Glass carboys rock...until you drop one!

[Vic_Sinclair]

Why was clean-up such a hassle? This guy would have had it cleaned up in no time.

It holds TWENTY TIMES its weight in liquid!

 

[BlindLemonLars]

I made the switch to Better Bottles long ago, and don't miss glass at all. They are an absolute joy. Easier to handle & lift, easier to clean and damn near unbreakable. Don't talk to me about scratches...how the hell are you going to scratch it when nothing sharper than a yeast cell ever goes inside?!? They are simply a superior product, and cheaper now as well.

I've kept two 5 gallon glass carboys, figuring I'll use them as a secondary one day, or maybe to make some mead. If I do, they will be protected inside a Home Depot bucket, a nice snug fit. OTOH, I'll probably just use a corny for a secondary.

 

[jldc]

I've lost three glass carboys since I started. One slipped out of my dad's hands while cleaning, one was knocked over in the driveway by the neighbors dog, and the last one i broke by putting hot cleaner in a cold carboy. Now they all stay in the brew room and never leave. Very little movement. They all have handles which work great for moving as long as you support them from the base. In my opinion glass is still boss for a lot of reasons. Learn and move on. Respect is key. Sorry for your loss.

(Emphasis added)

I just don't get the deal with glass. BB are cheaper, lighter, don't break, you don't need to buy a brewhauler or milk crates. And you don't risk loosing your entire batch if you slip (not to mention personal injury).

Obviously, it's your beer, do what you want, but I just shake my head when I read things like this.

PS I have a free glass carboy if anybody lives near Tyler, TX.

 

[SmugMug]

Why was clean-up such a hassle? This guy would have had it cleaned up in no time.

It holds TWENTY TIMES its weight in liquid!

I think that guy's in jail now after that deal with the prostitute in Miami. What a ******.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I am kinda disturbed, I've used the carboy handles to move full carboys all the time, and never even thought they'd slip... I've found them near impossible to put on w/ them fully open, I never suspected they could slip off... please, someone tell me they've never had one slip off!

No, they can't slip off if you tighten them up properly. The manufacturer of the handles puts the disclaimer on them so that if someone were to pick one up by the handle and break the neck of the carboy, they can't be held liable for any injuries. I've never heard of someone breaking the neck, but I suppose its possible. In the meantime, I usually support them from the base. Better safe than sorry.

The wieght of a full carboy combined with the angle the carboy would be hangin if only carried by the carboy handle, would put the full stress of the weight pushing into the edge of the neck and cause it to break.

I've used milk crates since 1994.

I would not be trusting those flimsy milk crates. i would prefer milk crates but can't find anything besides those kind at walmart. Actually I would prefer a coldroom in my garage, 2 of those 15G HDPE Fermenters and a pump....

 

[Boondoggie]

(Emphasis added)

I just don't get the deal with glass. BB are cheaper, lighter, don't break, you don't need to buy a brewhauler or milk crates. And you don't risk loosing your entire batch if you slip (not to mention personal injury).

Obviously, it's your beer, do what you want, but I just shake my head when I read things like this.

PS I have a free glass carboy if anybody lives near Tyler, TX.

BB's break if you rock them on their edge, can be scratched by use of a bottle brush, benefit from being in a milk crate since they flex when full, and juts can't be cleaned as absolutely as glass.

Each have their shortcomings, don't act like BB are the second coming.

 

[david_42]

I've never considered using glass, except for 1 gallon batches of mead. If I get rich, I'll go to stainless.

But first, I buy a sub-compact 4x4 tractor.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

BB's break if you rock them on their edge, can be scratched by use of a bottle brush, benefit from being in a milk crate since they flex when full, and juts can't be cleaned as absolutely as glass.

Don't put a bottle brush in there...problem solved! It's simply not necessary, ever.

They are easier to clean than glass, crud just doesn't stick to them the way it does to glass. I haven't touched my carboy brush in over a year, but I had to use it almost every time with my glass carboys. Cleaning is as simple as vigorously rinsing, soaking in Oxiclean + hot water for a few hours and rinsing again. Honestly, I didn't believe this either, until I tried it.

I also don't understand why anybody needs to rock them on their edge. If you want to manually aerate, just pick the thing up and shake it. It's substantially lighter weight makes it easy, and it won't kill you if dropped.

Another plus is ease of storage...since they are light and unbreakable, they can be stored just about anywhere without fear of damage or injury. I hang mine from hooks on the garage ceiling, freeing up cabinet and shelf space for the heavy stuff.

I contend they are the second coming!

 

[Evan!]

I think that guy's in jail now after that deal with the prostitute in Miami. What a ******.

cut him a f*cking break. What would you do if you were kissing a lady of the night and she suddenly bit your tongue enough to make you bleed like a stuck pig?

In any case, he's slapping his troubles away with the slap chop...

[youtube]UWRyj5cHIQA[/youtube]

 

[camiller]

legit source for commercial Milk Crates: Commercial Milk Crate - Duluth Trading Company

 

[SmugMug]

cut him a f*cking break. What would you do if you were kissing a lady of the night and she suddenly bit your tongue enough to make you bleed like a stuck pig?

In any case, he's slapping his troubles away with the slap chop...

[youtube]UWRyj5cHIQA[/youtube]

There are always 2 sides to every story. I'm pretty sure he must have done something to antagonize her. Still get a kick from his mugshot TSG Mug Shot: Vince "ShamWow" Shlomi

 

[masonsjax]

For me, "Ewww, Plastic!" would be a much more welcome reaction than, "Ewww, your bloody appendages!". I went with Better Bottles.

 

[Arkador]

Plastic rocks until you get scratch's in it and it looks like crap.

If your gear looks like crap, just buy a new replacement, and send the old one to Beermuncher.

 

[Boondoggie]

Don't put a bottle brush in there...problem solved! It's simply not necessary, ever.

Don't drop one, ever...problem solved! It's simply not necessary, ever.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Don't drop one, ever...problem solved! It's simply not necessary, ever.

Well, I guess we'll agree to disagree. (And I'll agree to be right!! )

 

[conpewter]

I'll stick with my glass and brew-haulers/crates. When I had an infection run loose in the brewery I had to replace all plastic to get rid of it. I was able to keep my stainless and glass. I'd hate to have to replace 2-3 better bottles. I also think that they won't last as long as glass. I know people that are using Grandpa's old carboy, you won't hear that happening with plastic since that will fatigue with use and scratch.

 

[talkingmonkey]

Don't drop one, ever...problem solved! It's simply not necessary, ever.

Man, I wish I had read that Saturday before I brewed. Then, I never would have accidentally dropped my carboy.

Seriously?

 

[jldc]

BB's break if you rock them on their edge, can be scratched by use of a bottle brush, benefit from being in a milk crate since they flex when full, and juts can't be cleaned as absolutely as glass.

Each have their shortcomings, don't act like BB are the second coming.

Your points:
1- BB can break, but are much more more difficult to break than glass
2- Why would I use a brush. PBW, hot water and time. In my experience this works better on glass as well
3- I have never needed a milk crate to move one. If you squeeze the sides you can cause problems, but that's just a simple matter of technique.
4- Maybe true, but they can be cleaned plenty well enough to brew.

The only significant complaint is that they probably can't be truly sterilized if you happen to get an infection.

They aren't the "second coming" but they are clearly better than glass. If you want to keep using glass, go ahead: You will get great beer and be happy (until you break one). I'm happy with my BBs.

L

 

[LaurieGator]

My only complaint about the better bottles (yes, I do use both glass and plastic) is that it only holds 6 gallons rather than 6.5 gallons in glass. I have not found the need for a blow off tube in glass but it is a necessity for the better bottles. Honestly, I just hate having to replace a blow off tube after 3 - 4 uses because oxyclean can't get all of the gunk out of the tube.

Which one do I prefer? The empty one that lets me make more beer!!!

 

[jldc]

My only complaint about the better bottles (yes, I do use both glass and plastic) is that it only holds 6 gallons rather than 6.5 gallons in glass. I have not found the need for a blow off tube in glass but it is a necessity for the better bottles. Honestly, I just hate having to replace a blow off tube after 3 - 4 uses because oxyclean can't get all of the gunk out of the tube.

Which one do I prefer? The empty one that lets me make more beer!!!

This is actually an accurate complaint. It's especially true if you make 5.5 gallon batches, which I do.

 

[pnj]

I have to imagine a better bottle wouldn't hold up too well if full of beer and droped from waiste height. It wouldn't shatter but I'm sure it'd crack.

 

[conpewter]

I have to imagine a better bottle wouldn't hold up too well if full of beer and droped from waiste height. It wouldn't shatter but I'm sure it'd crack.

In the one test I saw (I think Edwort did it?) He scooted a full BB off a table and it hit the ground, bounced and then laid on it's side draining out the top. It didn't crack and he still uses it to my knowledge. The test was with water, no beer was harmed.

 

[ackgod]

EdWort says different - and proves it

YouTube - Better Bottle Experiment

 

[HSM]

EdWort says different - and proves it

The stress points of a BB are not proved here. What's proven is that a bottle that lands flatly on it's side probably won't break. Wow, hurray for plastic.

Take a BB full of wort/water... hold it by the neck and drop it straight down from the same distance, maybe aim it so it hit the bottom rim.. That's the most likely cause of a carboy break, why compare apples and O's?

If you aren't responsible enough to care for a glass carboy, please don't use one. Please use buckets and BB's.

To each their own. I now prefer my fermenters be conical.

 

[talkingmonkey]

I have to imagine a better bottle wouldn't hold up too well if full of beer and droped from waiste height. It wouldn't shatter but I'm sure it'd crack.

I barely had my carboy off of the ground when it slipped and shattered. If I was using a BB I probably would have a large blueberry stain on my T-shirt...and 4.75G of Honeysuckle Blue happily fermenting. Oh well, live and learn.

 

[maztec]

talkingmonkey: Perhaps. Then again, a decent glass carboy shouldn't shatter just a short way off the ground if dropped. There are a lot of variables with glass carboys that are not as present in Better Bottles:

Manufacturer: GC's many different sources; BB's one source
Build quality: many different qualities; one maintained quality (with minor fluctuations)
Build materials: many different glass ratios; one maintained ratio
And so on...

And no, I am not arguing here that a GC will break later than a BB, it will probably break sooner in a series of drops. However, both will break at some point and after enough trauma. Nevertheless the trauma that breaks it may not be universally similar, different types will cause different results.

On the other hand. If you have a good GC, it shouldn't shatter on a minor drop. It might crack, but it shouldn't shatter.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I would not be trusting those flimsy milk crates. i would prefer milk crates but can't find anything besides those kind at walmart.....

I've been using mine for years without any problems.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

If you aren't responsible enough to care for a glass carboy, please don't use one.

So carboys don't break because they're made of an incredibly fragile, inconsistent, temperature sensitive and dangerous material...they break because people aren't responsible. Interesting...

 

[Minky]

+1 on the milk crate. I use Better Bottles and still move them in a milk crate.

BTW, DO NOT use the Better Bottle slip-on handle. I was carrying a full one down the basement stairs and the slip-on handle slipped OFF!! Of course I was at the top of the stairs when it happened, so it cartwheeled all the way down the stairs spewing all the way. The bottle was not hurt, and I lost about a gallon of beer, but it was well aerated!!

 

[BlindLemonLars]

I was carrying a full one down the basement stairs and the slip-on handle slipped OFF!! Of course I was at the top of the stairs when it happened, so it cartwheeled all the way down the stairs spewing all the way. The bottle was not hurt, and I lost about a gallon of beer, but it was well aerated!!

Wow...while this story doesn't speak well of the handle, it speaks REALLY well of the BB itself! I wonder if a glass carboy would survive cartwheeling down a staircase.

While I love the port/racking adapters, seems like the BB accessories are drastically overpriced. I use standard bolt-on carboy handles on my 6 gallon BBs, no way those things are coming off.