[Erik_Mog]

Not the glass of beer....the glass for making beer. I was washing out my 6.5 gal carboy yesterday after transferring my Hefeweizen to a 5 gal one to let it sit on blood orange for a week or so. The carboy was wet, my hands were wet....you can see where this is going I bet. Anyway, I went to pick it up to empty it, it slipped out of my hands, hit the deck and rolled off. It caught the corner of a cinder block and went into several pieces. It made me realize real quick that if it had broken when it hit the deck, I would have been looking at some serious injuries. I don't want to risk not getting lucky the next time. Went today and picked up a 6.5 gal plastic bucket for primary, and a 5 gal bucket to use as a secondary for when I want to let it sit on fruit. I may still use my 5 gal glass carboy if I ever do anything that needs to age a long time before bottling, or may just get another 5 gal bucket.

Got luck this time, but I never have too much good luck. Better safe than sorry.
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[dls5492]

Obviously, safety has to be a priority. Which means you do what you are comfortable doing.
I have 2 glass carboys break because I had wet hands. Whenever I handle glass carboy now, I stop, check my hands. I also put the carboy in a large grain bucket. So if it breaks, it is self contained. I haven't had a problem since.
I am constantly urging my fellow club members to slow down, think safety, and constantly review your procedures. Home brewing is a great hobby. But, it not worth getting injured over.

[Erik_Mog]

Obviously, safety has to be a priority. Which means you do what you are comfortable doing.
I have 2 glass carboys break because I had wet hands. Whenever I handle glass carboy now, I stop, check my hands. I also put the carboy in a large grain bucket. So if it breaks, it is self contained. I haven't had a problem since.
I am constantly urging my fellow club members to slow down, think safety, and constantly review your procedures. Home brewing is a great hobby. But, it not worth getting injured over.

I understand what you are saying.  I probably could have gone slower and I KNOW I should have dried my hands and the carboy before picking it up.  It was definitely a preventable thing for sure.  I was careless and I got lucky.  I actually did consider a new glass one, but decided on the buckets from a cost standpoint as well as just not wanting to be worried about it happening again and not getting so lucky.  Brew is fun, and I have found it relaxing (actually brewing and reading all I can to learn as much as I can), even though it is a lot like cooking which I do for a living.  And you are right, it's not worth winding up in the hospital for. 

[erockrph]

I only have one glass carboy, and I rarely use it, but I wouldn't think of moving it without a brew hauler on it. I'd you're using glass, you really need to use some protection or you're taking your health in your hands.

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[tommymorris]

Speaking of safety, what do people do to avoid tripping on the tubing going from propane tank to burner? I have phobia of tripping on that and turning over my boiling kettle onto my feet and legs or me if I fall after tripping.

I try to remember to never step over that tubing but every now and then I catch myself having just done it.

[Stevie]

I put the tank in a spot that is out of the way behind my work space. This makes it inconvenient to go over.

[bondra76]

I was diehard glass until last year. Got a Speidel and I love it. Best plastic carboy out there.

I do keep glass for secondary. I siphon from secondary to keg. From primary to secondary I use the speidels spout. Has worked really well for me.


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[Lazy Ant Brewing]

Speaking of safety, I do BIAB so I'm never carrying hot water around that could be spilled. Cold water in and then wort cooled down to 80 F before it comes out.

[Erik_Mog]

I was diehard glass until last year. Got a Speidel and I love it. Best plastic carboy out there.

I do keep glass for secondary. I siphon from secondary to keg. From primary to secondary I use the speidels spout. Has worked really well for me.


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I looked at those yesterday and was going to get one.  I would have needed the 7.9 gal one since I am doing 5.5 gal batches, and it was just a little too tall to fit in my chest freezer.  The bucket is a little shorter than the 6.5 gal carboy, which only had .5" of clearance between the airlock and the freezer lid.  If it had fit, I would have come home with one of them.  I might eventually put a spigot on the bucket, but then I would probably be paranoid about leaks.

[JT]

I was diehard glass until last year. Got a Speidel and I love it. Best plastic carboy out there.

I do keep glass for secondary. I siphon from secondary to keg. From primary to secondary I use the speidels spout. Has worked really well for me.


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I looked at those yesterday and was going to get one.  I would have needed the 7.9 gal one since I am doing 5.5 gal batches, and it was just a little too tall to fit in my chest freezer.  The bucket is a little shorter than the 6.5 gal carboy, which only had .5" of clearance between the airlock and the freezer lid.  If it had fit, I would have come home with one of them.  I might eventually put a spigot on the bucket, but then I would probably be paranoid about leaks.

Another option is to build a cheap collar for your freezer.  They're handy to mount temp controllers an power strips to anyway.  Poor lighting in this pic, but you can see the difference.   

[ynotbrusum]

On the safety front - my wife gave me a set of the traffic cones.  Seriously.  I use them mostly in case visitors come while brewing, but also to cause me to step around trip hazards if I'm meandering while thinking about something else in the brew day. For example my 2 tier 3 keggle brew set up has a tongue on it for "trailering" to a neighbor's house for brewing (using a lawn tractor).  I used to trip on them but now I set the cone in front of it automatically each time I brew. Saves ankle bangs for sure...

[denny]

I'm slow....I had to break 3 carboys before I wised up and stopped using them.  Each time, I was comletely sober, had dry hands, and was conscious of being very careful.  But stuff happens.  I've found absolutely no dreabacks to using buckets and actually fond them easier tp cpean and to take up less room to store.

[bondra76]

Just make sure you account for the huge airlock on the Speidel if you do a collar.  The airlock itself is like 4-6 inches it seems like.


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[Erik_Mog]

I never thought about doing a collar on the freezer since I don't keg.  That would have worked.  Oh well, already bought the buckets so I will be using them for a while. 

[reverseapachemaster]

The only glass I use are 4l wine jugs. I've yet to have a problem with them which is likely only due to the built in handle and the tread on the bottom that keeps them from slipping when wet. Otherwise I am all plastic. Better Bottles and a bucket. Happy using either.