Broken Carboy

[winemanden]

We've all read at times about broken carboys. Here's what a really big break looks like.





50,000 litres of red wine lost at Darling Cellars in South Africa. What a loss!

 

[Michael T]

Any idea what could cause tanks to fail like that? Such a shame, but no use crying over spilled milk wine.

 

[Rice_Guy]

the tank that is being used is probably designed for 1.5 atmospheres pressure, possibly 2 atmospheres. I would check the pressure relief valve on it.
Back in college days one of the tanks imploded when being emptied because the pressure relief valve wasn’t functioning.

Any idea what could cause tanks to fail like that?

 

[winemanden]

Any idea what could cause tanks to fail like that? Such a shame, but no use crying over spilled milk wine.

From what I read, it was one of the legs supporting the tank that collapsed. However, the way that red wine is spraying into the air, it looks as though it could possibly be a pressure problem. Maybe it was a combination of the two. A head of 50,000 litres would be hard to hold back if there was a crack at the bottom of the tank when the leg broke.
Either way, it's a shame.

 

[stickman]

Those aren't pressure vessels, and there are no legs to fail, the tanks are just sitting on the raised concrete base. In the first video it looks like a manway failure, not sure about the cause.