Official Broken Carboy Count.

[spearko520]

only the one that my wife gave to her sister to hold change in. I told them 1/2 full, the bottom would blow out when moved- but they didn't listen. THEY DIDN'T LISTEN!
she also drove over my quoit board and i am still waiting for a replacement on both items. and i found my yoga mat in her dog kennel. and she punched me in the face and bit my armpit the last time we got very drunk together. As for carboys- i have had three for ten years and one for 16 years and a couple more for a few years. I am also regularly drunk when i brew and rack and i don't use straps or handles and i ferment in the basement and brew on the first floor. I guess i feel very lucky that one has never given out on me. I'm a steamfitter for 17 years and can tell you that there are worse things to drop...

 

[Phyrst]

This thread and the other threads that have been linked have officially scared me out of my mind. I use Better Bottles but just bought some homebrew equipment off some guy on Craigslist that included two 5 gallon glass carboys. I was going to give one of them to my buddy who wants to upgrade from his Mr. Beer kit to five gallon batches. He's not too educated in what he's doing yet and likes to jump into things without really thinking about it first. I'm scared to death his going to kill someone with a glass carboy. Or that his wife will kill me if he dumps five gallons of wort and ten pounds of broken glass all over her kitchen floor.

 

[riverfrontbrewer]

Do we get to subtract the times that glass has been used and no humans or animals were harmed? In every "droppen mah carboy" thread I offer to take them off peoples hands but have never had anyone contact me??? Where are all of these people with these carboys they're afraid of?!

I've had 3 carboys for about 12 years, hundreds of batches and I have only broken.....one HYDROMETER....but i still use hydrometers......

p.s. I am only making a little bit of fun, I don't want to see anyone get hurt!

 

[passedpawn]

Do we get to subtract the times that glass has been used and no humans or animals were harmed? In every "droppen mah carboy" thread I offer to take them off peoples hands but have never had anyone contact me??? Where are all of these people with these carboys they're afraid of?!

I've had 3 carboys for about 12 years, hundreds of batches and I have only broken.....one HYDROMETER....but i still use hydrometers......

p.s. I am only making a little bit of fun, I don't want to see anyone get hurt!

I have 2 you can have for free. In fact, if anyone is nearby PM me.

 

[homebrewdad]

Do we get to subtract the times that glass has been used and no humans or animals were harmed? In every "droppen mah carboy" thread I offer to take them off peoples hands but have never had anyone contact me??? Where are all of these people with these carboys they're afraid of?!

I've had 3 carboys for about 12 years, hundreds of batches and I have only broken.....one HYDROMETER....but i still use hydrometers......

p.s. I am only making a little bit of fun, I don't want to see anyone get hurt!

I agree with you 100%. If anybody has a glass carboy they are scared of, I'll gladly give it a good home where it will be allowed to run free under the sun.

 

[riverfrontbrewer]

If you don't get any takers in FL, let me know and I will pay for packaging, shipping, and a sixer of my HB back at ya?

I have 2 you can have for free. In fact, if anyone is nearby PM me.

 

[Dan]

13

 

[Puckhead]

I'll gladly take some glass off anyone's hands. I have 9 currently 2 bb and have never dropped em. I'm only about 35 batches but I've seen what glad does and take lots of care. I'm moving this week and trying to figure out how I want to move the 4 full ones I have. I moved my 19 cases of bottles with no issue last night but 20 gallons of brew is a bit heavier. Wanna drink?

 

[Beer_me_plz]

+ 1 here. Don't know what the count is. I had just back sweetened a batch of green apple Riesling. All 6.5 gallons ended up on my carpet. Needless to say it turned into a long expensive night. Now we have a new carpet pad along with a nice carpet steam cleaner and a carboy carrier thingy.

On a side note. I got online the next day and bought everything to start the kit over again. I shall not be defeated!

 

[Dan]

14

 

[punkrockdave]

Still no broken carboys but I snapped my auto siphon. Now I'm pizzed

 

[H-ost]

1 here!

@Dan
You should update the original post with the running tally (at least until you get bored of doing so )

 

[lincoln]

+1 = 16

 

[Dan]

Original post update? Okay will. And for the running post.

14

 

[Haputanlas]

Dan, it looks like it's at 16.


16

 

[Dan]

Dan, it looks like it's at 16.


16

Thanks!

16

 

[Braufessor]

+1 = 17. Had one slip out of my hand with a gallon of water in it while I was cleaning it. Fell/slid, gently, about 6 inches and went straight through the bottom of my double washtub sink. Hit my tile floor and EXPLODED. Not ONE piece left much bigger than a BB. There was glass covering the entire floor in the room, out the door, across the basement. Unbelievable - I did not know there was that much glass in a carboy

 

[Dan]

17

 

[Katahdin]

18 - Had one arrive at my door smashed courtesy of UPS.

 

[bwomp313]

18 - Had one arrive at my door smashed courtesy of UPS.

sounds about right.

 

[Dan]

Ok we're at 18 broken carboys amongst the thousands of them out there. The amount of broken carboys posted is quite low considering thre are somewhere around 117,000 HBT members on this site.

Maybe fewer and fewer people are using them or are ignoring this thread.

Still at:

18

 

[Hex]

18+1=19

A few years ago I was watering large potted plants with rinse water from a 6 gal (tallboy), I used a carboy handle, but my bottom hand slipped and it swung and tapped the ceramic pot, glass everywhere, even in the pool, no injures.
I now transport all carboys full or empty in plastic muck buckets. I also dump rinse water, hops and turb into said plastic muck buckets, then transport liquid in muck bucket to proper receptacle (plants or toilet).

edit: Here's the muck bucket solution.

 

[Dan]

19

 

[Dawnhulio]

Ok we're at 18 broken carboys amongst the thousands of them out there. The amount of broken carboys posted is quite low considering thre are somewhere around 117,000 HBT members on this site.

Maybe fewer and fewer people are using them or are ignoring this thread.

Still at:

18

Maybe its because people have heeded this post as a safety announcement / warning?

I recently bought two Better Bottles... discovered they're easier to handle and carry when full of liquid over the glass ones due to the combined weight (of course). My spouse isn't always around to toss a carboy up on the kitchen counter when it's time to rack or bottle. And while I am strong, I am still short in stature and have less control over said items than he does.

Figure I can use the glass ones as back-ups if I get too many brews fermenting at the same time.

 

[Dan]

Hey Dawn

Your first sentence was compliment I do not deserve. Because my post came after reading many on the dangers of carboys but I do thank you for the nice words.

Moving to better bottles is a good idea for the reasons you spoke of.

And BTW, if to many brews at one time.. have a party and drink beer untill 9 - the next morning

 

[malweth]

Still no broken carboys but I snapped my auto siphon. Now I'm pizzed

I melted mine! It'll get sanitized in the boil, right? (Yeah... and bent beyond recognition).


To really mean anything, this count has include the number of people who haven't broken any or the number of carboys unbroken. Otherwise it's just an arbitrary number.

I personally think it's important to know the risk of using glass and be mindful of the danger. Stay safe and mostly sober while brewing and glass isn't all that risky.

And to those who say replacing a bucket only costs $10 -- It's closer to $40... $10 for the bucket and $30 for the beer you spoiled. That's not to mention the time you wasted brewing just to toss a bunch of beer.

 

[Mikethepoolguy]

We have all gotten rid of our glass carboys. Along with our cars, ladders, and shoelaces. We are all safer now. Unfortunately four garbage men died yesterday in horrible accidents.

 

[Exploit]

19+1 = 20

After my brew day I was moving my 6.5gal glass carboy from the garage to the basement and then my brew hauler came lose resulting in 5 gallons of brew on the garage floor + a laceration on 3 of my fingers. The next day I purchased a plastic better bottle in order to save my fingers in the future.

 

[Beer_me_plz]

19+1 = 20

After my brew day I was moving my 6.5gal glass carboy from the garage to the basement and then my brew hauler came lose resulting in 5 gallons of brew on the garage floor + a laceration on 3 of my fingers. The next day I purchased a plastic better bottle in order to save my fingers in the future.

Bumping this one.

There has to be more stories like this one. I'm just curious, were you more upset about the beer or the fingers?

 

[Dawnhulio]

Bumping this one.

There has to be more stories like this one. I'm just curious, were you more upset about the beer or the fingers?

I was just wondering the same... sorry to hear about the fingers...

And may your beer rest in blessed peace

 

[amandabab]

Maybe fewer and fewer people are using them or are ignoring this thread.

or just not breaking them.

"20"

 

[punkrockdave]

OK since this thread started I've clanked and bonked a few. None broken, but the subconscious stuff is gonna kill one of my carboys. Look at it this way, if a person is throwing a no hitter don't effing mention it. Have a nice day.

 

[edecambra]

20+2

Granted mine broke about a year ago but they were about a week apart. I needed four stitches, three in my foot and one in my hand, for the second one.

No problems since but a healthy fear can cure clumsiness quick, and better bottle helps to

 

[Deric]

+1 = 23

Been using carboys for 15 years. 3 of the 6 I have (had?) were at least 12 years old. Broke one today bumping it against another one (barely). It was one of the 3 newer ones that are less than a year old. I've noticed they seem to be much lighter so I assume thinner too.

5 gallons of porter all over the garage and ferm chamber/freezer. What a mess. No injuries. I used to ferment in the spare bedroom. Just built the ferm chamber a couple months ago. Luckily never broke one in the house.

Switching to better bottles. I like my fingers (and toes). Anyone wanna by 5 carboys cheap?

 

[riverfrontbrewer]

Again, let me know if you wanna get those scary carboys out of your house.

Do we get to subtract the times that glass has been used and no humans or animals were harmed? In every "droppen mah carboy" thread I offer to take them off peoples hands but have never had anyone contact me??? Where are all of these people with these carboys they're afraid of?!

I've had 3 carboys for about 12 years, hundreds of batches and I have only broken.....one HYDROMETER....but i still use hydrometers......

p.s. I am only making a little bit of fun, I don't want to see anyone get hurt!

 

[Dan]

I don't use them since I broke my first one about 2 years ago. But I know people used them for years with little problem. I wonder if the qaulity of the newer carboys is subpar, maybe the older one were a higher quality glass?

 

[Stauffbier]

I wonder if the qaulity of the newer carboys is subpar, maybe the older one were a higher quality glass?

I'm willing to bet this is true! Everything is made cheap these days!

 

[seigex]

2 broken carboys here... one in my garage full of fermenting beer *d'oh* and one since I moved up into the mountains, probably from winter when nights were below 10 degrees and then warm in the day... just went out and bought my third (and now my only) one

so add 2 for me

 

[aubiecat]

I haven't broken any but seeing some of the horror stories here made me switch over to better boys. I am clumsy and it would just a matter of time before I broke one and hurt myself.
The glass carboys are back in the cardboard boxes.

 

[seigex]

I haven't broken any but seeing some of the horror stories here made me switch over to better boys. I am clumsy and it would just a matter of time before I broke one and hurt myself.
The glass carboys are back in the cardboard boxes.

After this reintroduction extract brew I'm doing now which I just needed something quick, I'm going to move back into all grain and switch over to using cornys for fermentation and then rack to secondary in another one, that I will carbonate and serve from.