Just picked up my first glass carboy, quick question

[digphish]

So I just bought my first galss carboy after brewing in plastic for years. One thing I realized is that there are no markings indicating volume on this classy piece of glass. How do you know where the 5 gallon mark is? Do I just fill up my bucket to 5 gallons and pour it in and mark it with a sharpie? What do you guys do?

Thanks

 

[WickedLB]

On my Better bottle, I filled up and drained my bottling bucket. I used a sharpie to mark every gallon. I did that in case I wanted to ferment a half batch.

 

[sparkyaber]

On glass, SWMBO's finger nail polish works wonders. Mark every gallon, and won't ever wash off.

 

[cheezydemon3]

You just picked up a glass carboy?????Put it down......slowly......and pray to god that you don't drop it an d cut the **** out of your leg.

Any gallon measuring device........even milk jugs......will enable you to make fairly accurate marks

 

[digphish]

Good idea. Thanks. One other question I just thought of...how to you take a sample for measuring your gravity? I had used a syringe, but I don't think it will get down deep enough to pull beer.

 

[DoctorHops]

Turkey baster; also works for starting syphons. Great addition to the brewing tool kit.

 

[archiefl98]

I use the plastic wine thief for hydro samples, but I think I'd be better off with a turkey baster.

Also, I used a silver Sharpie to mark my gallon markings. It will wear off after time, but those markers will write on ANYTHING. Another great addition to the brewing equipment list.

 

[DeafSmith]

So I just bought my first galss carboy after brewing in plastic for years. One thing I realized is that there are no markings indicating volume on this classy piece of glass. How do you know where the 5 gallon mark is? Do I just fill up my bucket to 5 gallons and pour it in and mark it with a sharpie? What do you guys do?

Thanks

Just a word of warning, in case you don't know:
Be sure you know how to handle it properly. I've read some real horror stories on here about people who have suffered serious injuries because their glass carboys broke. I have one glass carboy and always carry it in a milk crate or "BrewHauler" if it has liquid in it. I also never turn it over to empty the liquid out, but rather siphon it out, even the cleaning solution. The only time I hold it and turn it upside down is when it is empty and I'm just swirling around a very small amount of rinse water as the final step in cleaning it. Also, don't carry a full carboy with one of those carboy handles that attaches to the neck.

 

[nigel31]

+ 1 on the Sharpies. I took a half-gallon plastic milk jug (all I had handy) and dumped two of 'em (one gallon) filled with water into my carboy, then marked it with a Sharpie. Did this over and over 'til I had 5 and--in my 6-gallon carboy--6 gallons marked. I also stood my metal measuring tape next to it and carefully marked it with a Sharpie and with 1 through 6, so all I have to do with new carboys (or if the marker ever wears off) is hold the measuring tape (it's stiff enough to stand--no comment) up to the front of a carboy and duplicate the markings. This won't work if I ever get a 6.5-gallon model, but the 6s and 5s are the same diameter.

Welcome to the wonderful world of glass carboys. You feel pretty legit, don't you?

Always be SUPER-careful handling them, and make sure you're never holding them with wet hands--and that where you're holding them is dry (bottom and near the neck when washing/sanitizing). They'll last forever, but they do require some extra care over the plastic ones, I understand.

 

[JOHN51277]

Just a word of warning, in case you don't know:
Be sure you know how to handle it properly. I've read some real horror stories on here about people who have suffered serious injuries because their glass carboys broke. I have one glass carboy and always carry it in a milk crate or "BrewHauler" if it has liquid in it. I also never turn it over to empty the liquid out, but rather siphon it out, even the cleaning solution. The only time I hold it and turn it upside down is when it is empty and I'm just swirling around a very small amount of rinse water as the final step in cleaning it. Also, don't carry a full carboy with one of those carboy handles that attaches to the neck.

I have been doing all of your "no no's" for the last 5-6 years. Ya gotta go somtime!!

 

[DeafSmith]

I have been doing all of your "no no's" for the last 5-6 years. Ya gotta go somtime!!

You can probably get away with that as long as your carboy doesn't have any flaws in it. But a small bubble in the glass, or a scratch could be a weak point that would give way under what would otherwise be a normal amount of stress. I prefer not to find out the hard way if my carboy has some subtle flaw.

 

[EricT]

One more piece of advice. If you have one of those fancy handles around that clamp around the neck, don't pick it up by that when full. Its for better control when cleaning and such not to take the full weight of a carboy full of beer. Congrats on your new fermenting toy

 

[DmentD]

So I just bought my first galss carboy after brewing in plastic for years. One thing I realized is that there are no markings indicating volume on this classy piece of glass. How do you know where the 5 gallon mark is? Do I just fill up my bucket to 5 gallons and pour it in and mark it with a sharpie? What do you guys do?

Thanks

• Get an el-cheapo electric engraver and set it to it's lowest setting.
• Get a gallon pitcher (with volume markings on it), and fill your new carboy up a gallon at a time, marking the carboy with a sharpie at each gallon level (pro-tip, if you're marking a 6+ gallon carboy, be sure to mark it at 5¼, 5½, and 5¾ gallons as well).
• Once you've marked it all up, dump that water then take the engraver and etch a line in the glass everywhere you've marked with sharpie. Be sure to add the number of gallons next to it while you're at it.

Easy, relatively inexpensive, and permanent.

 

[drac0]

I've done this for my 5 and 6 gallon carboys and all my 1 gallon jugs.

1 gallon jugs:
Using a measuring cup, fill the jug with 1 cup of water at a time. Once the water settles, using black electrical tape, place a piece of tap ever so slightly below the water line and one just above. You should have a slim uncovered line about 1 to 2 mm thick. Repeat this for each cup of water until you've reached the 1 gallon point.

For carboys, I do the same, but measure out 1 gallon increments only.

After I've made my lines, I use Armor Etch Cream which can be picked up at most any craft store. This is used for chemically etching glass. It's used for all manner of glass crafting and once washed off, the container or dishes are safe for food use.

Using rubber or nitrate gloves, I smear the Armor Etch cream over the gap in the tape at each gradient. Let it set for a few minutes and then wipe off with a very wet cloth or spray it off in the sink if you have room.

Once your done, you have graduated carboys. Yeah, it takes a few moments to do, but the etching is permanent and will not scrub off like a marker or fingernail polish.

I'll also etch a small 2x3 square at the top of my carboys where I can write info about my brews with a marker and read it easier.

 

[WickedLB]

Good idea. Thanks. One other question I just thought of...how to you take a sample for measuring your gravity? I had used a syringe, but I don't think it will get down deep enough to pull beer.

+1 on the wine thief. I picked one up 3 batches ago and love it. So much easier that the turkey baster.

 

[osagedr]

I have one glass carboy and always carry it in a milk crate or "BrewHauler" if it has liquid in it.

I have a dozen glass carboys, give or take, and have always just handled them carefully using my bare hands. I've washed them literally hundreds of times. Carried up and down stairs, etc. etc. etc.

It would probably be wise to have a pair of good rubber gloves if handling them with wet (I don't but should). Even glass-cutter gloves might be smart.

I also never turn it over to empty the liquid out, but rather siphon it out, even the cleaning solution. The only time I hold it and turn it upside down is when it is empty and I'm just swirling around a very small amount of rinse water as the final step in cleaning it.

Turned my carboys over hundreds and hundreds of times without incident.

Also, don't carry a full carboy with one of those carboy handles that attaches to the neck.

I've heard this too. I don't use carboy handles. But I do know people who have been doing this for decades without incident.

I think the glass carboy bogeyman bit is kind of ridiculous. Of course people need to be careful when handling them, but the Nervous Nellie routine (don't do this! Don't do that! DON'T DO ANYTHING!!!!!!) gets tiresome. I can see moving to better bottles someday when I'm not strong enough to carry around a full glass carboy, but I sure don't have plans to make the move anytime soon.

 

[JakeTheHopDog]

This is a great post on marking your carboy. Wife is going to mark my carboy's as soon as we get some etching cream.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/marking-your-carboy-63174/

 

[ajf]

+1 to the rubber gloves.
I always use them when handling wet, full carboys. Except for about 3 weeks ago when the carboy slipped. Fortunately, I managed to guide it as it fell, and it lodged in my bottling bucket without doing any damage. FWIW, it's amazingly difficult to extract a full 6.5g carboy that has been plugged into a bottling bucket.

-a.

 

[JakeTheHopDog]

Users keep me employed. Users keep me employed. Users keep me amployed. Users keep me annployed. Users keep me annoyed. Users keep me annoyed.

There are only 10 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary, and those that don't.

I know it's off topic, but as a fellow IT guy, I really like these quotes...

 

[digphish]

Thanks for all of the info. I just used my bottling bucket to add water to the carboy and marked it with a sharpie, for now. I like the idea of using that etching cream. I'll just add that to my to do list...

While I had 5 gallons in the carboy, I tried to take a sample with my turkey baster, but it wouldn't fit down far enough. I might have to grab one of those wine thief's. Any other ideas since my LHBS is closed on Sunday?

 

[homebeerbrewer]

I just wanted to add my $0.02 about the safety of glass carboys. I broke a carboy last summer, and well, you'll just need to read the thread. There is an idea on that thread that I'm using for all of my carboys. I haven't broken one since, but hopefully if I ever do, it'll save me another trip to the ER.

 

[drac0]

I know it's off topic, but as a fellow IT guy, I really like these quotes...

Thanks! It's one of the very few original ideas I've had. It sort of describes my attitude over the years of dealing with people (users) and computers!

Thanks for posting that thread on carboy marking with armor etch! I knew I couldn't be the only one doing it. Some people there have some pretty cool designs for their marks.

 

[JakeTheHopDog]

Thanks for all of the info. I just used my bottling bucket to add water to the carboy and marked it with a sharpie, for now. I like the idea of using that etching cream. I'll just add that to my to do list...

While I had 5 gallons in the carboy, I tried to take a sample with my turkey baster, but it wouldn't fit down far enough. I might have to grab one of those wine thief's. Any other ideas since my LHBS is closed on Sunday?

Stick a piece of sanitized tubing on the end of the baster. Works great.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Well crap. I don't want to be a killjoy, but it must be said by someone.......

I will never own a 5 gallon (containing) piece of glass.

There!!! Sorry!!!!

I throw my better bottles down the basement steps when clean. You just can't get that from glass.

 

[JakeTheHopDog]

Thanks! It's one of the very few original ideas I've had. It sort of describes my attitude over the years of dealing with people (users) and computers!

Right there with you!

Ever notice how we refer to drug addicts and the people we support in the IT field as “Users”? Coincidence?