# Cracks, chips, stress lines in glass carboys



## jody (Nov 9, 2012)

I had a carboy with stress lines from lifting it with the handles. I used it for a while after the stress cracks surfaced but got nervous and threw it away.

Today I put a small crack in another one when I knocked it over, it was empty at the time. After racking my batch of white wine to it, I got nervous and decided to transfer to another carboy.

Does anyone have experience using carboys when they are damaged. I assume there are risks involved. Just curious if other people chance it and use damaged carboys?


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## robie (Nov 9, 2012)

jody said:


> I had a carboy with stress lines from lifting it with the handles. I used it for a while after the stress cracks surfaced but got nervous and threw it away.
> 
> Today I put a small crack in another one when I knocked it over, it was empty at the time. After racking my batch of white wine to it, I got nervous and decided to transfer to another carboy.
> 
> Does anyone have experience using carboys when they are damaged. I assume there are risks involved. Just curious if other people chance it and use damaged carboys?



They can be dangerous when cracked, especially when they are heavy and filled with wine. A brew carries can help take the strain off the glass. They are a netting made of heavy nylon-type cord. You lift the carboy by handles on the netting. Just be very careful.


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## joea132 (Nov 9, 2012)

If would certainly be a shame to lose 5 gallons of wine or beer because of damage to a carboy that you knew about. I wouldn't want to take the chance and know that I had prior knowledge before it wasted 5 gallons! Be careful moving carboys around, they are pretty resilient but I wouldn't trust a cracked one.


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## BobF (Nov 9, 2012)

Are damaged carboys really that common?


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## jody (Nov 9, 2012)

The carboy has just a small tiny crack, its like in the shape of a letter W and a letter V. Looks like this: WV. And it is like an inch long and 1/2 inch high. I am not sure if it goes all the way through but when I scratch my fingernail across it I feel something there. I just hate to see a carboy go to waste, seeing that they are $36.15 and $3.33 for the ribbon thermometer. I guess piece of mind is worth that much. I would hate to clean up the mess a broken one caused.

I bought a 6gal betterbottle for $26 with the bung which may be better for an accident prone guy like myself. I do prefer the glass though.

Thanks for the replies.


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## vacuumpumpman (Nov 9, 2012)

I think you made the right move by getting rid of any carboys that have a crack in them. I never lift full carboys anymore in fear that I may drop it or pull my back out - I even set hem down on a vinyl surface floor and cloth between so they can touch each other.


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## Tom_S (Nov 9, 2012)

One morning my wife went to move one of my 1 gallon jugs full of wine, and the entire bottom broke out of it in almost a perfect circle. There didn't appear to be any indication that it was damaged, cracked, or about to fail. So if you have a crack in your carboy, I'd say that it's best to stop using it for wine. Fill it half full of dirt and make a terrarium out of it, but don't risk losing 5 gallons of wine.

Luckily in my case it wasn't red wine that went all over our kitchen counter and onto the dining room carpet. Also luckily we have a carpet shampooer which we were able to get the mess cleaned up very quickly so it didn't smell like wine in our house.


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## Thig (Nov 10, 2012)

Seems I read that the handle that fits around the neck is meant to help stabilize the carboy when picked up, it was not meant to be picked up by just this handle.


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## Pumpkinman (Nov 10, 2012)

Ugh! I had Carboy bursting nightmares!


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