Warped Carboys

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jwbeard

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Has anyone else had issues with their carboys deforming after prolonged use? The base of one of my carboys is significantly (and irregularly; it's not just bulging from liquid, but rather has some parts that are significantly bowed) deformed. The plastic around the temperature strips is also sunken a bit, as if the carboy expanded but the strip held the plastic under it in place...

It's very odd, and I've replaced a few carboys after they deformed in this way. I don't think this one has ever been exposed to significant heat, though I did leave it outside in the sun soaking in PBW for a week or two.


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Like this?

jons-melted-better-bottles-56250.jpg
 
Kind of, but on the bottom and not as severe. Those look like they had hot water poured in them, and I've been careful to avoid doing that ever since the Great Melting Carboy episode of 2012, when I stupidly poured boiling water into a carboy with PBW thinking it'd clean faster (oops).

I'd take a photo of the bottom and post it, but it has 5 gallons of hefeweizen in it right now...


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Haha, wow. I normally use glass 6gallon carboys but I do have 2 3 gallon Better Bottles. Luckily they have not become shrinky dinks. I soak them with Oxyclean and warm water and then use a carboy cleaner to get off any stubborn stuff. I have been using them for about 5 years.
 
Extended PBW soaks are contrary to the procedure that Better Bottle recommends in a detailed document. I've posted a less comprehensive summery from their website below.

http://www.better-bottle.com/technical.html
Washing - Easy Does It

Reasonably hot water and an effective detergent will do an excellent job of washing carboys and fittings. Never use stiff brushes, abrasive scouring pads, or cleansers - they are unnecessary! The fact that BetterBottle carboys are light weight, clear, and their surfaces hydrophobic makes them easier to wash and inspect than carboys made of glass or other types of plastic. BetterBottle fittings are also hydrophobic and they are easily disassembled and reassembled, so thorough cleaning and inspection is extremely convenient. Best practice procedures for washing fermentation equipment will depend on many factors; however, the end result must be equipment that looks clean on close inspection, because scum or biofilm can protect microorganisms from sanitizing agents.1, 2, 3

BetterBottle has tested mild, enzyme-enhanced, environmentally friendly detergents (Seventh Generation Free and Clear Natural 2X4 & Super Pro-zyme Enzymatic Cleaner 5 ), and found them to be very effective and essentially harmless to most equipment, even with weeks of exposure (see Introduction, above, for a link to the detailed article).
 
ImageUploadedByHome Brew1396737831.092960.jpg
Finally racked the hefeweizen, couldn't get a good photo with the beer in there.

A little hard to see, but you can see a bit of deformation and some stress in the plastic. Time to retire?
 
Does it sit on a compressor hump? Or anything that could get hot? Sure looks like the result of heat, but you say you've never gotten it too hot.

My tap water is 140 and doesn't hurt them, though I won't go any hotter.
 
Nah, not that I know of... Going to retire it anyway I think, though (it's had a good life!). Have a 15 gallon speidel fermenter on order.

Thanks all! :mug:
 
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