No more glass for me ...PIC..

[TroubleBrewing]

Speaking personally, I'm using plastic (cause it's almost impossible to get glass bottles over here), and these days I'm damn happy that I do. I have no opinion either way about the durability of glass compared to plastic, and I'm quite happy to concede that many people have used many glass carboys for many years without a problem.

But if a glass carboy ruptures while you're moving/holding/near it, due to accident or due to bad quality glass, there's potential for life threatening or otherwise quite serious injuries. If a plastic bucket ruptures, due to accident or to bad quality glass, the only way you'll get hurt is if it was full of uncooled wort, or you slip in it.

I'm not saying don't use glass, to each their own, but I personally have not, and after hearing some of the horror stories, will not. I'd rather a slight plasticky taste (which I've never had) or an infection (which I'm pretty sure I've never had) then shards of glass embedded in me.

 

[Yambor44]

Here's the thing with glass though, many of you reply to this thread almost arrogantly of how you've used glass for so long with no problems..... .

I hope you did not take my post that way. I REALLY want to know about using the handles.

 

[BierMuncher]

So you should NOT use these as I have been doing since I got them a year ago?

I think these are fine for transporting empty...but I don't think they were intended to lug around a full carboy.

Knowing how heavy a full 6.5 glass carboy is, just looking at that image (to me) spells disaster. I don't see how physics supports the notion that the torque you'd put on that 2 1/2 inch neck when lifting a full CB would not cause failure.

 

[Stef1966]

+1 about the Types of glass link, very interesting.

Unless they are emptied, I now carry mine in milk crates, padded with several layers of the type of foam you put underneath hardwood floorings, feels safe enough for me.

 

[Yambor44]

Thanks guys. I have buckets as well but for some reason I always use my carboys first. I know it can be catastrophic if one of these fails with or without anything in them if it happens when you are handling them. I do pick my carboys up with the handle when full to put them into the freezer and to get them out and set on top of the freezer for racking.

I would love to use a better bottle but haven't really seen a lot about cleaning them. With the glass carboys I soak them for a day or may 5 depending on when I get back to them. I use a mixer wand attached to my drill to stir it up initially and then again after soaking. This usually knocks everything off the sides and bottom. Then I use a carboy brush to scrub the sides, top and neck. All this with oxyclean. My concern is scratching the plastic on a BB doing this or not getting it clean enough if I don't brush it. Which to me makes buckets the best of both worlds as you can clean them without using a brush due to the access.

Your thoughts?

 

[farmbrewernw]

Hmm I have 5 glass carboys and have never had a problem with them at all, no chips no cracks and I don't really treat them that nicely.

 

[Medo]

Ahoy hoy,
I have neck handles on all my carboys. Before the enlightening (learning the way of the milk crate) i would pick up the carboys, my strong arm under the bottom, and the weak arm on the handle, more to steady it then to lift weight, and carry them around. I leave them on now as a solid place to grab the carboy for any reason. All mine are in milk crates now. And I have sinned before. I have picked up a full carboy, started anyways, to get my hand under it, with the handle. And I immediately scolded myself for doing it. I soak mine in the hottest tap water with oxyclean, and after the insides are clean, I lay them on their side in my dishwasher, and run the quick rinse feature, and they come out clean as a whistle.
All my carboys have imperfections in them, lines and what not. They all are from south of the border. But they have a year or more on each, and are still doing fine. I do realize how quickly that could go to hell in a handbasket, as glass is always ready to break. It lives in that state of mind.
My 2 cents...A great day to all!

 

[BierMuncher]

...i would pick up the carboys, my strong arm under the bottom, and the weak arm on the handle, more to steady it then to lift weight, and carry them around....

The underneath support is critical. I grab mine...left had around the throat...right hand under the @ss.

Yes...I'm talking about a glass carboy.

 

[HSM]

+1 about the Types of glass link, very interesting.

Unless they are emptied, I now carry mine in milk crates, padded with several layers of the type of foam you put underneath hardwood floorings, feels safe enough for me.

That looks very safe and always better go to the extra step to insure no breakage.

 

[BeerNewbie]

Anyone know where to pick up some cheap/free milk crates?

 

[Mustangfreak]

OMG, I just found the exact same cracks in the exact same position!!!

 

[JMG680]

I like the better bottle carboys a lot, no problems yet.

 

[s3n8]

Anyone wants to send me your carboys for proper disposal, PM me and I will send my address

PS. I need to "dispose" of another 6.5 gallon or 2. I have "disposed of" plenty of 5 and 3 gallon ones by surrounding them with Apfelwein on one side and air on the other.

 

[rico567]

My original brewing kit came with two glass 5 gal. carboys. For all the reasons given in this thread, my subsequent purchases are all Better Bottles. My glass carboys will still be used, but probably for long-term secondary of things like imperial stouts or etc.

 

[CentralWABrewing]

I'm thinking PhotoShop J/K
That sucks.
All I use is glass carboys and I have a carboy that is almost 25 years old and still strong.
Just goes to show things these days are built like they used to be....and no, I'm not that old. I come from a family of brewers

 

[rico567]

The underneath support is critical. I grab mine...left had around the throat...right hand under the @ss.

Yes...I'm talking about a glass carboy.

That's the way I heft mine- and always with a dry carboy, and dry rubber gloves.

 

[Skins_Brew]

I read this and pretty much made the switch. Getting your tendons sliced is not worth any batch of homebrew.

 

[Boondoggie]

All I use is glass carboys and I have a carboy that is almost 25 years old and still strong.

All my carboys are that old. Left over from my father's winemaking in the early 80's....

 

[TerapinChef]

I love my glass carboys. They also very rarely leave the milk crate. I'm actually trying to figure out a good way to strap them in so that even inverted, they won't fall out. (Think Carboy Dryer with straps) I do have an older 5G one that belonged to my uncle that has these stress fractures in the neck, but not as bad as OP. I've been using it, but more for meads and things that will just kind of be hanging out instead of being moved around more often.

As far as the BB go, I just don't feel comfortable leaving a beer in a BB for a year. That's just me. Carry on, do as you please.