squirt in the turns
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 23/4/10
- Messages
- 281
- Reaction score
- 34
Some members of this forum are already familiar with this tale of implosion and heartache. One would think, after that experience, that I would have learned my lesson. Yes, I did re-read the title I gave that original thread and appreciate the irony.
Yesterday I was preparing a 5 litres of wort for a starter in an Erlenmeyer flask. As per usual there was a lid fashioned from foil. The difference on this occasion was that I added (no points for correct guesses)... a layer of cling wrap and a rubber band.
Why? Well, I was originally intending to test a minimal water usage method of chilling the flask that I thought up. The idea was to recirculate coolant (water) over the flask with a shower head, to cool it by losing heat through evaporation. Hence the cling wrap to prevent unsanitary coolant getting into the flask (which I supposed to be more effective than foil alone). Anyway, I didn't even get to testing this idea as I was running late and expecting the friends SWMBO and I were going to dinner with to show up any minute. Needless to say, in any case, the evaporative cooling idea has been shelved. I ended up just using a bag of ice to chill. As the temperature, and of course, pressure, in the flask dropped, the cling wrap sucked in nice and tight against the foil. In hindsight, this is a clue that warranted closer scrutiny.
So everyone's ready to go out, the wort's at the right temperature, I figure it'll take a minute to chuck the yeast in, and we'll be off. I pick the flask up out of the ice bath with the neck in my right hand, and support the base with my left. Next thing I know there is a pretty loud bang. I'm covered in wort. The garage, including the ceiling, is covered in wort. People are screaming in confused panic. 3 fingers on my left hand have not insignificant gashes in them. I consider myself pretty lucky that that was the extent of my injuries (physically, anyway). Most of glass fallout was contained in the bucket I was chilling in.
The potential for explosions in brewing is well known. The dangers of implosions, I feel, are discussed far too infrequently. Tell your children, fellow brewers: DO NOT CHILL IN SEALED CONTAINERS THAT ARE NOT DESIGNED TO BE FLEXIBLE! I made this mistake twice so that YOU DON'T HAVE TO!
PS: props to Damien13 for his mad bandaging skillz.
Yesterday I was preparing a 5 litres of wort for a starter in an Erlenmeyer flask. As per usual there was a lid fashioned from foil. The difference on this occasion was that I added (no points for correct guesses)... a layer of cling wrap and a rubber band.
Why? Well, I was originally intending to test a minimal water usage method of chilling the flask that I thought up. The idea was to recirculate coolant (water) over the flask with a shower head, to cool it by losing heat through evaporation. Hence the cling wrap to prevent unsanitary coolant getting into the flask (which I supposed to be more effective than foil alone). Anyway, I didn't even get to testing this idea as I was running late and expecting the friends SWMBO and I were going to dinner with to show up any minute. Needless to say, in any case, the evaporative cooling idea has been shelved. I ended up just using a bag of ice to chill. As the temperature, and of course, pressure, in the flask dropped, the cling wrap sucked in nice and tight against the foil. In hindsight, this is a clue that warranted closer scrutiny.
So everyone's ready to go out, the wort's at the right temperature, I figure it'll take a minute to chuck the yeast in, and we'll be off. I pick the flask up out of the ice bath with the neck in my right hand, and support the base with my left. Next thing I know there is a pretty loud bang. I'm covered in wort. The garage, including the ceiling, is covered in wort. People are screaming in confused panic. 3 fingers on my left hand have not insignificant gashes in them. I consider myself pretty lucky that that was the extent of my injuries (physically, anyway). Most of glass fallout was contained in the bucket I was chilling in.
The potential for explosions in brewing is well known. The dangers of implosions, I feel, are discussed far too infrequently. Tell your children, fellow brewers: DO NOT CHILL IN SEALED CONTAINERS THAT ARE NOT DESIGNED TO BE FLEXIBLE! I made this mistake twice so that YOU DON'T HAVE TO!
PS: props to Damien13 for his mad bandaging skillz.
