Oh what a disaster...

[billymeter]

This past weekend on National Homebrew Day, I was doing a back-to-back partial mash brews. I did two clone kits from AHS, the Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout and the Franziskaner Dunkelweisse. I did the dunkel first.

Anyway, I have* a brand new 6.5 gallon glass carboy with 5 gallons of Starsan solution in it. I decided it was a good time to pour the Starsan into one of my plastic buckets after the mash was done. I lifted the carboy off the counter and the bottom of it was wet and slipped out of my hands. It crashed into the kitchen floor shattering glass everywhere and spilling starsan all over the tile.

You guys are not kidding when you say these things can be dangerous. Luckily, I only got a couple of minor cuts on my fingers, but it was a huge mess to clean up. At least the kitchen tile got sanitized.

But needless to say, after I cleaned the mess up I pressed on with brew day and used the other 6.5 gallon carboy I had for the dunkel and my 6.5 plastic bucket for the stout. I'll have to pick up another carboy when the funds are available.



*had

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

This is why I use plastic for everything other than secondaries when I rarely use them.

Also...National Homebrew Day is this Friday. Last weekend was Big Brew Day, an even put on by the American Homebrew Association. National Homebrew Day is always May 7th.

 

[dorno_b]

well at least you didnt have your beer in them when u droped it......that would have been a bigger disaster.

 

[DeafSmith]

It's because of things like this that I always siphon the liquid from glass carboys - even cleaning or sanitizing solution. I absolutely will not pick up a glass carboy with any appreciable amount of liquid in it (more than a quart or two) and turn it on its side or upside down to empty it - no way, no how. The only way I will lift a full glass carboy is with a BrewHauler or in a milk crate.

 

[Chipman]

Oh man that's a bummer! I'm counting down the days to when that happens to me. Next glass carboy I break = buying better bottles, next glass hydrometer I break = buying a refractometer

 

[smmcdermott]

Wow, that really blows. How long did it take to clean up? I got one of those brew haulers, but for emptying def siphon out. Sorry for your loss...

 

[mattjmac]

It's because of things like this that I always siphon the liquid from glass carboys - even cleaning or sanitizing solution. I absolutely will not pick up a glass carboy with any appreciable amount of liquid in it (more than a quart or two) and turn it on its side or upside down to empty it - no way, no how. The only way I will lift a full glass carboy is with a BrewHauler or in a milk crate.

I second this. I read the horror story somewhere on this forum about the guy who cut his arms up badly when one broke while he was holding it. Before that I had never even really thought about the danger. Ever since, I'm overly paranoid. My family's livelihood kind of depends on my ability to type (accountant) so I'd like to keep all 10 of my digits operable at all time.

OP - glad you didn't get badly injured. Nobody wants their hobby to hurt them.

 

[Revvy]

This is why I use plastic for everything other than secondaries when I rarely use them.

Also...National Homebrew Day is this Friday. Last weekend was Big Brew Day, an even put on by the American Homebrew Association. National Homebrew Day is always May 7th.

Actually....Big brew Day is considered the day brewer's traditionally celebrate Natl. Homebrew Day, since the AHA was the group that decided to come up with a way to celebrate in nationally to begin with, so the OP is not technically incorrect in calling it that, as thousands of us did on Saturday. Just as you are not technically incorrect either. Although May 7th is the day that congress chose, we commonly commemorate it on the first Saturday of May closest to the date, since most people don't work on a Saturday. Which means next year's Big brew day should fall on the correct day. But it's sort of like making Turkey Day always on a Thursday or Easter on a Sunday, we tend to tweak the day to fall on a Saturday, the "actual date" becomes a little less important than the day commonly chosen to commemorate it.

 

[osagedr]

A person definitely has to be careful with glass. But, they have worked well for huge numbers of brewers & winemakers for decades, even generations.

Some people feel safer with plastic, a person has to do what they are comforable with.

 

[billymeter]

It's because of things like this that I always siphon the liquid from glass carboys - even cleaning or sanitizing solution. I absolutely will not pick up a glass carboy with any appreciable amount of liquid in it (more than a quart or two) and turn it on its side or upside down to empty it - no way, no how. The only way I will lift a full glass carboy is with a BrewHauler or in a milk crate.

That's the thing, I normally siphon any liquids that are in my carboys... I just wasn't thinking for some reason. Needless to say I was overly paranoid with my other carboy.

 

[billymeter]

Wow, that really blows. How long did it take to clean up? I got one of those brew haulers, but for emptying def siphon out. Sorry for your loss...

Thanks for the condolences. It took about an hour to clean up. I (carefully) picked up all the big shards of glass with my hands then swept with a broom. After that, I got a couple towels to soak up the Starsan. After the floor was (mostly) dry, I swept 2 more times then went over the tile with a vaccum cleaner.

Still found glass everywhere after that.

 

[munche]

This is making me feel good about my decision to go all Better Bottle all the time. Luckily you didn't ruin your beer!

 

[Daparish]

Get a plastic milk crat. Use some duct tape across the bottom a few times for reinforcement and plop your glas carboy in there. I fell 100% safer since I've done this.

 

[Gremlyn]

For the future, you don't need to fill up the carboy that much. You can put in a gallon or two and swirl it around for a few mins to sanitise it. Much less heavy and less chance of dropping it.

 

[Rick500]

I generally mix up one gallon of StarSan to brew a 6-gallon batch of beer. Could probably do with a half gallon if I needed to.

 

[BrewDocND]

I just don't trust myself with glass. The first time I used a better bottle instead of a bucket, it slipped out of my hands when I was moving to the fermentation closet. IT just kind of bounced and I was able to keep it upright.

 

[OrCoastBrew]

well at least you didnt have your beer in them when u droped it......that would have been a bigger disaster.

Amen, starsan is a lot easier to clean up than sticky warm wort!