Us Glass Fermenters - Where Can I Get One?

[newguy]

Yup, the handles are safe on a full carboy. Most people will usually cradle the thing with their other hand but I've seen many full carboys moved by the handle alone - safely.

Sammus: the grooves usually extend to the inside, where they are actually recesses. They're a little tougher to clean, but not impossible. A good brush is a necessity.

 

[Sammus]

well whatever they are, I've never noticed them cause any trouble whatsoever.

I agree though, smooth ones look nicer.

 

[Thunderlips]

Regarding handles...

I like the look of this thing.


http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/Pr...spx?ProdID=6028

 

[brendo]

Regarding handles...

I like the look of this thing.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/Pr...spx?ProdID=6028

They get mentioned semi-regularly on Basic Brewing Radio - seem to get good wraps...

Brendo

 

[fraser_john]

I have both the grooved ones and the smooth ones. They clean out great with napisan or caustic. I use them for all sorts of things including long term storage (2-3months whilst waiting for fridge space) of fermented beer once it has been fined.

And yes, they are dangerous, I dropped one in my basement in Ohio once and it was a mess, but fortunately I had boots on, so no personal damage. The glass they are made of seems to be more brittle than bottle glass and it creates large and tiny shards! It took several efforts of vacuuming after it all dried to get all the shards collected.

Regardless of any danger I continue to use them and they are great.

I use one of the screw clamp type handles on my largest carboy. Wish I had handles for the smaller ones though.

Pictured is the handle I use, less than US$7 and it works great! Have not seen them for sale here, but have to admit I have not looked!

John

 

[pdilley]

Now now, I've always used glass, need to lighten up on scare tactics. Same rules apply as handling a glass bottle of any sauce from your cupboard.. glass breaks when you drop it or it strikes a hard surface with enough force.


Carboys come with a special carboy handle that is rubber coated and grips against the glass and is places over the mouth of the bottle. I used them exclusively overseas. Since moving back I've thought more about having lifting issues and went with the demijohns with plastic basket. Built in handles on either side and makes it easier when you get someone to life large volumes to have the handles placed that far apart.

The Mexico glass plant shut down, so it seems only ones from Italy are still available.

Either way, I'm all for glass. Even brewing small test batches in wine bottles. If its glass, and you can fit a bung in it with an airlock its all good in my book


Building up my glass collection again.
2 - 34 liters
1 - 25 liter
4 - 5 liters

First an only plastic is a 30'ish for bottling/beer primary which I'm evaluating as I keep brewing. I might add one more plastic for evaluation, a large bucket for primary for doing mead for the first week then rack into glass for the long haul bulk aging.

Demijohns less pretty but more functional. You can snap off the top plastic webbing if you want to see the top half exposed glass.
IMAGE OF GLASSWARE]

PS Demijohn glass is thin in parts so same handling applies.

I don't have an image of the carboy brush I use but a big long bottle brush with L shaped end.

 

[seravitae]

Another reason leading to smashed carboys is because people don't lift them properly. There's too much pressure to lift them up by the neck. If you absolutely must move a full carboy, slide it horizontal off a surface and support the full weight from underneath.

Also for extra paranoia, if you can deal a bit of uglyness, run some good electrical tape around your carboy. If it smashes the tape helps to preserve the shape instead of sending glass flying everywhere. Even better, if you can find some huge heatshrink, slide it around the bottle and whack a hairdryer on it.

You guys are lucky that you're just lifting beer and not carboys full of concentrated sulfuric acid like i do...

 

[warrenlw63]

Try milk crates (hint they have handles) folks. The perfect, cheap (if not free ) ready made solution. Carboy fits perfectly.

Pictured is the handle I use, less than US$7 and it works great! Have not seen them for sale here, but have to admit I have not looked!

Edit: FJ pretty certain that G&G stock them. IIRC ReVox told me. :unsure:

Warren -


Warren -

 

[QldKev]

Regarding handles...

I like the look of this thing.
View attachment 25687

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/Pr...spx?ProdID=6028

OMFG; thats a weird G-string

QldKev

 

[kabooby]

I use this type.

The basket makes it easier to move around and it also protects the fermenter from those accidental bumps on the side of the fridge

Kabooby

 

[pdilley]

That last one is what a demijohn looks like btw.

I've gone off carboys because they're rather hard to find in any decent sizes in my area whereas the demijohns imported from Italy are all over the place.

 

[jonocarroll]

For the people who were considering PET or polycarb for one of these; I was led to believe that these glass carboys were pretty well advised for secondary fermentation... can't exactly remember why, but I'm sure Palmer insists on glass. Perhaps just for lagering - oxygen permeation or something.

Just throwing that out there... and trying to get to 500 posts legitimately h34r:

 

[newguy]

Another reason leading to smashed carboys is because people don't lift them properly. There's too much pressure to lift them up by the neck. If you absolutely must move a full carboy, slide it horizontal off a surface and support the full weight from underneath.

You can lift a full one by the neck alone with the use of a carboy handle (there was a picture earlier - the plastic coated metal thing). I've done it, and every other brewer around here does it. No breakage - no issues.

 

[fraser_john]

Try milk crates (hint they have handles) folks. The perfect, cheap (if not free ) ready made solution. Carboy fits perfectly.



Edit: FJ pretty certain that G&G stock them. IIRC ReVox told me. :unsure:

Warren -


Warren -

They sure do $10.95, ReVox was not leading you astray! Might be time to get a few handles for my four 23 litre carboys that do not have handles, they make it far easier to carry and wash!

John

 

[samhighley]

A lot of the folks in the USA use milk crates to carry their glass carboys, so I can attest to this being a viable method of transportation.

 

[pdilley]

Another consideration is dollies are not expensive and those that cost more can include a crank/lifting mechanism. A standard dolly will slide under a mill crate and wheel about the place easily. Any money spent is offset against any back issues in future: pain, medicine, operations, quality-of-life if your back is weak or your getting wise in the tooth a good consideration.

 

[Batz]

I went off them after this happened around 7 years back.
Luckly I still have all my toes.



Batz

 

[captaincleanoff]

where can I find a rubber bung that would fit these? I actually have a 5L erlenmeyer flask, for which I am wanting to find a rubber bung

 

[Pumpy]

I went off them after this happened around 7 years back.
Luckly I still have all my toes.

View attachment 25701

Batz

Agreed they are the most teriffying things to move around considering something so breakable contains 23 kilo of liquid in them .

plus I hate syphoning things Yucky Sucky Slober in the beer


Pumpy

 

[Sunshine_Brewer]

Agreed they are the most teriffying things to move around considering something so breakable contains 23 kilo of liquid in them .

plus I hate syphoning things Yucky Sucky Slober in the beer


Pumpy

but we get to see yeasties in action pumpy, many minutes of entertainment.