Blichmann "Do Not Move" warning

Hey guys,

My 30gal Blichmann BK has a warning on it about moving the kettle when it's full. Specifically, don't do it.

Is that because it's just heavy and dangerous or because the handles can't handle the weight? I noticed they weren't riveted through the sidewall like some of my other pots' handles.

I can't really get around moving the kettle when it's full as I have to brew outside but I have no desire to chill outside. Still using an IC. (Yes it works fine.) Just wondering if I'm asking for trouble. The moving of the kettle so far has been uneventful.

Must likely due to the threaded posts the handles are bolted on to are just welded on. I haven't heard of anyones handles breaking off, but I can see the reasoning behind the warning.

Not sure how many gallons you are brewing a batch, but I assume around 20? I would most certianly be carefull moving that much wort in a Blichmann.

how could you even lift 20 gallons of hot wort? Lifting and manipulating a pot with 3-5 gals is hard enough!

20 gallons is 160 pounds, plus you have the weight of the kettle. I'm with everyone else, can you physically move this around? Perhaps you were planning a winch or something?

ajwillys said:

20 gallons is 160 pounds, plus you have the weight of the kettle. I'm with everyone else, can you physically move this around? Perhaps you were planning a winch or something?

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That's what I was thinking! I can barely lift 5 gallons, especially of hot boiling wort. I'm guessing that the warning is there because 30 gallons of wort would weigh approximately 240 pounds. I think they are saying that their handles aren't designed to lift that much. (I realize it's 30 gallons right to the top, so you wouldn't do a 30 gallon batch in it, but I'm sure that Blichmann has to go by the capacity).

Get yourself a dolly from HD or Lowes and save yourself and your back alot of trouble.


Plus they are GREAT for when you decide to move all your rooms around...just use come-alongs to help hold the bigger stuff and you could technically single-handedly move a couch or refrigerator

I have a 10 gallon and it has the same warning. I also assume it is because there just isn't much metal holding the handles on. I'm not sure why they don't go all the way through. With a thermometer, sight glass, and ball valve it's not like the interior of the kettle is totally smooth anyway.

I lift it everytime I use it. Never with boiling water/wort though, only at my dough-in temp. I refuse to have that big poof of dust happen inside my house, so I carry just outside to dough-in. I would never have bought it if I knew you couldn't lift it.

I e-mailed John Blichmann about that very question. He said it was for liability reasons and left it at that.

how could you even lift 20 gallons of hot wort? Lifting and manipulating a pot with 3-5 gals is hard enough!

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There is more than one of us.

Get yourself a dolly from HD or Lowes and save yourself and your back alot of trouble.

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We have stairs in the way. :\

I'm guessing that the warning is there because 30 gallons of wort would weigh approximately 240 pounds. I think they are saying that their handles aren't designed to lift that much.

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That's what I am afraid of. But post boil I only have 15 gallons plus hop goop etc. (Haven't tried a 20 gal batch yet.) So maybe ~130 lbs? 65 lbs on each handle. Can they "handle" it?

Thought again about cooling outside? You can hook that IC up to your hose....

I am getting ready break my keggle in, and I have no desire to move even 11 gallons. I'll be gravity draining right off of the burner through a CFC into my fermentors. Which will remain 5g vessels, and I'll move those around.

RegionalChaos said:

Thought again about cooling outside? You can hook that IC up to your hose....

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It's already hooked up to a hose. :\ the hose comes in the front door and out the back window.

Is it really okay to cool outside? Aren't there bacteria and wild yeast outside? I would love to cool outside, if only I weren't so concerned that my beer would be contaminated.

Other people cooling outside with an IC? Maybe I have totally missed something here. I have even been turning fans off and closing doors to minimize air flow.

rurounikitsune said:

It's already hooked up to a hose. :\ the hose comes in the front door and out the back window.

Is it really okay to cool outside? Aren't there bacteria and wild yeast outside? I would love to cool outside, if only I weren't so concerned that my beer would be contaminated.

Other people cooling outside with an IC? Maybe I have totally missed something here. I have even been turning fans off and closing doors to minimize air flow.

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I think you worry too much.

If you are concerned you can insert the chiller and use some very wide aluminum foil as a temporary lid to keep stuff from getting into the wort as you chill.

If you stir as you chill, just leave a hole large enough for your spoon so you can stir.

I think it'd be a LOT safer to chill inside, rather than carrying 130 pounds of boiling wort around!

Seriously, chill outside. There are probably more germs in your kitchen than in your backyard anyway.

ok, ok, I'll chill out

rurounikitsune said:

ok, ok, I'll chill out

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literally

Great_Neck_Brewer said:

I e-mailed John Blichmann about that very question. He said it was for liability reasons and left it at that.

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I can imagine that there are some pretty serious liability issues regarding 20 gallons of 150 degree liquid...

Other people cooling outside with an IC?

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Every single batch.

SpanishCastleAle said:

Every single batch.

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ditto! who in their right mind wants a third degree burn? or even a 1st degree? That chit is hot.

schmagy said:

ditto! who in their right mind wants a third degree burn? or even a 1st degree? That chit is hot.

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Scars are really cool though....

rurounikitsune said:

We have stairs in the way. :\

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http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/material-handling/hand-trucks-dollies/hand-trucks-steel/industrial-strength-steel-hand-truck-curved-handle-with-stair-climbers?utm_source=nextag&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Hand-Trucks-Steel-nextag&infoParam.campaignId=WI

But then again...I chill outside

I would think there is less bacteria in the air outside, or at least the same. Unless you have sophisticated filters going all the time inside.

I am sure the warning is mostly to cover their end if someone spills 20+gal of near boiling liquid on them. And I wouldn't take the chance. Also carrying the pot would increase the amount of bacteria that could possibly be exposed to the beer.

I imagine the warning is because they didn't have someone check that the bolts or weld is strong enough to hold that weight. Honestly, that's not all that much weight for steel joints if they are done correctly. Being a mechanical engineer, if you send me a picture along with some dimensions of the handles, I can tell you approximately how much the handles should be able to... handle.

If they're bolts, give me bolt size and a picture.

If it's a weld, give me the weld length and a picture.

I'll do my best to see if I can give you a ballpark. Then when you spill 15 gallons of boiling wort on yourself, you can sue me. =/

There are more beer spoiling bacteria in a kitchen than outside, and it is not even close.

acetic and lactic acid producing bacteria are common in kitchens and not outside generally.

Worst threat outside is wild yeast, and that really depends on where you are (are there lots of fruit trees around?).

Either way, once your wort has started to cool you can cover it. I cover at 140 and have never had a problem from that (DMS production is super low at 140 and even if it is being produced, there is not any steam production left to evolve it). You can do a notch in the lid or whatever but I just use aluminum foil (wide roll from costco easily covers my keggle).

Note that an open kettle with a plate or CFC chiller is not foolproof as you need some time at near boiling temperatures to sanitize. Bacteria that landed on 190 F wort and then were chilled to 60 F a few seconds later are probably going to survive.

remilard said:

There are more beer spoiling bacteria in a kitchen than outside, and it is not even close.

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Yeah... a lot of people are warning me about kitchens in this thread... it makes me glad I have never chilled in my kitchen...

Worst threat outside is wild yeast, and that really depends on where you are (are there lots of fruit trees around?).

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Yes, and we just planted more.

Either way, once your wort has started to cool you can cover it.

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This sounds cool, I can get to 140 in no time.