Anybody dropped a glass carboy full of beer?

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Toymaker

Toymaker

Arrgh!
Joined
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I just had a little incident. I just finished racking a nice porter from primary to secondary. I cleaned up my mess and installed the airlock with some leftover One Step solution. I still had wet hands but still decided to carry the carboy full of beer to the cellar, where I do my secondary fermentation. I got across the basement and realized the door was shut. Instead of setting it down, opening the door and picking it back up, I rested it on my knee. I had my, still wet, right hand around the neck, and my left knee mostly under the left side. Then it happened, as I reached for the doorknob with my left hand it slipped off my knee. Instantly, with all my might, I tried to hold on with my right slimy hand. The neck of the carboy slipped out slicker than crap. However, instead of a loud crash and tidal wave of 5 gallons of dark brown porter heading for the floor drain. It hit with a dull thud???
I have never been so happy for a dirty smelly kitty litter box in my life!!!!
Yes, the carboy had displaced about a pound of litter all over the floor and into my left shoe, but it saved the carboy and more importantly my porter! I am one lucky, happy guy!!!
 
Get a Speidel. It's plastic. It has handles. Never worry again.
 
You may also want to think about replacing that carboy after this batch. After a drop like that chances are probably pretty good that there is some small stress fractures that will probably let go at the most inconvenient time.
 
heres-your-sign.jpg
 
Spiderman says everyone gets one - that's your one.

I'd still replace it after you rack out. It could be fine, but the moment you put any kind of stress on it (thermal or otherwise) you'll find out immediately if it isn't. Go get some milk crates and quit tempting fate.

(or, you know, get some BetterBottles and not worry about it again).
 
That could have ended badly in so many ways and i'm not talking about the beer. Stay safe.
 
A recent study says that cat owners are smarter than dog owners. Just tell people you were thinking ahead when you got that cat!
 
You doged a bullet. Now buy something that you can properly haul that carboy with and don't be so careless. ;)
 
As I was reading this thread I heard something strange next to my desk...look over to see my cat intently eating a dry leaf that came in through the door. Smart my ass :cross:
 
Didn't technically "drop" one (I sneezed while carrying it by the handle and it barely bumped the floor)....luckily, it just basically dropped the bottom out, and it was in my unfinished basement when we lived in MI, and the house had a few drains in the basement floor, so cleanup really wasn't bad.....just sad :( ....'twas an IPA iirc, my usual back then
 
The fabric multi-use grocery bags work OK...I've never had one break, but I usually support the bottom. (and I never use glass)
 
U R Very lucky!! My buddy dropped his Carboy full of Old Rasputin and sliced his arm wide open! His wife had to call 911 he missed 3 months of work. He still does not have all the feeling in his index finger. He is lucky his wife and I were there. To say the least he if scared to death of glass now. Everyone be carful with those glass carboys. I always use a carrier or where gloves and a thick coat. Very traumatic.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Seems like a bad place for a cat litter box even if it saved your bacon this time. +a billion on getting rid of that carboy. You may think it's still structurally sound, but if you're wrong, and it'll be costly.

Those things have a history of disintegrating after stresses like that.
 
No.

Because I'm careful. :cross:

In all seriousness, I've never dropped one, but I also use a Brew Hauler. I cringe and back far away every time I see someone lift a carboy by one of those tiny handles that go around the neck. I also primarily use buckets. The carboys are for long term aging, lagering, and souring, or when I'm out of buckets. So they don't get used as much.

Although I'm not about to switch to plastic from glass for those. If only because I don't trust a Better Bottle not to scratch if I have to get a brush in there.
 
Qhrumphf said:
No.

Because I'm careful. :cross:

In all seriousness, I've never dropped one, but I also use a Brew Hauler. I cringe and back far away every time I see someone lift a carboy by one of those tiny handles that go around the neck. I also primarily use buckets. The carboys are for long term aging, lagering, and souring, or when I'm out of buckets. So they don't get used as much.

Although I'm not about to switch from plastic to glass for those. If only because I don't trust a Better Bottle not to scratch if I have to get a brush in there.
Click to expand...

that's a legitimate concern. I own 10 better bottles, and I learned the hard way to NEVER use a brush on them. Clean right after racking with ample PBW mixture, soak, and for the uber stubborn spots I put a microfiber cloth in with 1 pint of strong, hot PBW solution. Guaranteed to get it clean...unless it's already scratched and the yeast/Krausen is clinging to a crevice.
 
jbaysurfer said:
that's a legitimate concern. I own 10 better bottles, and I learned the hard way to NEVER use a brush on them. Clean right after racking with ample PBW mixture, soak, and for the uber stubborn spots I put a microfiber cloth in with 1 pint of strong, hot PBW solution. Guaranteed to get it clean...unless it's already scratched and the yeast/Krausen is clinging to a crevice.
Click to expand...

Oh, with PBW and enough soaking time, I rarely (almost never) have to toss a carboy brush into my glass carboys. But I want to know that if I needed to, I could.
 
How would a milk crate of helped? I'm new and have 4 so I want in on this...


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
DougMedic said:
How would a milk crate of helped? I'm new and have 4 so I want in on this...


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
Click to expand...

You put the carboy in the crate and then transport the carboy around using the crate. That way you have something to grab while moving it around.
 
Ah, I obviously have smaller milk crates. (Not a metaphor for anything haha).


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
Fortunately, the litter box was in use at the time. Carboy would have definitely broken otherwise. Thank goodness for fluffy.
 
ktblunden said:
You got really lucky. Now go buy a Brew Hauler or a milk crate!
Click to expand...

Ive got both and both work very well. i personally like the milk crates. if you go the crate way get the over built thick ones. and for the love of all dont get a better bottle ive saw pics on here of how they deform over time. i cannot for some reason belive they are not leaching nasty **** into my brew. must be that every cupple years they change plastics and tell you not to use the old stuff. sorry not trying to start somthing here but i read where others post get a better bottle and your better off. i gotta tell you ive used glass for better then 20 years and never had a problem and then glass makers have never told me not to use the 20 year old glass.
 
I won't move a full carboy unless it is in a milk crate. Even then, I make sure the path from start to finish is clear of obstacles.
 
Gar said:
Ive got both and both work very well. i personally like the milk crates. if you go the crate way get the over built thick ones. and for the love of all dont get a better bottle ive saw pics on here of how they deform over time. i cannot for some reason belive they are not leaching nasty **** into my brew. must be that every cupple years they change plastics and tell you not to use the old stuff. sorry not trying to start somthing here but i read where others post get a better bottle and your better off. i gotta tell you ive used glass for better then 20 years and never had a problem and then glass makers have never told me not to use the 20 year old glass.
Click to expand...

This is uneducated. I've used Better Bottles for years and they don't deform unless you put liquid in them that is hotter then then 125F (even though they're rated to 140F). Even if you go above 125F, the distortion is minor. Go hot enough and glass will break too.

The leaching thing is also uneducated. This is from a glass user who admits he refuses to believe things that we can simply refer to science for the answers too.

For education on the subject rather then speculation go here:
http://www.better-bottle.com/technical.html
 
For education on the subject rather than speculation, go to the manufacturer's website where they swear their products are perfect in every way.

Admittedly they are pretty convincing.
 
moreb33rplz said:
For education on the subject rather than speculation, go to the manufacturer's website where they swear their products are perfect in every way.

Admittedly they are pretty convincing.
Click to expand...

If you can find all the pertinent information on the product anywhere else, I welcome the link. The manufacturer did a pretty good job of it because it knows how science minded brewers can be and that they'd ask questions about those things.

Also, it's convincing because it's technical data, not marketing copy.
 
I have been using my Better Bottles for 3 years. Unless you do something stupid, like filling with hot wort, they will not deform. I have never needed anything more than an Oxyclean soak rinse, swirl a cloth then rinse some more to clean.

I,, for one am not afraid of anything leaching out of the plastic. No science here, but I take the manufacturers word and the fact than maybe half or more brewers use plastic with no known ill effects.

I also feel glass is like playing Russian Roulette. If you use them long enough you are likely to have an accident. Bad luck will leave you scarred, disabled or worse. I read that there has been one death attributed to breaking a carboy.
 
kh54s10 said:
I have been using my Better Bottles for 3 years. Unless you do something stupid, like filling with hot wort, they will not deform. I have never needed anything more than an Oxyclean soak rinse, swirl a cloth then rinse some more to clean.

I,, for one am not afraid of anything leaching out of the plastic. No science here, but I take the manufacturers word and the fact than maybe half or more brewers use plastic with no known ill effects.

I also feel glass is like playing Russian Roulette. If you use them long enough you are likely to have an accident. Bad luck will leave you scarred, disabled or worse. I read that there has been one death attributed to breaking a carboy.
Click to expand...

Not doubting you here because given a severe enough cut in the wrong place when no one else is home, I could see it happening, but I'm curious to see a citation.
 
Silly analogy from the motorcycle world: there are two types of Bikers: those who have been down and those who are going down. I 've had two carboys break while moving them. I lost a batch in the dark after a long brew day when the brew hauler straps weren't properly aligned. The second was trying to drain one during cleanup by pouring it into a slop sink. It slipped a hair and cracked open like an egg. Both were bloody affairs that only required crazy glue and band aids. I felt lucky with the limited carnage. Each time could have been much worse.

I use buckets mostly now. Have one Carboy left that I handle with extreme caution.
 

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