How to repair a glass carboy???

[fettersp]

I have a 6 gal carboy that has a hole near the bottom on the side about half an inch big. It was caused by a defect in the glass and was paper thin in that spot. Northernbrewer.com was nice and replaced it for free a couple months after purchase. Just wondering if there a possibility of repair? like liquid acrylic or the sort that would be safe.

 

[kevink]

Put it directly in the trash. They are dangerous as hell without defects!

 

[Tipsy McStagger]

Recycle it.It's Earth Day.

 

[fettersp]

Put it directly in the trash. They are dangerous as hell without defects!

Makes sense. There dangerous in general??????

 

[AkTom]

Be careful and they will last for years.

 

[day_trippr]

^agreed^ [crosses self]
I have six 6.5 gallon italian carboys bought new, the oldest pair have now seen 16 years of OC-level careful use.

Then, there's this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/broken-glass-carboy-horror-stories-compendium.376523/

Cheers!

 

[InspectorJon]

I have one that’s been around since the 70s. An old Alhambra bottle. They will break if you drop one on a hard surfaces. I guess it depends on your personal tolerance for risk. There are plenty of folks on here that would call us foolish. Don’t take it personally.

I can’t think of any way to repair it. You would have to make it very smooth on the inside.

 

[hopkincr]

This works great on TV.

 

[mongoose33]

There's a thread on HBT somewhere about people who have sustained serious injuries from carboys that broke. I cannot imagine any scenario short of having to age a beer for months or years that would tempt me to use a glass carboy.

This is especially the case given the cheaper and lighter and easier-to-clean plastic carboys that are out there such as the Fermonster and the Bigmouth Bubbler. Get one with a spigot and you'll put your siphon away for good.

 

[passedpawn]

There's a thread on HBT somewhere about people who have sustained serious injuries from carboys that broke. I cannot imagine any scenario short of having to age a beer for months or years that would tempt me to use a glass carboy.

This is especially the case given the cheaper and lighter and easier-to-clean plastic carboys that are out there such as the Fermonster and the Bigmouth Bubbler. Get one with a spigot and you'll put your siphon away for good.

It's posted above in #6.

Trying to use a broken glass carboy is Darwin award material. Run away.

 

[fun4stuff]

Throw it away or sell it to some noob. Use the money to buy a nice bucket fermenter or PET carboy. Glass carboys are ticking time bombs- not worth the risk. Heavy and inconvenient.

 

[Dave Sarber]

I have 6 of the d*"+# things. One I bought in a homebrew starter kit years ago, and 5 that were given to me by (smart) brewbuddies. I don't use them, they are just gathering dust and taking up space. Get a big mouth bubbler or something similar.

 

[kevink]

I have 6 of the d*"+# things. One I bought in a homebrew starter kit years ago, and 5 that were given to me by (smart) brewbuddies. I don't use them, they are just gathering dust and taking up space. Get a big mouth bubbler or something similar.

I have three right now and can't give them away! I have tried. They are just about worthless these days.

 

[balrog]

I had two, both inherited, one developed a crack but we parted on good terms without loss of blood. The other one sits menacingly in the corner, mocking my shrewd caution, as I use buckets, Poland Spring bottles, big mouth bubbler and now kegs to ferment. There may be a need one day to bring forth the mighty silica sultan. Or the wife may finally make me throw out all the basement crap I never touch anymore. Time alone will tell. Stay tuned...

 

[rburrelli]

Throw it away or sell it to some noob. Use the money to buy a nice bucket fermenter or PET carboy. Glass carboys are ticking time bombs- not worth the risk. Heavy and inconvenient.

I would never sell that to some noob. That is just a bad idea.

 

[jack13]

Toss it, dude.

 

[Nate R]

I have a 6 gal carboy that has a hole near the bottom on the side about half an inch big. It was caused by a defect in the glass and was paper thin in that spot. Northernbrewer.com was nice and replaced it for free a couple months after purchase. Just wondering if there a possibility of repair? like liquid acrylic or the sort that would be safe.

In a controlled environment, where no animals, kids, or people can get hurt, and where you can easily clean it all up...
Use that fancy super slo-mo feature on your cell phone, and film it while you drop it from a good height.
Then post that film here for us to enjoy.
Bonus points if you add some cool music too it- you know, that classical one that people always use when stuff blows up?

Maybe- also- fill it full of water first- those splashes may look super awesome in slo-mow!!

AND... @hopkincr GREAT call-out on the Flex Seal!

 

[jrgtr42]

If it already has a hole, I can't think of anything that would fix the hole that I would trust to be food safe, be it holding plain water or beer.
Toss it.

 

[day_trippr]

haha! Screw "food safe", that's a distant concern with a holed glass carboy that has already been diagnosed with "paper thin" walls
Yes, the OP needs to safely destroy the glassy beast before someone gets carved up...

Cheers!

 

[Nate R]

haha! Screw "food safe", that's a distant concern with a holed glass carboy that has already been diagnosed with "paper thin" walls
Yes, the OP needs to safely destroy the glassy beast before someone gets carved up...

Cheers!

Emphasis on "safely"....
But that does not mean he can't have some fun that we can enjoy! (See post #17!!)

 

[artichoke]

I agree with the others, get rid of it you run a risk of serious injury.

After many successful fermentations without any mishaps, I started phasing out all my glass carboys about 2 years ago and switched to SS brew buckets. I did this because a 6th sense told me it was just a matter of time before my luck would run out and I’d have a terrible accident like the pictures in that gruesome thread.

While I would never go back to glass, and I can’t stomach the idea of fermenting in plastic, I really do miss the show when the yeast kicks into high gear

safety first,

- AC

 

[day_trippr]

Definitely do not use this stuff

 

[Dave Sarber]

Definitely do not use this stuff

But I like the chicken wire boat!

 

[IslandLizard]

Northernbrewer.com was nice and replaced it for free a couple months after purchase.

I think everyone missed this ^

So they sent you another glass one?
If so, how ya feel about that one?
Can you trust it any more than the previous one?

 

[Dave Sarber]

You can use it to bank all your pocket change. Jus' sayin'.

 

[IslandLizard]

You can use it to bank all your pocket change. Jus' sayin'.

Yeah, it's a safe too. Would anyone dare to lift it up with 3 inches of coin in it?

Definitely find a way to get interest accruing on it, one way or another.

 

[madscientist451]

I have three right now and can't give them away! I have tried. They are just about worthless these days.

I'll take them. I use glass carboys to bulk age wine. Where in PA?

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Step 1: Put it in the recycling bin
Step 2: Get a stainless steel replacement. Buy once, cry once.
Step 3: Enjoy a lifetime of trouble-free, low-maintenance, non-fragile fermenter

 

[IslandLizard]

Get a stainless steel replacement. Buy once, cry once.

I tend to agree, especially when they know they will be brewing for the rest of their life. Now a $12-15 plastic brew bucket (with lid) can last a long time too, at least 10-15 years. PET (plastic) carboys should too when handled correctly.

 

[Nate R]

I tend to agree, especially when they know they will be brewing for the rest of their life. Now a $12-15 plastic brew bucket (with lid) can last a long time too, at least 10-15 years. PET (plastic) carboys should too when handled correctly.

Wal-mart has food-grade 5 gallon plastic buckets for $2.50 to $2.95. And a lid for $1.95 or so. I assume they come out of the same factory. Not as much headroom as a 6 gallon bucket, but a 1/3rd the cost!