Thanks for posting.
Broken Glass Carboy Horror Stories Compendium
The handles work great if your using them....
I was slushing around some starsan in mine and let it slip.
Not as bad as the finger got, but my girlfriend is pissed. Guess I get to
learn how to patch a bathtub! At least the carboy is fine.....
I was slushing around some starsan in mine and let it slip.
Not as bad as the finger got, but my girlfriend is pissed. Guess I get to
learn how to patch a bathtub! At least the carboy is fine.....
number40fan
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I didn't start carrying my router in a bucket after having a scrap of skin like that hanging off of my finger. 
I use the old school handles, and have never had a problem. I take great care with them, never rush while carrying one around, and always be aware of my surroundings. No pouring hot or cold liquids into one either... room temp only. I'm not a fan of buckets or plastic carboys. I just don't like the look/feel of them. Plus, one little scratch, and your batch could get infected. Plastic could never withstand my OCD scrubbing.
Some people are careless or "bear hug" carboys while carrying them. Thankfully, it looks like you only made a small mistake. Good thing chicks dig scars! I hope for a speedy recovery!
*insert Monty Python joke here*
*insert hampered love life joke here*
Some people are careless or "bear hug" carboys while carrying them. Thankfully, it looks like you only made a small mistake. Good thing chicks dig scars! I hope for a speedy recovery!
*insert Monty Python joke here*
*insert hampered love life joke here*
I just threw my brew hauler strap away today.
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Gentlemans_Ale
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Let's hope you are not the next one who posts an "I barely tapped my glass carboy on ____ and it shattered, now a trip to the ER.
It is just not worth the risk for the debatable advantages. No matter how careful you are the glass could break.
You do not need to plastic at all. Soak with a good cleaner, rinse, swirl around a cloth inside, (for a bucket - wipe the sides) rinse again and done. Far easier than cleaning a glass carboy.
1) Close toe shoes
2) Long Pants/ Jeans
3) Long sleeves or Jacket when engaged with the carboy
4) Kevlar gloves
Stay safe friends
Kevlar gloves, Kevlar shirt, Kevlar Pants, Kevlar reinforced boots, full face shield. $500 to $1000
Long sleeve shirt and jeans will only bring cloth fibers into the wound.....
Or, Better Bottle.... About $30 Your choice.
Looks like it rotted out. Had that been wet or submerged in a swamp cooler or so for a long time? Mine looks as good as new, but it never stays wet.
I'm with plastic buckets now, and use glass carboys only for sour/long term aging projects.
Regarding buckets, there is no need to scrub hard and scratch them. Hot PBW and a sponge are all it takes to clean, even the most caked on krausen ring from 2 months. Cleaning a bucket takes 5 minutes vs. 20 for a carboy and a carboy brush. Krausen seems to stick much better to glass than smooth plastic.
Another good warning, very graphic too!
Sorry about your mishap, and I admire that thought of finishing the brew first. That's stamina!
Use buckets, really, or if you must, those plastic carboys. I saw a post where someone had semi-transparent buckets. You could see somewhat inside.
ArkotRamathorn
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What if I want all of those things anyway? I am Kevlar Man.
(I only have 1 glass carboy and it was a hand me down from my dad basically, not that I'm complaining, I like bulk aging stuff in there that I know I wont need to mess with for a month or more, meaning I only handle it like, 10-20 times a year thus decreasing my chances of doom,everything else I own is plastic)
The webbing on these are synthetic fibers. They will not rot no matter how long or how many times they get wet.
They will however deteriorate if exposed to direct sunlight. This will not happen quickly though.
I would say that it is just that the fibers in the webbing are a loose weave and the weight of the carboy and beer just spread the weave. But, in looking at that picture I would not trust that Hauler any more.
I did leave it on while using a swamp cooler, and that is likely the cause. Perhaps that is user error, but I did not expect it. My glass carboys (which I rarely use) now live in sturdy milk creates (obtained legally from a local dairy seller).
Hmm, it was never in direct sunlight. Either way, that one was clearly shot.
I suspect that some of the chemicals we use for cleaning and sanitation could cause deterioration....
Gloves are about $10
The idea with long sleeves is that most bottle injuries seem to be from large chunks of free falling sharp edge glass. A long cotton shirt should be plenty to prevent breaking of the skin especially when little to no pressure is applied between skin and glass. Its at the very least a better bet than short sleeves...
I don't what glass you are talking about but most glass will cut through cotton very easily. And we are not talking of beer bottles we are talking carboys. A chunk of glass from the side of a carboy could easily weigh a few pounds.
The chance that it is just a bit of falling glass with no weight behind it is pretty slim, IMO
I like the feel of glass. I like the look of it too. For me, it's a more enjoyable experience to use glass over a giant injection molded plastic water bottle. To me, it's similar to using a Tag Heuer or opting to use a Timex.
Like I said, if you take care of your gear and be cognizant of your surroundings, glass carboys are no more dangerous than taking a shower. I would recommend new people to use plastic until they understand the size and weight of what they're moving around, then decide what's right for them personally.
Even if I broke one and cut myself, it still wouldn't change my view of glass carboys. I would know that it was my fault, not the carboy. I lost a portion of a finger from a table saw when I was younger. I still continue to use saws today... except I pay more attention to the details. A quick glance at my hand is enough of a reminder to take care and not rush when performing a task.
Now, when I get older, and things begin to seem heavier, I'll switch to a wall mounted conical for ergonomic reasons. I'll probably be sad about it too... but at least I'll have some homebrew handy!
Cheers, and enjoy your hobby the way you want to!!!
It is your choice to use glass and I give you that.
But, a Tag Heuer or a Timex are not likely to sever an artery.
Using a table saw is a different animal. The only way to be safer and still cut your wood, other than careful attention, is to buy one of the ones that stop when they encounter something soft. There isn't the choice to use something else as with a plastic fermenter.
If I had the $$$ I would go with a couple (different temperatures) of walk in coolers with SS conical fermenters. No shattering one of those.
Cheers, and enjoy your hobby the way you want to!!!!
Sure there is a safer way! It's called a push stick. It pushes stuff... and it's a stick! It keeps your hands away from the blade. Just like how you could simply use a carboy hauler, or a crate to move a carboy if you wanted. Be as safe as you feel you need to be. If plastic is the way to go for you, then so be it. Make your hobby the most enjoyable for you! Just be careful, so that you can practice your hobby for as long as you want.
Glass carboys aren't dangerous. People are dangerous. Lol!
(I might get that line printed on a t-shirt!)
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Gentlemans_Ale
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I don't think I'd mind buckets so much if I could get them to stay somewhat air tight. I lager so the carboys work great in that regard. I tried adding keg lube to the bucket lid once and it did make it air tight but ruined the bucket cause that stuff doesn't come off.
Black Island Brewer
An Ode to Beer
You can have my glass carboys (all 9 of them) when you pry them from my cold, dead, shredded from a carboy accident arms. But you can have my one and only plastic fermentor that I only use when teaching homebrewing classes any time you want. 
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