Smashed the carboy

[passedpawn]

I do not like the deflection in the BB when they are moved.

Although I'm a big BB fanboy, I agree with you on this. I hate the accidental suckback when I forget pick one up and forget to tilt the airlock.

 

[fc36]

Actually, I meant hot tap water. The only way you could safely use hot water at any temp would be to pre heat the carboy evenly before filling it. The stresses caused by uneven heating is enough to break a carboy. Think about it, you start filling the carboy with hot water, the bottom starts to heat while the sides are still cool, the expansion of the glass at the bottom is faster than the sides. This could cause a failure, and possibly a trip to the emergency room.

That is in no way possible. Room temperature is about 70F and the hottest tap water is maybe 120F if you're nuts enough to put it that high. a 50F temp differential could in no way cause glass to shatter. If it did, then people would be routinely breaking wine glasses and pint glasses when they do the dishes. Both of those glasses have thinner glass than a carboy.

 

[orangehero]

It is certainly possible and you should always try to minimize the thermal shock to glass. Glass vessels are often broken when one doesn't heed this advice.

 

[fc36]

Honestly, anything is possible and glass can shatter from thermal shock, but the possibility is virtually nonexistent. I shouldn't go spouting off that it's entirely impossible. When glass fails due to thermal shock it's usually due to a thicker bottom that actually expands slower, not faster, than the sides of that glass vessel or it's due to a preexisting crack or chip that expands due to thermal shock. The big 6.5 gallon carboys are a uniform thickness all the way around the sides and on the bottom. The 5 and 6 gallon carboys are the same except for those ribs running up and down and around the sides. There isn't a huge difference in thickness between the sides and bottom for thermal shock to exploit and unless you've decided to use a cracked/chipped carboy then most people won't have integrity issues with their carboys. The idea that glass can break due to a 50 degree differential is theoretically possible, but only in extenuating circumstances. There's no need to scare everyone with your doomsday prophecies that their carboys will break if not properly preheated. If you take good care of your glass carboys and don't hit them against tubsides, then they won't shatter. I have several friends who've been homebrewing for 10+ years each and none of them have ever had a carboy shatter when cleaning with hot water and a lukewarm carboy. I'd be interested to see if there are people out there who've managed to break a carboy like this?

 

[homebeerbrewer]

That is in no way possible. Room temperature is about 70F and the hottest tap water is maybe 120F if you're nuts enough to put it that high. a 50F temp differential could in no way cause glass to shatter. If it did, then people would be routinely breaking wine glasses and pint glasses when they do the dishes. Both of those glasses have thinner glass than a carboy.

You're talking about a much smaller glass vessel than a carboy. A large glass vessel has much more surface area than a wine or pint glass, hence the variation of temperature from the bottom to the sides. Glass, like everything else, expands when it's heated. Smaller vessels, such as a beer bottle, will heat (expand) more evenly due to the smaller size.

 

[fc36]

Once again, I'm asking all people out there if anyone has ever actually experienced a carboy breaking under the incredible strain of a 50F temperature differential? I realize glass can break due to temperature differential. Ancient cultures used temperature differential to quarry stone. However, unless you've decided to use a carboy that's already cracked or chipped and has integrity issues and you don't take care of your equipment or inspect it, this will almost certainly never happen to you.

 

[Honda88]

i dont know how i stumbled into this thread but no I have never experienced it and I do this all the damn time

 

[Bricks41]

Removed

 

[Michelob6]

On my glass fermenters I bought some polyurethane caulk and smeared the bottom with about 1/4" of it so i don't worry about setting it down. I also used silglaze on the perimeter kind of like a spider web pattern. I have now fear now in case they accidentally clank together.

 

[fc36]

Here's what happened to me 2 years ago when I smashed mine against the side of my tub. Don't worry, don't worry, no beer was harmed just me as I had just finished transferring it to secondary. That damn PBW makes the outside of the carboys pretty slippery. Anyways, I ended up with 19 stitches, 11 across my left toes and 8 more on my left ring finger. Pretty wicked, but it was not because of thermal shock. It was because of physical shock. Anyways, no need to worry, carboys are great and they're amazing for fermentation, but you must treat them with care and with respect because they can cause serious harm if broken.

 

[AnOldUR]

I'm staying out of the glass vs. plastic debate, but damn, I think the doc was using you to practice up on his stitching. Been working in machine shops for 40 years and gotten cut worse than that more than once. Peroxide, a gauze pad and some duct tape and you're back to work.

 

[fc36]

Both of the pictures of the cuts were when I was at the hospital already and they had just freshly cleaned the wound. When I was at home, I could see my heart rate in the upsurge and downsurge of blood flowing out of the cuts. Believe me, after 5 years as a lifeguard on Chicago's beaches and getting my Eagle Scout, I knew I had to get stitches for those bad boys and I would've had a paramedic friend of mine do them, if he hadn't been on duty, but instead the nurse practitioner in the ER hooked me up with a $500 bill for stitches. Oh well, live and learn.