The Exploding Carboy Club...

[par383]

I don't carry it just by the handle when it's full. Other hand underneath to keep all the stress off the neck.

I never thought about putting the stress on the neck, but after hearing all of these horror stories, it looks like a carrier is next on my list of homebrew purchases!

 

[Donasay]

I started off several years ago with glass carboys. Then, one of my friends decided to start brewing and ordered a Cooper's brew kit. I liked the fermenter design so much that I ordered three of them (just the fermenter, not the entire kit).

Where do you get these in the states? I see them online at australian stores, but I can never seem to find them at any stores in the US. If you know of anywhere that sells them, let me know.

 

[lamarguy]

Where do you get these in the states? I see them online at australian stores, but I can never seem to find them at any stores in the US. If you know of anywhere that sells them, let me know.

Ya, those Aussies are famous for limiting access to their better products, like the Pontiac G8.

Cascadia Importers is the US distributor for Coopers brand products. I ordered several of their fermenters back in late '06 for $25 a piece + shipping. You can call them at 888-588-9262 M-F 9am to 5pm, Pacific Standard Time.

Just ask to purchase the 30 liter fermenter, lid, and tap/spigot kit. They will sell the parts individually or as a complete kit (which you don't want).

 

[smizak]

I want to switch to Better Bottles, but the 6 gal size is a deal breaker for me. I always put 5.5 gallons into my fermenter, then siphon just 5 gal out for the bottling bucket(cleaner beer).

Half gallon headspace ain't gonna cut it, and I hate the idea of dealing with a blowoff tube or Fermcap, etc...

I have a system down with my glass. I NEVER touch the carboys with my barehands. Leather work gloves on my brew-bench, handles on any empty carboy, brew-hauler for lifting straight up or down, heavy duty plastic commercial milkcrates for carrying ANYWHERE, full or empty. I have a hose and table setup near the basement sink so I can siphon out any amount of liquid out of the carboys, like when they're full of oxiclean. I only turn them over when there as empty as possible, again wearing gloves and using the carboy handle to keep as much of my hands off of the glass as possible.

If they make a bigger Better Bottle, I'll buy it in an instant.

 

[damrass]

If they make a bigger Better Bottle, I'll buy it in an instant.

Yeah, I really wish they had a 6.5 gallon...

 

[lamarguy]

Yeah, I really wish they had a 6.5 gallon...

If it helps, the Cooper's brand fermenter is [ame="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=30+liters+to+gallons&btnG=Search"]30 liters = 7.92516157 US gallons[/ame].

 

[WhirlingBastard]

Can we get a new picture of that mess however long ago that happened?

Or did you replace the carpet?

This was two days of a rented carpet cleaner and some elbow grease with a different cleaner.

 

[zman]

Well that does it I am going to put up a sign in the Kitchen/Brewhouse:
Always...ALways...ALWAYS!!! Dry hands before handling a glass carboy...lol. I actually got one of those Brew Haulers as well and it is a great way to lift a carboy. I also like the milk crate idea. I modified a flat furniture dolly so that it will hold a Keggle as well as a Carboy. It is an easy way to get the Keggle from the front or back porch into the kitchen.

 

[Bigsnake]

Gotta say i hope i can't ever join this club...

This is definately one club I don't want to join.

I've got two glass 5 gallon carboys and one 6.5 gallon. Little worried now. They do get slipper when wet!

 

[Stratotankard]

Where do you get these in the states? I see them online at australian stores, but I can never seem to find them at any stores in the US. If you know of anywhere that sells them, let me know.

My wife bought mine off their website (Coopers Homebrew Beer | Home Beer Brewing Kit | Beer Making | Beer Kit) I believe. I love the fermenter, but cleaning the top of the inside (where it curves in)can get tedious. I've had great experiences with the company as well. They sent me a new spigot for the fermenter for free, after I was an idiot and ran mine through the garbage disposal.

 

[mephi]

I just wanted to share this with all of you guys.

I was working on my fourth brew with my brother. Everything was going fine. Got the beer up into the upstairs closet where I put the other three. Fermentation started just fine, with regular bubbling going pretty quickly. So I went to bed.

When I woke up, I went to see how things were going, and...

Of course I removed all of the boxes around the area that had been covered with sticky goo...Luckily I don't have anything major to do this morning.

Now, off to rent a carpet cleaner!!

(plastic fermenter from here on out for me)

 

[Anthony_Lopez]

Your carboy actually exploded?!

 

[mephi]

Yup. The top shot across the closet. There is spray from the thing all over the walls, and the carboy itself is shattered into a million pieces. Just bought the damn thing too. I think I got the plug in too tight, and the foam clogged the air lock, which was probably my biggest mistake with the whole setup.

 

[ChshreCat]

Odd. Isn't that the second brand new carboy that someone's posted on here exploding in the last week or so? Wonder if there's a bad shipment that's gone out to homebrew shops?

 

[TeleTwanger]

Odd. Isn't that the second brand new carboy that someone's posted on here exploding in the last week or so? Wonder if there's a bad shipment that's gone out to homebrew shops?

I think its more about people getting thier airlocks clogged. These things aren't made to hold pressure so pressure+glass=explosion.

 

[smizak]

Man.

I've resigned myself to using a blowoff tube on ALL beers for the first few days of fermentation, regardless of gravity/yeast type. Yikes.

 

[mephi]

Anyway, I've read through this thread, and I was wondering what is generally thought to be the best plastic primary fermenter. I was thinking that a bucket might not seal properly which may cause some contamination issues and possibly misleading fermentation signs.

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

Better bottle seems to be the most popular- I just corny it with a blow off.

 

[mephi]

That's kinda what I was thinking. They're even cheaper than glass carboys at my local shop

Finally got the mess all cleaned up. It's sad to see so much wasted beer...soaking into a carpet. The odor is still lingering a bit though.

 

[Gonefishing]

Better bottle seems to be the most popular- I just corny it with a blow off.

How do you set that up? Do you have a picture?

 

[mephi]

I have a secondary problem now. Anyone know how to get the smell of fermenting wort out of a carpet?

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

How do you set that up? Do you have a picture?

Took a picture of a mock up; Just make sure that krausen doesn't clog the in dip tube (some people will remove pressure relief valve and use a bung with tube in that hole)

On a different note, not a great pic, but here is a shot of my first brew (Dry Irish Stout)

 

[flyangler18]

Smack across the knuckles for serving that stout in a frosted mug! Too cold!

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

I have a secondary problem now. Anyone know how to get the smell of fermenting wort out of a carpet?

I don't know of any GOOD carpet cleaning stuff, but would recommend baking soda. Cover it well and letit sit for awhile, vacuum and repeat. I had this bottle of oxygen orange cleaner stuff I picked up at the dollar store or something, that worked great on carpet,but not sure how well it would work with soaked in beer.. Good luck!

 

[mephi]

I'm going to try some more baking soda, but if that doesn't work, the carpet is going to have to come up. The smell is horrible. Something between beer and vomit.

 

[MSAstoria]

I just joined the Club last night. Similar story to the OP; Carboy full of bleach and water, lost my grip, smashed ALL over the bathtub.

At least there was no beer in it. Time for Better Bottles.

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

Smack across the knuckles for serving that stout in a frosted mug! Too cold!

First pull, but yes, I realized what I did after the first mug. Tall room temp pilsner glass. Much better.

 

[MadDwarf]

That's just a regular spigot, not a racking arm, right? Are you able to bottle/keg from that without getting a fistful of yeast cake?

My wife bought mine off their website (Coopers Homebrew Beer | Home Beer Brewing Kit | Beer Making | Beer Kit) I believe. I love the fermenter, but cleaning the top of the inside (where it curves in)can get tedious. I've had great experiences with the company as well. They sent me a new spigot for the fermenter for free, after I was an idiot and ran mine through the garbage disposal.

 

[Yambor44]

Took a picture of a mock up; Just make sure that krausen doesn't clog the in dip tube (some people will remove pressure relief valve and use a bung with tube in that hole)

On a different note, not a great pic, but here is a shot of my first brew (Dry Irish Stout)

Do you ferment 5 gallons in a 5 gallon keg?

 

[wilserbrewer]

I have a secondary problem now. Anyone know how to get the smell of fermenting wort out of a carpet?

You gotta kill whatever is growing in there...nylon carpet might be safe for a bleach solution...test a spot w/ some starsan, it doesn't seem to bother my baasement carpet.

Yea, about a year ago the manager at my LHBS gave me a little lecture on how glass was the best and really the only material suited for fermentation. I mentioned the injury and mess potential but he didn't seem to hear me. I like buckets, they work well and are cheap and easy to clean.