Well, Im done with glass carboys!

[J-Pizzel]

Started brewing at 7am, made a big ol' stout with an OG of 1.123! And then the glass carboy broke. 6 hours down the drain along with 6 gallons of dreams and hopes. Uggghhhh what a kick in the nuts...

 

[Glynn]

sorry for your loss

 

[J-Pizzel]

sorry for your loss

thanks, much appreciated!

 

[krackin]

That's a real drag. I just took delivery of 2 7.9 gallon Speidel plastic fermenters. I'm not trusting glass carboys so much anymore and I'm very careful with them.

 

[Glynn]

Glass carboys are nice. I've had the same glass carboys for 20 yrs and never had one break, even when i smacked a full one into a concrete step.( said a few hail marys that day ) I dont know if the ones they make now are thinner then the one made back in my day but i have carried them all over buy the neck handle for years until i saw the first picture of someone shredded by one. now milk carton are my best friend

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

sorry for your loss, you are in my thoughts. I think the cons out weigh the pros when it comes to glass carboys. How did your carboy die?

 

[emjay]

Condolences. How did it die?

 

[cooldood]

 

[Cathedral]

What'd you do to piss off the beer gods? You should be thankful they weren't so angry as to demand blood.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

I bought Brew Haulers for both my 5 and 6 gallon glass carboys. Much easier to get them around safely. Some folks use plastic milk crates.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

I won't use the brew haulers.I had one where the threads came loose and I almost had a huge accident.

 

[krackin]

I do use milk crates which is borderline absurd considering the options and consequences. The Speidels look good, got one in cleaner now. I'll get some stainless steel fermenters next.

 

[govner1]

Yet another vote for Better Bottles!!

 

[ross_daly]

to ask you an odd question - what kind of countertop do you have? I've been seeing a lot of shattered glass and granite countertop correlation lately. I witnessed one myself a few weeks back. I'm glad you weren't hurt.

 

[krackin]

Glass is incredibly clean and very effective as a container. When glass fails, it is utterly and complete failure.

 

[whoaru99]

I do use milk crates which is borderline absurd considering the options and consequences.

I have the opposite view. Not using a milk crate with glass carboy is absurd regardless of what other options are around.

That said, they probably should at least be made out of tempered glass. At least then if it broke you'd mostly likey just have a big mess of beer and pile of small glass pieces rather than a big mess and large, razor sharp shards of glass.

 

[krackin]

I have the opposite view. Not using a milk crate with glass carboy is absurd regardless of what other options are around.

You missed the point entirely. Plastic fermenters and stainless steel fermenters are the options. Mayhap you believe plastic crates are the answer, I find them to be a patch on a bandaid.

 

[whoaru99]

You missed the point entirely. Plastic fermenters and stainless steel fermenters are the options. Mayhap you believe plastic crates are the answer, I find them to be a patch on a bandaid.

I completely understood your point, but I think you missed mine.

Mine is if you're using a glass carboy then you're stupid for not using a milk crate. This is irrespective of any other options because you're (apparently) not using those other options.

 

[krackin]

I completely understood your point, but I think you missed mine.

Mine is if you're using a glass carboy then you're stupid for not using a milk crate. This is irrespective of any other options because you're (apparently) not using those other options.

Got ya. It's always best to use the best available option for any given circumstance even if it isn't the best we would strive for in the future. Brew on.

 

[stevehardt]

OP...that suuuucks! Sorry about your loss!

 

[buzzno]

Glass carboys are nice. I've had the same glass carboys for 20 yrs and never had one break, even when i smacked a full one into a concrete step.( said a few hail marys that day ) I dont know if the ones they make now are thinner then the one made back in my day but i have carried them all over buy the neck handle for years until i saw the first picture of someone shredded by one. now milk carton are my best friend

This! I love my glass carboys. I use milk crates as well and haven't had an issue yet.

 

[kh54s10]

This! I love my glass carboys. I use milk crates as well and haven't had an issue yet.

This is the key word!

OP: Sorry for your loss.

Yet another example of the best reason to use plastic or stainless steel.

Someone suggested tempered glass so you would only lose beer, not blood. Good idea but I would bet then you would be in the price range of stainless steel and s.s. won't break!

 

[MaxStout]

I like my glass, but never use the carboy handles. Too much weight carried by something that is side-loaded on the neck. I'm afraid those things will snap the neck off. I have a Brew Hauler for one and a crate for the other. Not taking chances on having an incident that will, at best, cost me a batch of beer, and at worst, cut me to shreds.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

Brew Haulers fail!!!! Use a milk crate or pick up the carboy with your arms

 

[Dynachrome]

Started brewing at 7am, made a big ol' stout with an OG of 1.123! And then the glass carboy broke. 6 hours down the drain along with 6 gallons of dreams and hopes. Uggghhhh what a kick in the nuts...

Could you tell what caused it to break?

 

[CRZ]

Just curious, was your carboy made in Italy or Mexico? I heard the Mexico made ones have thinner glass and break far more easier.

 

[J-Pizzel]

Sorry guys, been at work. It broke when it slipped in my hands, and slid down the edge of my swamp cooler and into 6 inches of water. It only slid approx 8 inches or so, kind of a uncontrolled slide or descent. I didn't take pics cause I really don't want to remember it, but I'll get a pic of the carboy in the recycling tomorrow. No clue where the carboy was from it was a 7.5 gallon with a pretty blue tint to it if that made a difference.

 

[Polboy]

Sorry man, thats a lot of high gravity wort to lost
I like my glass, have 12 carboys. I started with buckets but now i use them for grain storage and ferment in glass carboys only. I tired haulers and milk crates but didnt like it and now i just hold my 6.5gal carboy very tight and take it on the trip from garage-up the stairs-down the stairs in to my magic fermentation machine. I broke one so far but it was empty on the floor and i steeped on it walking backwards

 

[bja]

This! I love my glass carboys. I use milk crates as well and haven't had an issue yet.

This is the key word!

The problem with this statement is that you're assuming that everyone who uses carboys are equally careless and will sooner or later break one.

 

[buzzno]

The problem with this statement is that you're assuming that everyone who uses carboys are equally careless and will sooner or later break one.

Exactly. I am so very careful when handling mine. Clear the path, always use milk crates and never carry a full one by the handle.

Sorry for your loss OP. I'm just glad you're OK.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

The problem with this statement is that you're assuming that everyone who uses carboys are equally careless and will sooner or later break one.

Odds are very good that you will break one, Mr. Two Hands on the Steering Wheel at All Times

 

[bja]

Odds are very good that you will break one, Mr. Two Hands on the Steering Wheel at All Times

Odds might be good that YOU will break one...

Stating that everyone will break one is a bit presumptuous. All you need to do is pay attention to what you're doing and what's happening around you. If you can't do that, then yes, you should stick with plastic.

 

[joelrapp]

Which Christmas Story quote to go with...."YOU USED UP ALL THE GLUE!!!" or "Somewhere in the distance I could hear the sound of taps playing softly."

 

[arborman]

Glass carboys should be outlawed!

 

[arborman]

Odds might be good that YOU will break one... Stating that everyone will break one is a bit presumptuous. All you need to do is pay attention to what you're doing and what's happening around you. If you can't do that, then yes, you should stick with plastic.

This statement is a joke, right?

 

[JustLooking]

Glass carboys should be outlawed!

This statement is a joke, right?

This poster's a troll, right?

 

[Homercidal]

Almost there...

 

[bja]

Glass carboys should be outlawed!

Along that line of thinking, turkey fryers should be banned so people don't burn their house down. Cars should be banned so people don't crash them. Beer should be banned so people don't get drunk and post stupid things like arborman just did.

 

[Tomcat0304]

Glass carboys should be outlawed!

Then only outlaws will have glass carboys...

 

[buzzno]

Wasn't this just supposed to be a memorial for the OP's lost beer?