How Do You Go About Picking up 14 1/2 Gallons of Wort?

Just wondering how everyone here goes about picking up their Keggle after the Sparge has finished. Ya see, I have a Gravity fed system that I AM IN LOVE WITH!!! Anywho, when my sparge is done, my keggle is on the ground. So, I then need to pick the keggle up for my Boil so that once the Boil is over I can Gravity feed the wort into the Fermenters. I was just wondering how my friends here at HBT went about this...

I know that Northern Tool has a hydraulic table that will lift the keggle for me. But damn, it's expensive...

I just get the ol' wife to do it. She's about 6'5", 250 lbs. j/k

My gravity system is 3-tier, with lowest tier off the ground enough to allow for gravity feeding my fermenters (photo in gallery). So, other than raising your whole system and adding a 3rd tier... have you thought about using "the force"? I saw a guy in a movie lift a whole X-wing fighter out of a swamp with it.

lift with your legs.



that's about it! o'course, i am 6'1, 275 and can lift my fair share. this advice isn't much good for the smaller brewers

Berserker_Brew said:

lift with your legs.



that's about it! o'course, i am 6'1, 275 and can lift my fair share. this advice isn't much good for the smaller brewers

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I have been lifting with my legs. What I do now is have my wife right next to me just in case, but I lift to a small ladder, then I lift to the tier, and then I lift the Keggle up and have SWMBO'd slide the Burner under the keg. Works, but I really want a 1 person Brewery.

As far as adding another tier to my Brewery, not possible. It just barely fits as it is in the basement for Winter brewing as it is.

you could use something like this 1200 LB. CABLE PULLER
with a pulley system.

get a pump and keep the kettle on the burrner and pump the wort from the mashtund to the kettle you will love it even more if you have a pump and dont have to kill your self with that kinda weight

clayton_ross said:

get a pump and keep the kettle on the burrner and pump the wort from the mashtund to the kettle you will love it even more if you have a pump and dont have to kill your self with that kinda weight

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Will a pump work with a Cooler set up? I use a Coleman Extreme Cooler as my Mash Tun.

Engine hoist, I suppose.



A self-priming food-grade pump is more generally useful and compact, but an engine hoist will pick up the load - just make lifting points on the keggle and connect them with a sturdy chain you can hook the engine hoist to.

That is about 116# you will need some help, a pump, a derrick, or a different set up.

I use a 3 tier that keeps me from lifting heavy pots. Heavy pots full of hot liquid can be quite dangerous. (I have a big scald on my leg to prove it).

A well designed gravity system would have the HLT and MLT up high enough that you could run into the kettle while it's already on the burner. Can you make some modifications?

How about putting the keggle on the burner, sparging into a bucket, and then pouring the bucket into the keggle. You will have an extra bucket to clean, but it's better than straining your back, and you could start the boil a bit earlier.

-a.

For past brews I've just bribed friends over with the promise of homebrew. No way I'm lifting a keggle with 11 gallons of boiling hot wort by myself, especially not high enough to gravity feed into a fermenter. Even with help, I usually end the brew day with a sore back. That's why I just ordered a march pump and QD's today :rockin:

Ecnerwal said:

Engine hoist, I suppose.

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I use that for force carbing... Easier to shake a full corny when it is already being held up by one of those....

Get a pump, its the best.

A boat winch is your friend:

RLinNH said:

How Do You Go About Picking up 14 1/2 Gallons of Wort?

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I know it's been said...

With a pump.

My back hurts just thinking about it.

Another shameful (or is that shameless? I guess it depends if we're talking about the list of 100 things a "man should be able to do".) +1 to a pump.

I tried doing a couple 10 gal batches without, and I just can't do it. I'm pretty weak and pretty out of shape, and as it stands with 5 gallon batches, I still ache and ache for at least 48 hours after brewing....

So until I spring for my pump, I just do 5g's at a time. I know that's not the answer you were lookin' for. But, like Brewsmith, my back hurts just trying to THINK about picking up a full keggle.

+1 also to the idea of sparging into buckets, and pouring them into the keggle when it's already been set where you want it. I know it's not as glamorous of a solution... but it could save you a bulged disc and a very painful recovery.

I've used a small block & tackle. You do need something tall enough & strong enough to handle the weight. I was brewing in a carport that had a 4x8 supporting the roof. I just looped some 1/2" line over the beam and tied the end to one of the blocks.

By the way, this is a great way to get a lot of dirt in your brew, if you don't clean the beam first.