On 2/22/2004 4:23 PM, Nick Ruchalski wrote:

> As I was flushing a sanitized carboy down in my basement in prep for a
> rack it slipped a bit. The concrete floor's eyes widened, but I
> latched on tightly and finished the draining. It got me to thinking
> what would happen if I dropped it.
>
> Do they shatter into a million pieces, split into a few sections, or
> just bounce?

Depends on how hard you hit 'em. I just broke two of them when the
pallet dolly that I was transporting them on slammed into an immovable
object. Two of them slammed into each other and they split into a few
sections. In the interest of full disclosure, the carboys were
probably 40+ years old.

Steve

"Nick Ruchalski" > wrote in message
...
> As I was flushing a sanitized carboy down in my basement in prep for a
> rack it slipped a bit. The concrete floor's eyes widened, but I
> latched on tightly and finished the draining. It got me to thinking
> what would happen if I dropped it.
>
> Do they shatter into a million pieces, split into a few sections, or
> just bounce?

"Bounce"? Yeah, right. In your _dreams_!
(I'm assuming a glass carboy. The plastic ones do bounce.)

Carboys are not tempered glass, so they don't shatter into a million pieces.
They break into a number of large pieces and lots of small pieces - all of
which are razor sharp and guaranteed to cut you if you try to clean them up
by hand.

Tom S

Nick - I've broken two of them over the years. One was full of new wine. I
gently set it off my two wheel cart and heard a sort of click. Then all of
the wine poured over the cellar floor...what a mess not to mention loss of a
years work. The second slipped out of my hands while I was washing it.
Broke into many pieces including one that bounced up and cut my hand sending
me to the ER for six stiches. Best to be careful with these.

Bill Frazier
Olathe, Kansas

"Nick Ruchalski" > wrote in message
...
> As I was flushing a sanitized carboy down in my basement in prep for a
> rack it slipped a bit. The concrete floor's eyes widened, but I
> latched on tightly and finished the draining. It got me to thinking
> what would happen if I dropped it.
>
> Do they shatter into a million pieces, split into a few sections, or
> just bounce?

I brke one a couple of weeks ago and just got the stiches out of my
arm... The break into large peaces that can do serious damage to
you... They also leave small, very sharp pieces all over the place.


Later,
A.J. Rawls
Anchorage, Alaska, USA

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 16:23:11 -0500, Nick Ruchalski
> wrote:

>As I was flushing a sanitized carboy down in my basement in prep for a
>rack it slipped a bit. The concrete floor's eyes widened, but I
>latched on tightly and finished the draining. It got me to thinking
>what would happen if I dropped it.
>
>Do they shatter into a million pieces, split into a few sections, or
>just bounce?

Over many years I have never had one break into pieces on me. But I have
been "lucky" in that I have had two that developed "cracks" in the glass
when the impacted with something and I then racked off into different
containers and dumped the damaged ones in the local recycling depot. I have
been speared by a couple of breaking bottles though and had stitches in my
hand and felt lucky it wasn't worse. I was so glad when I got my floor
corker!!!!!!

Handling the 23+ litre glass carboys is always a risky business though and I
have been lucky a few times when cleaning them out and they have slipped. It
is bound to happen one day although I am always careful when handling them.
Very dangerous objects! I do believe that the most dangerous time is when
they are being washed and sanitised and tend to be much more slippy. When
they are full they are difficult to move anyway and one is perforce much
more circumspect in their handling

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire, England
Remove "PSANTISPAM" from my address line to reply.
All outgoing mail is scanned by Norton
Anti Virus for your protection too!
"Nick Ruchalski" > wrote in message
...
> As I was flushing a sanitized carboy down in my basement in prep for a
> rack it slipped a bit. The concrete floor's eyes widened, but I
> latched on tightly and finished the draining. It got me to thinking
> what would happen if I dropped it.
>
> Do they shatter into a million pieces, split into a few sections, or
> just bounce?

"Pinky" wrote:

>Handling the 23+ litre glass carboys is always a risky business though and I
>have been lucky a few times when cleaning them out and they have slipped. It
>is bound to happen one day although I am always careful when handling them.
>Very dangerous objects! I do believe that the most dangerous time is when
>they are being washed and sanitised and tend to be much more slippy. When
>they are full they are difficult to move anyway and one is perforce much
>more circumspect in their handling

The slippery when wet, and heavy when full, bits have made me switch to
a new method. Also, I damaged my wrist when twisting a full carboy
around to empty it once (SWMBO won't let me forget it).

I now siphon most of the cleaner / sanitiser out before I pick it up.
Being only 1/5 full makes a big difference in the weight, and makes it
much easier to handle. Also, I rinse the outside off well, so that it's
just wet - not slippery with cleaner; I also rinse hands well as I use
chlorine as sanitiser and it makes your hands slippery (that being your
skin turning into soap

Since much of the time the siphon hose needs sanitising at the same
time, it might as well get it inside the carboy (leaving a bit sticking
out!). I then hold a thumb over the end and pull it half out, which
starts a siphon.

Nick Ruchalski wrote:

>...Tipping a
>full carboy is where I almost lost it. Maybe in the future, I'll just
>fill up half way and spend a little time with a brush.

See above!

>Also, I suppose it's time to spring a few dollars and get the carboy
>handle.

YMMV, but I got a couple of those and they just seemed to get in the
way. See if you can borrow one from another brewer first, you might find
the same thing. And I've got small hands for a bloke, but still find it
easier to grab the neck of the carboy myself than use that damned
handle.
--
Ross McKay, WebAware Pty Ltd
"The lawn could stand another mowing; funny, I don't even care"
- Elvis Costello

Just re read this and realised that "slippy" should be "slippery". I
wondered why the spellchecker didn't like it the first time! And now it is
suddenly obvious!

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire, England
Remove "PSANTISPAM" from my address line to reply.
All outgoing mail is scanned by Norton
Anti Virus for your protection too!
"Pinky" > wrote in message
...
<snip><snip>
> they are being washed and sanitised and tend to be much more slippy. When
> they are full they are difficult to move anyway and one is perforce much
> more circumspect in their handling

> > just bounce?
>
>

Pinky wrote:

> Just re read this and realised that "slippy" should be "slippery". I
> wondered why the spellchecker didn't like it the first time! And now it is
> suddenly obvious!
>
I like "slippy" better. Time for a new word in the English Language. Maybe
it could be defined as similir to slippery or sloppery but pertaining to
winemaking.

Nick Ruchalski wrote:
> On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 16:01:28 GMT, "Pinky"
> > wrote:
>
>
>>Over many years I have never had one break into pieces on me. But I have
>>been "lucky" in that I have had two that developed "cracks" in the glass
>>when the impacted with something and I then racked off into different
>>containers and dumped the damaged ones in the local recycling depot. I have
>>been speared by a couple of breaking bottles though and had stitches in my
>>hand and felt lucky it wasn't worse. I was so glad when I got my floor
>>corker!!!!!!
>>
>>Handling the 23+ litre glass carboys is always a risky business though and I
>>have been lucky a few times when cleaning them out and they have slipped. It
>>is bound to happen one day although I am always careful when handling them.
>>Very dangerous objects! I do believe that the most dangerous time is when
>>they are being washed and sanitised and tend to be much more slippy. When
>>they are full they are difficult to move anyway and one is perforce much
>>more circumspect in their handling
>
>
> Certainly much more serious business than my original light-hearted
> approach that started this thread. I may change my current sanitizing
> method in the interest of safety.
>
> I usually put in a tbsp of BTF and then fill a 5 or 6 gal. carboy to
> the top, wait 10 minutes and then empty, rinse and empty. Tipping a
> full carboy is where I almost lost it. Maybe in the future, I'll just
> fill up half way and spend a little time with a brush.
>
> Also, I suppose it's time to spring a few dollars and get the carboy
> handle.
>
> I consider myself well warned.
>

Nick, Have you thought about using a siphon to bring down the level
before picking it up? I use my auto siphon when I fill my carboy's up
to that level.

In article >,
William Frazier > wrote:
>Nick - I've broken two of them over the years. One was full of new wine. I
>gently set it off my two wheel cart and heard a sort of click. Then all of
>the wine poured over the cellar floor...what a mess not to mention loss of a
>years work. The second slipped out of my hands while I was washing it.
>Broke into many pieces including one that bounced up and cut my hand sending
>me to the ER for six stiches. Best to be careful with these.

I've also had the bottom just plain drop off of one as I was carrying
it. Seems to me that that one was a cleaner break. At least it was
beer, so only a few weeks attachment

But I think you just answered my question on how long to wait to bottle.



hawk
--
Richard E. Hawkins, Asst. Prof. of Economics /"\ ASCII ribbon campaign
111 Hiller (814) 375-4846 \ / against HTML mail
These opinions will not be those of X and postings.
Penn State until it pays my retainer. / \

In article >,
A.J. Rawls > wrote:
>I brke one a couple of weeks ago and just got the stiches out of my
>arm... The break into large peaces that can do serious damage to
>you... They also leave small, very sharp pieces all over the place.

Now you're scaring me. Maybe I should stick to beer.

Only one ER trip from that (OK, 2, but that's only if you count my
looking at the people in the first ER and fleeing . Someone threw a
cheap green canadian beer bottle in with my good american longnecks (bad
beer; great bottle), and I felt sensations I should have--more surprise
than pain.

My wife ordered me to get a kegging kit.

It cost less than the stitches.

hawk
--
Richard E. Hawkins, Asst. Prof. of Economics /"\ ASCII ribbon campaign
111 Hiller (814) 375-4846 \ / against HTML mail
These opinions will not be those of X and postings.
Penn State until it pays my retainer. / \

Dr. Richard E. Hawkins wrote:

> I've also had the bottom just plain drop off of one as I was carrying
> it. Seems to me that that one was a cleaner break. At least it was
> beer, so only a few weeks attachment

I've had that happen... I had an old carboy with a large chipped lip,
and as I was moving it to the garbage outside I dinged it off the wall.
Most of it shattered into long, sharp shards, but the bottom sheared off
and stayed whole. Luckily enough it was empty.

--
charles

"Once ... in the wilds of Afghanistan, I lost my corkscrew, and we were
forced to live on nothing but food and water for days."
- W.C. Fields

In article >,
Charles H > wrote:
>Dr. Richard E. Hawkins wrote:

>> I've also had the bottom just plain drop off of one as I was carrying
>> it. Seems to me that that one was a cleaner break. At least it was
>> beer, so only a few weeks attachment

>I've had that happen... I had an old carboy with a large chipped lip,
>and as I was moving it to the garbage outside I dinged it off the wall.
>Most of it shattered into long, sharp shards, but the bottom sheared off
>and stayed whole. Luckily enough it was empty.

Annoying, isn't it?

Mine was full of beer, but did it without any impact.

hawk
--
Richard E. Hawkins, Asst. Prof. of Economics /"\ ASCII ribbon campaign
111 Hiller (814) 375-4846 \ / against HTML mail
These opinions will not be those of X and postings.
Penn State until it pays my retainer. / \

Dr. Richard E. Hawkins wrote:

> In article >,
> Charles H > wrote:
> >Dr. Richard E. Hawkins wrote:
>
> >> I've also had the bottom just plain drop off of one as I was carrying
> >> it. Seems to me that that one was a cleaner break. At least it was
> >> beer, so only a few weeks attachment
>
> >I've had that happen... I had an old carboy with a large chipped lip,
> >and as I was moving it to the garbage outside I dinged it off the wall.
> >Most of it shattered into long, sharp shards, but the bottom sheared off
> >and stayed whole. Luckily enough it was empty.
>
> Annoying, isn't it?
>
> Mine was full of beer, but did it without any impact.

Yeah, it does. I also broke a 54L demijohn in my bath while washing it
one day... that was full of water... quite the site to see it burst.

--
charles

"Once ... in the wilds of Afghanistan, I lost my corkscrew, and we were
forced to live on nothing but food and water for days."
- W.C. Fields

Tom S wrote:

> "Nick Ruchalski" > wrote in message
> ...
> > As I was flushing a sanitized carboy down in my basement in prep for a
> > rack it slipped a bit. The concrete floor's eyes widened, but I
> > latched on tightly and finished the draining. It got me to thinking
> > what would happen if I dropped it.
> >
> > Do they shatter into a million pieces, split into a few sections, or
> > just bounce?
>
> "Bounce"? Yeah, right. In your _dreams_!
> (I'm assuming a glass carboy. The plastic ones do bounce.)
>
> Carboys are not tempered glass, so they don't shatter into a million pieces.
> They break into a number of large pieces and lots of small pieces - all of
> which are razor sharp and guaranteed to cut you if you try to clean them up
> by hand.
>
> Tom S

Is there any diffrence in the taist of the wine when useing glass or plastic?


--
Richard The Blind Typer
Lets Hear It For Talking Computers.

"richard e white" > wrote in message
...
> Is there any diffrence in the taist of the wine when useing glass or
plastic?

Maybe not in for short term storage, but glass or stainless steel are
preferrable for long term because they are not oxygen permeable.

Tom S