Topping up the Carboy

[sour_grapes]

Yes, I know about glass. You said "I have noticed." Have you in fact observed problems with cleaning carboys with hot water? I have not.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Yes, I know about glass. You said "I have noticed." Have you in fact observed problems with cleaning carboys with hot water? I have not.

Yes I did break one personally using Hot water - The entire bottom cracked and fell into the washtub.

 

[sour_grapes]

Well that sucks! Hope it never happens to me!

 

[GaDawg]

I’ve been using the head space eliminates for two years without an issue.

 

[mainshipfred]

My intention is not to doubt the comments of others but this hot water cracking is a little hard to accept. We put glassware in our dishwashers all the time that immediately gets blasted with hot water. Commerial dishwashers have preheat cycles to get the water even hotter prior to washing. When baking a cake you are putting a glass baking pan on a metal rack at over 350 degrees. I believe the cracking discussed had to come from a pre existing condition.

 

[pillswoj]

I also have had a carboy break from hot water, it is very real. Have also had glasses break in the dishwasher for no reason, typically when they are older. Glass baking pans are a special glass to resist heat stress - pyrex etc.

 

[Doug’s wines]

Fred, Search for info on Glass thermal shock. Pretty well understood issue. Also feel free to search for threads on breaking carboys, but be prepared for the pictures like those in this thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/broken-glass-carboy-horror-stories-compendium.376523/

And here’s a video showing a carboy test from freezing to boiling:


Your glass baking pan is tempered and designed to withstand those temp variances, however I had those break on me as well when sat down on a cool surface (granite). I haven’t yet found any evidence or info on carboy manufacturing process, but I am looking if anyone as good links.

I use glass and plastic carboys so I’m not making a case for one over the other, just suggesting that people should understand the risks and use the materials for appropriate purposes. I also hope you are using your glass carboys under pressure and temperature variance with full understanding of the potential risks that thermal shock, cyclic fatigue or other pressure / temperature changes bring with a glass vessel like a carboy.

 

[malfrune]

My intention is not to doubt the comments of others but this hot water cracking is a little hard to accept. We put glassware in our dishwashers all the time that immediately gets blasted with hot water. Commerial dishwashers have preheat cycles to get the water even hotter prior to washing. When baking a cake you are putting a glass baking pan on a metal rack at over 350 degrees. I believe the cracking discussed had to come from a pre existing condition.

Cookware is a different type of glass; Pyrex or borosilicate glass isn't as susceptible to cracking from heat as normal glass but can still break if it's extreme enough. If you want to try it take a wine bottle and alternate running under a hot tap and dunking it in a bowl of ice water, it'll eventually break. Or take that cookware out of the oven and set it on some cold water you didn't notice was on the counter. I ruined dinner one night that way, whole dish split.

 

[GaDawg]

Cookware is a different type of glass; Pyrex or borosilicate glass isn't as susceptible to cracking from heat as normal glass but can still break if it's extreme enough.

Pyrex taken out of a hot oven and placed in a puddle of cold water will break in a hart beat!

 

[mainshipfred]

But these are all extremes. The carboy test was done with a frozen carboy, you all are right about the pyrex and it's temperature characteristics but it is also brittle. If a carboy is cleaned after use I would think it would be at a 70+/- degree range. Hot tap water is probably more like 110 - 120 max. Personally I'll take my chances in washing my carboys with hot/warm water. I feel the detergents work better.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

It is the temperature change difference - if in a dish washer and the water is warming up - then it would be more of a gradual process rather than a temperature shock difference.

I also have alot of respect for glass carboys like other things in my life that I take precautionary measures with.

For glass carboys - my personal precautionary measures are -

Never lift a full carboy
never wash or rinse my carboys with a large temperature difference
Always keep your empty carboys and hands dry while moving carboys
Use the carboy handles and use your other free hand by holding the bottom of the carboy at the same time
I like to keep the carboy in a milk crate - to make it easier to move and to protect them from hitting each other
Never put it directly on a concrete floor - always put a mat or an insulator to protect the bottom of the carboy
Check glass carboys for cracks and defects prior to using them.
Make sure you are wearing proper attire

I know that it seem to be alot of precautionary measures -

Once you start using these procedures it just becomes automatic to you.

 

[pgentile]

I have glass carboys ranging from new to water cooler(great bear) 20+ years old. All of them get hit with water ranging from cold(winter time straight from tap) to room temp to hot water heater hot, have most more than 4 years. Luckily I have had no losses to date. Probably on borrowed time.

 

[BigMac]

There is zero probability that the crack was caused by the headspace eliminator.
I have been making wine for 35 years and always have at least 20 carboys on the go.
In this time I had two carboys crack on me.
But I know why.
They "touched" the basement floor a little too hard.
But it was not apparent immediately.
Its like a ding in your windshield, it takes a while for it to form a crack and work its way across the windshield.
The crack didn't start because I sneezed in my car.
Tell your friend to use handles for his carboys.
Be gentle with the carboys.
And hey, every once in a while **** happens.
Don't blame the guy who just changed your oil when your brakes go the next day.
OK, I'm done.
cheers.

 

[Kiazer]

Just had a friend end up with a broken carboy that was just sitting under pressure using the headspace eliminator. Anyone else have this happen to them? The carboy developed a leak at the base and when he found it, he tried to move the carboy. The bottom fell off and he lost a whole batch of almost ready amarone.

Odds are he had a microscopic fracture