Glass shock/crack!

[Kyzaboy89]

Just a friendly heads up for any new or progressing mazer's that haven't heard of or experienced the surprise of a carboy with a crack. I've known about it for a long time but for almost a decade of brewing, have never experienced this until now. Woke up to a carboy with a crack 3/4 around the base leaking what was transferred the night before. I believe I shocked the glass by adding very hot water to cool glass while cleaning then rinsed with cool water absent minded. Managed to save 4/5 gallons but had a decent mess to clean and after that was over, the true tragedy... My hydrometer of 7 years, while inside my plastic graduated cylinder, was bumped from the counter top and both snapped in half on my foot. It's been a rough weekend but good to be reminded not to be careless.

And after cleaning glass equalize temperature so you don't lose a carboy... Pretty sure I have a spare hydrometer in the cabinet.

 

[Dan O]

Just a friendly heads up for any new or progressing mazer's that haven't heard of or experienced the surprise of a carboy with a crack. I've known about it for a long time but for almost a decade of brewing, have never experienced this until now. Woke up to a carboy with a crack 3/4 around the base leaking what was transferred the night before. I believe I shocked the glass by adding very hot water to cool glass while cleaning then rinsed with cool water absent minded. Managed to save 4/5 gallons but had a decent mess to clean and after that was over, the true tragedy... My hydrometer of 7 years, while inside my plastic graduated cylinder, was bumped from the counter top and both snapped in half on my foot. It's been a rough weekend but good to be reminded not to be careless.

And after cleaning glass equalize temperature so you don't lose a carboy... Pretty sure I have a spare hydrometer in the cabinet.

You know what they say.....there's no mess like a mead mess!
Sorry for your loss. Alcohol abuse is no joke. Glad you were able to salvage most of it though.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

another reason to use stainless steel

 

[Newsman]

another reason to use stainless steel

Or plastic. Of course plastic has it's own issues. No material is perfect an while SS may be the best option currently, not everyone can afford SS

 

[Golddiggie]

another reason to use stainless steel

Or at least NOT to use glass anymore. After reading the thread(s) years ago (back around early 2011) about how having one of the glass carboys break while carrying them could seriously injure you, I stopped using them completely. No way was I willing to take that level of risk of major injury for a fermentation.

Been fermenting in stainless steel since around 2011 as well. Got my initial items configured later in that year. Kegmenters have built in carry handles that make moving them easy. Plus, you can easily do CO2 push transfers which means you don't need to lift them an inch once the yeast goes in. Plus they DGAF about having hot (even boiling hot) water hit them followed by cold water.

 

[Kyzaboy89]

Stainless has been an idea for a while but this glass has lasted roughly 6 years on now. Easy to avoid a mistake like this though, much like avoiding infections with proper sanitization, and due to prices on new equipment I probably won't be switching anytime soon.

The risk of injury is a concern I've managed to avoid as well simply by not trying to move a full carboy, and if I must, use proper lifting and careful movement. I've never been able to trust a lifting strap but I'll transfer from one to another on a level surface then after half transfered I'll elevate the first vessel as it will become lighter as it empties. The new filled vessel doesn't need to move.

 

[Maylar]

I had a 1 gallon glass carboy crack while washing it in the sink with hot tap water.

 

[bernardsmith]

Carboys made in Europe tend not to have the same weaknesses in the glass that carboys have when made in other parts of the world. I often use plastic but prefer glass, and though I have been making wine and mead for about 25 years and have never experienced cracks in the way that Kyzaboy89 described.. but then I also don't clean them with very hot water