Safety Lesson for Beginners

[Iowa Brewer]

A beautiful 5.5gal of English ESB (OG 5.6) ended up on the floor last night.
Lesson to new brewers? Be sure to connect the straps correctly before carrying your carboy down the stairs.

 

[mullet6577]

Loss of beer is BAD...but (assuming here) you didn't end up with a ton of stitches or worse so there's a bright side based on other horror stories of broken glass carboys.

 

[Iowa Brewer]

Loss of beer is BAD...but (assuming here) you didn't end up with a ton of stitches or worse so there's a bright side based on other horror stories of broken glass carboys.

True that! First thing I did (after a few choice expletives) was check my femoral arteries. So many bad stories out there! Don't think I'm going back to glass

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

glad to hear no injuries, ughh still sucks. that being said this also seems like something i would read in the "don't do that" thread.

cheers

 

[balrog]

OMG I'm glad you're here to tell the tale

 

[Alex4mula]

Don’t blame the glass. I love well and safely carried carboys. But if I had to constantly move them through stairs I probably would use something else.

 

[marc1]

Milk crates work well for carrying them

 

[Iowa Brewer]

Good idea, marc1!

 

[Iowa Brewer]

glad to hear no injuries, ughh still sucks. that being said this also seems like something i would read in the "don't do that" thread.

cheers

Ooof, I gotta check out that thread, bailey mountain brewer!
Could sure fill that one up with stories *lol*

 

[Iowa Brewer]

Don’t blame the glass. I love well and safely carried carboys. But if I had to constantly move them through stairs I probably would use something else.

Yeah the swaying it creates going down stairs are the clincher

 

[Iowa Brewer]

OMG I'm glad you're here to tell the tale

Thanks, balrog! Me, too!

 

[pc_trott]

Ditto what Balrog said. But you must not be married. If I made a mess like that while brewing, my wife would see to it I wasn't here to tell the tale.

 

[balrog]

Ditto what Balrog said. But you must not be married. If I made a mess like that while brewing, my wife would see to it I wasn't here to tell the tale.

TOo funny! I was actually going to make some comment about how I really did not mean that I was worried about the broken glass getting him, as that would have been the **LEAST** of my concerns had I done that in my significant other's house (that's right, when I make a mess it is no longer my house).

 

[MikeCrigger]

I use two of these for 10 gallon batches. I put it under the carboys before transferring the wort into them. They protect the glass bottoms too from the cement in my garage. Then I move them to the fridge for fermentation, leaving the net underneath the whole time. Then they are already in place to move again. When they get too dirty, I just throw them in the washing machine. No buckles to break. Been using them for about 6 years now.

Edit: Glad you are safe, I have been in the E.R. from a brewing accident once, and now I double think everything that has potential to hurt me in brewing.

 

[Iowa Brewer]

View attachment 714509

I use two of these for 10 gallon batches. I put it under the carboys before transferring the wort into them. They protect the glass bottoms too from the cement in my garage. Then I move them to the fridge for fermentation, leaving the net underneath the whole time. Then they are already in place to move again. When they get too dirty, I just throw them in the washing machine. No buckles to break. Been using them for about 6 years now.

Edit: Glad you are safe, I have been in the E.R. from a brewing accident once, and now I double think everything that has potential to hurt me in brewing.

That looks like a great carboy carrier, Mike! And thanks! And so glad you pulled through your ER crises!

 

[Alex4mula]

View attachment 714509

I use two of these for 10 gallon batches. ...

Yeah I like those too because they do not have the plastic snap plug like the OP one. I use the same as OP and I'm always paranoid and check the snap clip like 5 times before moving. And when I do the move I carry it like 3" above ground most of the way. But each brew space is different. I worry more when I carry my hot sparge water pot from the stove 30' away (no stairs)...

 

[balrog]

plastic milk crate, FTW

 

[Birrofilo]

I don't know why in the US people use carboys without any kind of material around them.
Since the mists of time in Italy the dama, or damigiana, which is basically the glass carboy, is inserted into a protection which is now typically made in plastic, but when I was a child it was in wood or rope. You can use glass if you like it, just buy the right stuff. That also protects wine from light and variations of temperature.

Vecchia Damigiana Antica, Damigiana, Dalla Parete Gialla Fotografia Stock - Immagine di grande, aperto: 45783212

Foto circa Il vino dell'anno scorso Canestro di vimini. Immagine di grande, aperto, verde - 45783212

it.dreamstime.com

Damigiana 25 L Birra | Polsinelli Enologia

Damigiana 25 L Birra Damigiane - Recipienti

www.polsinelli.it

Anyway in order to transport carboys or fermenter my back-saving strategy is to use a trolley, I use this one:

Carrelli master, diametro 350 mm, 150 kg, 821350 : Amazon.it: Commercio, Industria e Scienza

Carrelli master, diametro 350 mm, 150 kg, 821350 : Amazon.it: Commercio, Industria e Scienza

www.amazon.it

Raising the carboy to the trolley is easy and fast. Then you move the trolley around your house, and then you put it back where you need it. You can make your own by assembling the parts, it's not a complicated object but it is useful.

 

[Miraculix]

One thing I learned from here without going through it the hard way myself is NEVER EVER USE GLAS FERMENTERS.

Except for the occasional 1 gallon batch.... But as soon as there is serious weight involved, nope sir, no glass for me please. It can even crack on it's own without me doing anything stupid to it. You never know how many micro cracks are already inside from transportation or faults from production. Glass carboys, so much nope nope nope!!

 

[Iowa Brewer]

That's a great system, Birrofilo!

 

[Iowa Brewer]

One thing I learned from here without going through it the hard way myself is NEVER EVER USE GLAS FERMENTERS.

Except for the occasional 1 gallon batch.... But as soon as there is serious weight involved, nope sir, no glass for me please. It can even crack on it's own without me doing anything stupid to it. You never know how many micro cracks are already inside from transportation or faults from production. Glass carboys, so much nope nope nope!!

Yeah, there's a lot of good ideas on here, but with my situation with stairs, Glas geht nicht mehr für mich!

 

[mcmeador]

A beautiful 5.5gal of English ESB (OG 5.6) ended up on the floor last night.
Lesson to new brewers? Be sure to connect the straps correctly before carrying your carboy down the stairs.

Dang... sorry for your loss.

 

[Iowa Brewer]

Dang... sorry for your loss.

Cheers, mcmeador!

 

[bwible]

A beautiful 5.5gal of English ESB (OG 5.6) ended up on the floor last night.
Lesson to new brewers? Be sure to connect the straps correctly before carrying your carboy down the stairs.

The orange carboy “handle” in that first photo is pure crap. I owned a homebrew shop and I refused to sell them. Very bad idea. You can’t carry a carboy like that and put pressure on the neck of the carboy like that. I have heard many stories of carboy necks being snapped off. I know you had a strap device and were using that. I would advise anybody who owns one of these orange carboy handles to deposit it in the nearest trash can where it belongs.

 

[Transamguy77]

Sorry for your loss and no glass for me either, way too scary. A bucket is nice, it has a handle, wide mouth and when it gets too old you just replace it with another cheap bucket.

 

[Iowa Brewer]

The orange carboy “handle” in that first photo is pure crap.

Hey, thanks for the advice/heads-up, bwible!

 

[Iowa Brewer]

Sorry for your loss and no glass for me either, way too scary. A bucket is nice, it has a handle, wide mouth and when it gets too old you just replace it with another cheap bucket.

Loads of truth in that, Transamguy77!

 

[devilssoninlaw]

RIP ESB!! I've always used plastic carboys because I could get them for free at work, after seeing your post, I'm glad I don't have glass. Thanks!

 

[Iowa Brewer]

RIP ESB!! I've always used plastic carboys because I could get them for free at work, after seeing your post, I'm glad I don't have glass. Thanks!

Hear, hear! I always have to transfer from my brewing operation on the main floor to my fermenters in the basement, so I'm switching to plastic, myself!

 

[#p3brews]

I know that breaking a carboy is a dangerous risk and am always careful. The other day i chipped the top of one of my 6 gallon glass carboys (see photo below). Now i am wondering if it's worth the risk of using this one anymore or am i up against an even weaker carboy that will be more succeptable to thermal shock and breaking? Thoughts or experiences? Mahalo.

 

[Miraculix]

Throw it out and buy plastic or steel.

 

[bwible]

I know that breaking a carboy is a dangerous risk and am always careful. The other day i chipped the top of one of my 6 gallon glass carboys (see photo below). Now i am wondering if it's worth the risk of using this one anymore or am i up against an even weaker carboy that will be more succeptable to thermal shock and breaking? Thoughts or experiences? Mahalo.
View attachment 732992

Yeah I had a 6 gallon crack on me in 2019 in moving to a new house. I got rid of it. I only use 6 gallon carboys for the occasional box wine kit, and I don’t make those much anymore.

I don’t know if that chip would weaken the carboy, but jagged glass is certainly nothing to play with. Shame because 6 gallon carboys sure aren’t cheap nowadays. I bought one 3 gallon fermonster and after using that I will only buy those now if anything happens to any of my glass ones.

 

[govner1]

Throw it out and buy plastic or steel.

THIS!!!^^^^^^^

 

[Beermeister32]

Current glass carboys aren’t made like the old carboys of long ago. They are thin walled and dangerous. I tossed mine in the trash and switched to PET plastic. Any little fracture like your chip can only weaken things. TOSS!

 

[#p3brews]

Knowing you all are right and to error on the side of caution is the smart choice, this chipped 6 gallon carboy will be retired.
I have already purchased a 7 gal chronical and am looking at a 15 gal. The 7 gal plastic Speidel is only a back up, as I don't like plastic.
Now, let's hear any good ideas you might have for the chipped 6 gal glass carboy retirement party and next gig?
Danke und prost.

 

[Golddiggie]

Stainless steel FTW!

Also, I'd seriously look into switching brewing location closer to where the fermentation location is. There are plenty of options out there these days for setting up a full brewing system inside without having to spend several hundred (or $1k+) dollhairs for steam removal.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Now, let's hear any good ideas you might have for the chipped 6 gal glass carboy retirement party and next gig?

KISS (Keep It Simple & Safe): place it gently in the recycle bin.

 

[Golddiggie]

KISS (Keep It Simple & Safe): place it gently in the recycle bin.

Nahh.. CHOOOT IT!!!

 

[IslandLizard]

I know that breaking a carboy is a dangerous risk and am always careful. The other day i chipped the top of one of my 6 gallon glass carboys (see photo below). Now i am wondering if it's worth the risk of using this one anymore or am i up against an even weaker carboy that will be more succeptable to thermal shock and breaking? Thoughts or experiences? Mahalo.
View attachment 732992

As long as there are no structural defects, cracks etc., looks like that can be smoothed out with a Dremel. Maybe even epoxied.
Then wrap some tape or plastic film around it.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Here's my story from 2009. I think there's a link in the thread for an experiment I did with Plasti-Dip. If not, let me know, and I'll look it up.

Edit: I linked to a different thread, and to make it easier to see what my results were, here's my post from that thread.