First starter = broken erlenmeyer flask. Any suggestions?

[storeboughtcheeseburgers]

I don't think it is directly Wiltronics fault.. I have had good service from them anyway. Not having a go at the OP in any sense, but I think I paid $15 for my 2 Litre, and I understood it is probably not the best craftsmanship but figured the amount I'll be using it, will be fine if care is taken.

Glass needs to breathe, I'm generally pretty cautious mixing temperatures in glassware at any point.. generally with my flask I just get it to a gentle boil and boil longer and let it cool down. Glass can smash with time and morphs/expands with time just like the gherkin building in London which needed panels to be replaced due to temperature fluctuations and glass type.

I heard on abc radio once that someones entire aquarium just burst into shards for no reason at all, and this was the reasoning given by the presenter. Thats probably a much bigger predicament than a cheap flask!

See if there is a science shop in the area like others have recommended, I didn't think of that but its probably your best bet No need to cry over spilt milk/wort/beer.. well maybe beer

 

[Eagleburger]

My 15 month old son dropped, from 300mm, a 2L schott conical onto a rough screed shed floor. No breakage. I have seen lesser flasks break just by looking at them. For a starter, HDPE would be my first choice, second would be PET, glass flask and stirrer? way down the list..

Both can be capped and shaken before pitching to introduce O2. After CO2 production has started, O2 would have to be injected, so little benefit from stirring.

 

[Yob]

There's no O2 in CO2?

 

[Black Devil Dog]

The simple fact of using them to boil liquid in made me want to have the best available.

Saving a few bucks by buying cheap glass products to boil liquid in didn't seem as important to me as minimising the risk of dousing my feet, or those of my family, or my dogs, in 100deg boiling hot wort.

 

[Eagleburger]

There's no O2 in CO2?

No O=O in O=C=O

 

[Yob]

2 oxygen bonded to 1 carbon...

Unless I'm thinking of another CO2..

 

[GalBrew]

Hmm. I would have thought they'd be designed to handle that. I wonder what the "normal" way to heat them is, in a lab or whatever. A ring support, or support from the neck, or a heating plate or something?

On an electric hot plate/stir plate combo. Can't remember the last time I saw a naked flame in a lab.

 

[Spiesy]

On an electric hot plate/stir plate combo. Can't remember the last time I saw a naked flame in a lab.

Bunsen burner?

 

[GalBrew]

Bunsen burner?

Only to flame things, never to heat.

 

[Black n Tan]

I feel your loss. All I can advise is that your LHBS is more likely to be reasonable when this type of situation happens. Grain and Grape replaced mine when it inexplicably broke after some months. It was quality german glassware, although they seem to be stocking more of the keg king stuff these days which can be of variable quality. That said I have had a keg king erlenmeyer for some time also and although thicker (which I am not sure is desirable) has lasted more than a year of good use. If G&G decide not to stock quality flasks furthermore, I will give Full Pint a go as they are selling quality flasks.

 

[GalBrew]

Gotta say though, I have 2x 5L Keg King conical flasks which I have used on my gas stove for 2 years now. I dunk them hot straight into a sink full of cold water (as you should be able to) with no problems.

 

[stux]

Schott-Duran here (now)

Straight from flame to water bath, no problems.

But I also never shake the flask to make the stir bar hit the side. The closest I come is to swirl the contents to resuspend after decanting

 

[solipsist]

Or homebrew shop, of course.

Just ordered a 3L Schott Duran from Full Pint. Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[lael]

2 5L and 1 3L jet king here. From flame to water frequently. Normally 3-5mins wait for easier handling. Then shake with one hand at the top and one on the bottom, shaken vigorously. Never an issue yet. The bottoms are a little convex, but work great so far.

 

[CosmicBertie]

I always use cold water in my flasks. To which I add the DME, yeast nutrient and foam stopper. The flasks are lowered slowly onto the gas hob, with the flame turned right down, then its full power. Once its boiling, I reduce the heat to a less aggressive boil.

After boiling, the flask is slowly lowered into cold tap water. And then left to chill.

I too have experienced the dreaded 'plink' of the flask cracking, and the above procedure has served me well since.

 

[Eagleburger]

I priced some HD 5 L jobs for work today. 300 odd dollars :blink: std boro was 80$.

 

[tzensguitars]

Hi.

I was having a go at a starter for the first time and managed to break a flask. Hopefully someone can tell me where I went wrong. And maybe recommend a better brand flask.

I boiled the wort last night (150g LDME in 1500ml water) in the erlenmeyer flask, with a foil lid in place. I let it cool overnight, and pitched liquid Wyeast 1056 this morning. Gave it a good shake with the foil lid in place, and went to work. When I got home the starter looked good - it looked like fermentation was well under way. I picked up the flask, gave it a good shake for a few seconds, and watched the foam on top grow and start to rise up to the foil lid. As I was doing that, the bottom of the flask broke out.

That was completely unexpected and luckily I was over a bowl to catch the starter (now down the sink). I not only lost the flask but also $10+ worth of yeast and malt so it's bloody annoying. There are some photos attached.

Did I do something wrong? Should I have removed the foil lid before shaking? I cant imagine there was much pressure, and I would have thought that the foil lid would have popped off before the flask broke.

The flask was the Glacier brand from Wiltronics (http://www.wiltronics.com.au/catalogue/108861/science/flasks/erlenmeyer-flask-gg17-borosilicate)

Does anyone have a better place to get a 2L Erlenmeyer?

Thanks.

I brew qld, has them 2ltr for 10 bucks