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Carboy...um...issues

B

bretski

Was getting ready to rack a batch to secondary...

IMG_4235.jpg


Yes, that's blood.  No, that wasn't one of my cheap carboys.  It was an antique Sparkletts bottle.

*sigh*
 
If the carboy was sanitized, at least your cut is clean.  ;)
 
^ Ha! 

I'm bummed about the loss, but remembered that I have one more old glass Sparkletts bottle stashed in the garage.  Off to find some bubble-wrap... ;)
 
The Brew Hauler - $12.99

Use less blood....

http://www.northernbrewer.com/ferment.html
 
Sorry to hear about your loss and I hope you are ok. Was it full of beer or were you cleaning it for the next batch? That reminds me that I need another one for a new carboy I inherited.

Cheers
Preston
 
It was being cleaned when the accident occurred.  Thank goodness no precious beer was lost!

The carboy fell maybe 4 inches...I was tipping it over to dump out bleach solution...so it was heavy.  Yeah, I probably should have had a handle on there, but I didn't.  Reminds me of the old mover's adage:  "Skin grows back, furniture doesn't."
 
DOH!  I'm glad you'll be ok and no beer was hurt in this movie!

Question?  Do you fill them all the way during sanitization? 

IMHO you need only a gallon or two of good strength sanitizer, then hold it by the neck and the bottle TIGHTLY, and swoosh it around for a minute or so. 

I would like those carboy haulers, but it is a catch 22.  carboys are already expensive, and putting anohter $13 into them after the thermometer sticker, stopper, airlock, etc seems to really add up. 

I do think I'll get some once my all grain equipment gets too big to schlep into the basement.  It is easier to carry two carboys than 10gal of wort in a keggle.
 
SOGOAK said:
DOH!  I'm glad you'll be ok and no beer was hurt in this movie!

Question?  Do you fill them all the way during sanitization? 

IMHO you need only a gallon or two of good strength sanitizer, then hold it by the neck and the bottle TIGHTLY, and swoosh it around for a minute or so. 

Yes, I fill them all the way for cleaning...I'm pretty anal-retentive when it comes to sanitation.  This one had been soaked in bleach overnight to clean out krausen and other dried-out gunk.
 
I'd like to hear other's comments about how much sanitizer they use in big empty vessel.  I used to fill it up and then use maybe a gallon of that for other tools, so most was wasted after emptying.  Then I saw a friend make a gallon in a milk jug and fill-n-slosh the vessel with that as SOGOAK said.  I also find it easier to control the excess foam, esp. if I remember to fill it the night before.  Empty it gently and you get little foam stuck in the neck.  While I'm mash/lauter/brewing, I lay it on its side and rotate quarter turns until time to fill with wort.  Then I gently pour that gallon into the sink with the other gallon.  Seems to do the job.
 
I usually only make up about a one gallon batch of sanitizer and use it clean everything after i am done with the carboy.  This helps to save sanitizer solution and makes for a much lighter carboy for handling during cleaning.

Any other comments?
 
You only need a couple of quarts to sanitize a carboy.  It simply has to coat the glass.

Beware, those carboy, "haulers" that fit on the neck of a carboy are NOT designed to carry the full weight of fully loaded carboy.  They are only to be used to carry empty carboys and stabilize a carboy as you dump its content.

Get a brew hauler to moce fully loaded carboys.
 
I use less than 1/2c. to sanitize my carboy's from a Spray bottle of StarSan. Once it is coated it goes towards sanitizing other utensils. Cleaning is a different story. Everything gets filled to the top with HOT water and OxyClean, including: Carboy's, Keg's, Beer equipment, and bottles.

StarSan Ain't cheep!

Cheers
Preston
 
I use Idophor.  I was using C-Bright because it came with my equipment, but it left a lot of chlorine smell.  My sense of smell is terrible so I figured If I could pick it up, there must be a lot.  There was Everything had a slippery bleachy feel.

I did some pretty extensive research on Iodophr as a no rinse.  Then I got a spare bucket and marked it for the 2.5 gallon size.  Then I put in the half cap of Idophor and I'm off to the races.  I usually was my instruments, racking gear, funnels, etc. Then I pour the sanitizer mix into the buckets, carboys, etc and swirl and swoosh.  Sometimes I toss a paper towel in the sanitizer bucket to use on the sides of the other buckets, the outside of hoses, etc.

My other strategy if you can call it one is to wash twice.  once after racking bottling, etc.  everything is put away clean and sanitized from that session.  Then I do another quick soak and rinse before use.

Maybe over kill, but I have had zero contamination or bottle bombs.
 
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