17 replies to this topic

[OhioMurb]

Broke my second ^#^#(@ erlenmeyer flask so i made my starter in a glass growler. What I like about the flask is that I can throw it on the stove and boil the starter without transferring to another container so...Can I boil my starter wort in a glass growler directly on the stove?

[cavman]

Broke my second ^#^#(@ erlenmeyer flask so i made my starter in a glass growler. What I like about the flask is that I can throw it on the stove and boil the starter without transferring to another container so...Can I boil my starter wort in a glass growler directly on the stove?

I would not reccomend that.

[johnpreuss]

Use a sauce pan, its more work but safe

[shaggaroo]

Erlenmeyers are Pyrex which is why they can go directly on the stove... growlers are made of soft glass and are not made for the heat extremes of a stove... don't do it.

[BlKtRe]

So in other words, using a flask on the stove doesn't work well and at the very least risky. Which is why I stopped doing it.

[shaggaroo]

No, the Erlenmeyer flask CAN take the heat extreme... I use mine on my gas burner stove all the time and then plunge it into an ice bath when I'm done boiling... try that with a growler and it won't be pretty and in fact could be deadly when it explodes

[BlKtRe]

No, the Erlenmeyer flask CAN take the heat extreme... I use mine on my gas burner stove all the time and then plunge it into an ice bath when I'm done boiling... try that with a growler and it won't be pretty and in fact could be deadly when it explodes

For awhile. People break these things on electric coils all the time (not recommended). The little metal ring isn't safe either. People break Pyrex and Erlenmeyer on gas stoves as well. Haven't read about it for awhile but in years past lots of people were breaking these on gas. Plus going from heat to cold to chill the starter wort people were reporting cracking these things.

[shaggaroo]

For awhile. People break these things on electric coils all the time (not recommended). The little metal ring isn't safe either. People break Pyrex and Erlenmeyer on gas stoves as well. Haven't read about it for awhile but in years past lots of people were breaking these on gas. Plus going from heat to cold to chill the starter wort people were reporting cracking these things.

all I know is what works for me *knock on wood*

[Murphy]

Do not put a growl directly onto a heat source as it will crack or explode on you.Do not heat shock pyrex as it can crack or explode (so no stove to ice bath). Borosilicate glass has very high temp tolerance but is not a big fan of thermal shock, it will do better than other types of glass but it too can crack/break/etcIn the lab I have shattered pyrex by doing this very thing, came out uninjured

[MyaCullen]

you can double boil that growler perhaps

[shaggaroo]

Do not put a growl directly onto a heat source as it will crack or explode on you.Do not heat shock pyrex as it can crack or explode (so no stove to ice bath). Borosilicate glass has very high temp tolerance but is not a big fan of thermal shock, it will do better than other types of glass but it too can crack/break/etcIn the lab I have shattered pyrex by doing this very thing, came out uninjured

so you're telling me I've been lucky all this time?

[Murphy]

so you're telling me I've been lucky all this time?

I don't know if I would say lucky but with all of the continued stress being placed on the glass it will break at some point. All I can say is it scared the crap out of me when I cracked pyrex at work, didn't explode but instead had long line cracks radiating in several directions from one central location.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I boil my starters in a pot, let it rest for a little while with a sanitized lid on. Then put the whole thing in the sink with some ice. Made a 0.5 gal starter last night.Cheers,Rich

[BlKtRe]

so you're telling me I've been lucky all this time?

No, just saying be careful because it can happen is all.

[MyaCullen]

probably safer to have an intermediate cooling bath of warm water before the ice water

[denny]

So in other words, using a flask on the stove doesn't work well and at the very least risky. Which is why I stopped doing it.

+ eleventy billion

[Buzz Buzzard]

Pyrex or borosilicate is heat tolerant due a VERY low thermal expansion rate.Unlike most solids it does not expand much at all as heated.Note the much at all.If you create enough expansion on the bottom or cool a particular section for that matter so that stress is induced in to the structure from this expansion / contraction, it will crack / break / explode.Plain old glass high in iron will expand quite a bit.If it is heated unevenly this hot section will attempt to expand faster than the cool section and crack bam boom.

Edited by Buzz Buzzard, 18 May 2012 - 10:33 AM.