The one that got away

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Janx

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I can't remember the last time I lost a batch.

Infection? Bah! Hasn't happened in years.

Dropping a carboy? Seen it done but never tried it.

Leaky keg fitting? Not in a long time, which is a good thing because it's a mess and a total pisser all wrapped into one.

But I lost a batch a couple weekends ago. And I guess I'm finally ready to talk about it.

It was a beautiful summer afternoon. The brew was winding to a close and the chill was almost done. I had most of my gear cleaned up, last week's batch racked, kegs were chilling. A fine day. Even the mash tun was clean. I just had another gallon or two to chill.

I brew on a three-tier stand with converted kegs...pretty rustic compared to alot of the folks around here, but it works fine for me. I use gravity to push through the chiller because it works just fine. No pumps in my system. Gravity is my friend...

One of the most rustic aspects of my brew day is chilling those final few gallons. The last few that were left on that particular day, in fact. Gravity does the work, but I need to help it out a bit.

And so, with my kettle on the second step of my 3-tier and the fermentor, a 14 gallon glass demijohn on the ground, I give the kettle a bit of a tilt to get that last gallon or so that I have so painstakingly brewed (well, not really painstakingly...but you get the idea) out and into the chiller. I prop the kettle up with a chunk of wood and let gravity pull that last bit on through the chiller.

But gravity betrayed me.

As I cleaned the last few pieces of gear, a stiff breeze came along. I heard a sickening crash. I knew right away that the kettle had fallen over...but it was practically empty. No worries, I desperately tried to tell myself. At most a few pints lost. I spill pints all the time. No big deal.

But that crash was...sickening.

Sure enough, of all the places gravity could have cast my kettle, it threw it down squarely atop my fermenter. Instead of a whole and healthy demijohn, about to begin a frantic bubble and froth, there was a plastic sleeve full of shattered glass and wort that would never be.

How ironic, to take so much care to move the wort from its safe haven in a stainless container to a glass one, only to smash the glass container with the stainless one itself.

Wild, desperate thoughts raced through my head. Surely, I could salvage the batch, the fruits of so many hours of labor. Siphon it out of the unsanitized plastic sleeve and broken glass! But in my heart I knew it was lost.

I set about siphoning the batch out of the plastic sleeve and onto the lawn...and cleaning the kettle and chiller. Like a monk who spends weeks making an intricate sand painting only to sweep it up in the end I was, only I was pissed off, and I think the monks are cool with it.

The loss of the demijohn was one thing. The loss of the batch was something far far greater.To hell with the demijohn! This was beer that might have been! Beer that should have been! Beer that never was to be...and would now ferment as it settled into the lawn.

Now, a couple of weeks later, I have finally cleared my thoughts. A new dawn approaches.

I am finished with glass...finished
 
A terrible saga, to be sure. But your writing skills are all the better for it.
Nay, tarry longer not. But fire up thy steaming cauldron yet again. For surely victory is yours!........................................huh?
 
Very sorry to hear it Janx!

I'm with you, though. I'm ready to say goodbye to glass carboys. I was cleaning mine the other day and noticed some fine cracks in the neck. That can't be good!
 
Wow, that sucks. And that is not at all what I wanted to hear today on this, my first day using a glass carboy. Things already seem inauspicious. My saison yeast self-activated en route, and I also just had my first boil over. Sigh.
 
i've been using glass for years and have had one accident while cleaning a carboy. did not lose any beer, however and bought new carboys with the handles...have not had a problem since but the risk is always there.

sorry to hear about that. those stainless are pretty tight, tho...hope that works out. wish i could afford (or rather justify buying) one myself :)
 
The_Huisvrouw said:
Wow, that sucks. And that is not at all what I wanted to hear today on this, my first day using a glass carboy. Things already seem inauspicious. My saison yeast self-activated en route, and I also just had my first boil over. Sigh.

Don't worry, my friend. I've been brewing for 15 years, hundreds of batches, many many boil overs, and every primary I have used was plastic or glass. There's nothing wrong with glass carboys...they're much thicker and nicer than the larger but thinner demijohns like the one I broke. Carboys are great fermenters, and I plan to keep using them for secondaries.

Cheers :D
 
Janx, didn't you get the message? We all decided that Better Bottles were da bomb while you were incommunicado.

My heart goes out for your loss!
 
the brew gods giveth and they taketh away....

good to see you again janx, even if i'm tardy as usual ;)

with the new found steel you should name your next brew CROM....
 
DeathBrewer said:
i've been using glass for years and have had one accident while cleaning a carboy. did not lose any beer, however and bought new carboys with the handles...have not had a problem since but the risk is always there.

sorry to hear about that. those stainless are pretty tight, tho...hope that works out. wish i could afford (or rather justify buying) one myself :)

Not the handles that fit on the neck of the carboy I hope....
 
smacks head against oak tree...

i've got nothing but glass since forever. i pretend i'm carrying a newborn around when i pick it up and move it... :)
 
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