Glass Carboy Injury Poll

Why do I feel like something bad is going to happen when I transfer a Tripel later this week.

 

Never been injured by a carboy, needles to say I will now on my next batch.

 

I voted for northern brewer hops. Thanks.

Wait, wrong poll. Damn.

 

Out of convenience I mostly use buckets unless I need the extra room during multiple brew days, or if I'm aging something for a few months.

Having read some horror stories on hbt I still clean my glass carboy by filling it half way with oxiclean solution and shaking the hell out of it while cradling it in my arms. I figure it's only dangerous if I drop it. However, if it ever broke and I survived I probably wouldn't buy another one.

 

Never had any issues with glass carboys. I use brew haulers, and I try to wear gloves when moving carboys around.

I did have a growler mysteriously explode on me once, but the only injury was to my soul...the growler was full of Hill Farmstead Society and Solitude #7.

 

I've yet to use glass as a fermentation vessel but plan on getting some big mouth carboys this holiday season. I've done 30+ batches pretty much all in buckets. Are buckets easy to clean? Yes. Am I making micro scratches as I clean them after every batch begging wild yeast and bacteria to take residence ? Probably. Is using buckets over and over again starting to worry me from a sanitation standpoint? Yes. I understand the risks that go along with these large glass jugs and can't wait to clean the krausen off one of these bad boys with something real abrasive that I could never use on a plastic bucket.

 

Downside of "traditional" carboys is they suck ass at trying to clean them. I have some brushes, and a keg cleaner that pumps cleaner in them and it's pretty much easy as hell now. If you wait around and get dried on krausen that is what sucks.

 

I have one glass carboy. I do use it sometimes, but I'm terrified when I do. I'm currently working on expanding my collection of buckets.

 

My only criticism, and it is a small one, is that you are not going to reach anybody who got hurt badly, who then sold off the rest of his equipment and found another hobby.

As a long time motorcyclist, I know people who have gotten hurt badly and with only one exception, they got out of motorcycling and found another hobby. And I only see them outside of motorcycle related events now.

The one exception was a former racer, who still rides, only exclusively on the street now.

 

I've been cut by glass beer bottles quite a few times...

 

Really? A poll? Seems like you are taking this farther than it needs to go. Can't we vote about stouts instead?

 

This whole glass carboy discussion is going off the rails. The fact is that if a glass carboy breaks, the potential to cause serious injury is great. In fact, I'd wager that shards are created nearly 100% of the time when they do break. How often they break isn't particularly quantifiable, in a useful way, especially with a small sampling from this site.

Anyway, it's a simple issue. Either you believe the risk of injury is too great, or not.

I still use glass, but sparingly. I am concerned about injury, so I am very careful with them.

 

I would use glass if i had it, maybe a petition to northern brewer to start making a safety glass fermentor if it is that big of an issue. i have done far more dangerous things then use glass carboys; like go outside in my neighborhood after dark. and drive on the snow

 

every time you vote, you vote for AMERICA, USA USA USA

 

I have never been cut by a glass carboy. However, the liquid fermented in them has caused quite a few injuries.

 

“The fact is that if a glass carboy breaks, the potential to cause serious injury is great.”

In Systems Engineering a ‘tool’ called a Risk Matrix is used the qualify risk. If the severity of an event is significant (great injury requiring a trip to the emergency room) then even if the probability of occurrence is low there is a high risk. Below is an example of this Risk Matrix. For the combination of the probability of a carboy breaking being unlikely but the severity being significant then the risk is considered to be high. If you chose to assess that the probability of a carboy breaking is possible then the risk is extreme.

Cheers!

 

I just google searched images using "Broken Carboy Injury." Some fairly grisly looking cut hands and feet and one guy with his leg immobilized showed up in the search. Of course, all the people who were killed by broken carboys were unavailable for a selfie.

Worth noting: there was one broken Better Bottle. And... a Vikeman avatar!

 

I used glass carboys for about a year. But I got tired of the weight hauling them around and the potential for injury of course. So I have switched to better bottles. I've been using them for several years now. No issues with them at all.

Cheers!

 

There was an article in Zymurgy a few years back that included the story about/from the guy who almost lost his arm/hand. At a big brew a guy bumped his as he was sanitizing, and was left holding the neck. He had a small nick that bled, and was lucky.

It is a real risk. I have milk crates to move the carboys with, and protect the sides. There is a SS conical and plastic buckets that get the most use as primaries. Some wrap some packing tape around their carboys to minimize shrapnel.

Edit - I think the article was the "Stupid Homebrewing Tricks" by Chris Frey, July/August 2008.

 

You're talking to the wrong guy. I voted for Russian Imperial Stout in the former poll, and my three favorite types of IPA are, in order of preference, English, Belgian, and Scottish, which is like English, but with a touch of peated malt and almost no hops.

 

I voted RIS too. USA USA USA

 

sounds like a new poll: culture of fear= sanitize everything 3-4 times, timer... reckless bravado= every beer is wild yeast and you dont even wash your hands, mold in the bottle, yeah why not rack on it

 

Because I don't think it is necessary to demonstrate that glass is fragile and fragments are sharp. Anyone whose ever been to a playground learned this. And because I wish I never butted into the age-old debate of glass vs. plastic. It's like a bad drug. It does no good for me, but I have problems saying "no."

 

you hit the nail on the head.
the world of health and safety, the most dangerous act is typically carried out by the guy who has never experienced the negatives.
as in...
I never wear safety glasses when I use power tools and I still have my eyes, so it must be safe.
I always stand on the top step of the ladder, haven't fallen off yet.
I never wear my seat belt and I never get in an accident.
etc. Not experiencing a sliced artery does not mean a glass carboy will not slice your artery.

there is a safer method to carry a carboy than just picking it up by the neck. I would be interested to know the data from a larger pool than our community.
Cheers.

 

we have all done more risky things than carry a glass carboy. drinking too much beer for instance. sharing needles with a prostitute. what?

staying indoors all the time is not practical. handling glass safely is not a burden.
Cheers

 

You missed one choice.

I have used glass carboys, and I broke one, but luckily was not cut by it.

So I picked the closed one to that. Used them but never cut by one.

How about burn poll? I have a few scars for that question.

 

I agree, I broke one of my glass carboys with a very minimal bump. I felt it was terrifying since my children were around and its ridiculous anything happened but thankfully no one got hurt. I have since used PET and enjoy tossing them around all willy nilly and storing them on top of hard things on their side

 

Gladly I have used glass carboys before 1 gallon , but never broke one. Quickly I switch to 6G plastic carboy and finally to 6.5 G buckets and I love it.

 

Welcome to the land of Fear Mongering!

 

Lots of details about injuries from broken carboys here (with plenty of links for more information):http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/broken-glass-carboy-horror-stories-compendium-376523/

Needless to say but these folks are not likely to respond to a BA poll but the information is out there none the less.

Cheers!

 

I do not think Rich will respond to the poll but:

wanted to share a recent mishap with my fellow homebrewers. This isn't meant to be an argument against glass or for plastic it's merely a story To remind people to take an extra measure of caution when dealing with glass.

I started brewing in 1992 and Brewed pretty consistently until about 2003 when I moved out of town to a much smaller place. With the lack of space and time I pretty much stopped brewing at that point.

A few weeks ago I decided I need to start brewing again so I rebuilt my system and brewed my first batch in almost 10 years. Yesterday was time to rack my first batch. I unpacked my 5 gallon carboys and began washing them in the sink. While giving it a final rinse with Sanitizer it slipped from my hands and smashed. A large fragment sliced open my arm. While compressing my wound I had the wherewithal to make it out of the house and to neighbors house where she called 911.

The glass fragment caused two lacerations in my arm, one severing a tendon and cutting into the muscle. A handful of stitches were required to reattach the muscle and 12 stitches to seal up the external lacerations.

The first thing I did when I got home last night was to go online and order plastic replacements for all my glass.

Although I still feel that glass is better for fermentation, after last night's incident I don't feel comfortable using it anymore.

On a brighter note my beer was unaffected although racking it in the next week or so will present a challenge.

So if you're going to stick with glass please please be careful.

Rich”

Cheers!

 

this with a little dose of game theory, is why the decision to use BB is panstakingly obvious (to me, of course).

 

I went to a local chemical supply/safety supply company and bought a pair of extremely strong/durable chemical/heat/cut resistant gloves to use for brewing and cleaning. I'll try to find a link to the exact pari and post it back here...

The outside texture and material is VERY well suited to gripping glass and other surfaces, even when wet/slicked with water or sanitizer. Not to mention they are VERY thick and resistant to cuts/sharp edges. They are also full sleaved gloves- so they protect me all the way up to my shoulders.

They were $20.00 bucks and constructed to last a lifetime; I've used them for about 6 years and they are just as they were the day I bought them.

I would recommend buying a pair; (Even if you don't use glass fermenters- they have many uses in brewing and outside of brewing), $20.00 bucks in prevention/safety is priceless IMO. Always better to be safe than sorry.

I mainly use cylindroconical fermenters these days, but when I brew a lot or have a lot aging for extended periods of time- I still roll out the glass carboys.

A good pair of gloves and proper brew clothing is wise for many, many reasons!

 

I made mention of better bottle in my post on the other thread:

I have read too many horror stories about homebrewers getting nasty gashes from glass carboys breaking. I would strongly recommend that a plastic bucket be used for primary fermentation. If long term storage (a.k.a. secondary fermentation) is absolutely needed, then a better bottle is a safer option.

Cheers!