pulley hoist system for carboys

There's a guy at my gym that's in his 60s and can deadlift over 500 pounds. He would disagree with you.

If you develop back trouble, you aren't lifting said heavy objects properly

 

After holding many manual labor jobs including several years of warehouse experience I can tell you that you can't always use proper lifting techniques. To add, this thread was started because the OP was concerned with lifting carboys in and out of a chest freezer, there is no way to properly do that.

 

This is the dumbest comment in this thread. . . I don't think much under a hundred pounds is heavy. . .I'm a big dumb farm kid, lifting has never been an issue. Use your legs, keep your back straight, no twisting. . .it's not rocket science. Full carboys are a joke. . .full sankes are more like work. Improper lifting can hurt you, proper lifting, within your strength, it's just good for you. . .

As far a lifting out out a chest freezer, I bend at the waist, lift straight up with my arms, then basically do a straight leg dead lift. No unhealthy strain. I'm 6'1" and can reach the bottom of a chest freezer no problem.

 

I find an 80 lb bag of concrete quite difficult.
I'm 5'8", 54 years, and 170lbs and I can't reach the bottom of my chest freezer. My waist is below the top of the freezer...

might be dumbest comment as far as you are concerned, ...but that may not apply to everyone else. just sayin'

 

I am a former bodybuilder and I am having a harder and harder time moving full 6.5 gal carboys around. However, I lift them over a 10" collar in my chest freezer. I have a solid step stool I lift them on first. I then stand on the stool and lift them on the collar (it is like 2" thick). I then carefully lower them with one hand hanging down. I obviously have one of those carboy handles. Taking them out is the reverse.

I actually was just thinking I need to get back on the weights if I want to keep this carboy handling up.

I am intrigued about fermenting in kegs though. I have a lot of extra kegs so this might be something to look into.

 

I'm kinda short (5'6") so I had the same problem with having to really reach to get to the bottom of the chest freezer. I don't have any problems just carrying the carbon, but I would always have a sore back after lifting one in or out of the chest freezer. So I built a frame on wheels that rolls over the freezer and added a cheap harbor freight winch...

 

This^^^

I in my younger years I worked for UPS for 5 years loading outgoing trailers, 1200 packages per hour that weighed from 1lb. to 70lbs. I have had more training on the subject of proper lifting and handling of load than most. From my experience there is no way I can see to follow proper lifting techniques and place a full carboy in or remove a full carboy out of a chest freezer.

 

Back to fermenting in the keg... so is the keg tilted the whole time the beer is fermenting, or do you just tip it at the end when you are ready to transfer? Since corny kegs hold about 5.25 gal, how much actual finished product do you get, when you leave the yeast and trub?

As far as lifting, some above stated it perfectly.. lifting the carboy is not the problem... its lifting it out of the bottom of a chest freezer. I am not tall enough to "lift with proper form".. hence the risk for injury.

 

All said and done, I usually end up about 4.75 gallons. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. I do my best to leave lots of trub in the kettle.

 

Just a second

Durrrrrrrr...the irony is nearly suffocating genius. Lift all you want and leave reality to the rest of us.

I am in fantastic shape. Can I lift 5 gallons without injury? Sure. Should I, do it at random intervals now and again?

Can someone who is 6'6" lift a full keg into a Keezer while bending the knees? NO.

For the douchebags who want to puff their chests and risk their backs and say "heh heh, this one time, at the gym...." find another thread.

This^

Ideally it is tilted the whole fermentation (away from the dip tube) but it can be tilted at syphoning, gently, with less benefit, but the yeast cake stays put and the liquid settles right where the dip tube is and you get more beer, less yeast.

And it is well documented that people who are 12 feet tall or over can bend at the knees and lift a keg in or out of a keezer.

 

Is the dip tube in the keg during the entire fermentation, or do you only put it in when when its time to transfer?

 

I take it out and use that side for the airlock. If you leave it in, there will be some gunk in it from fermentation, not much, but it might clog.

 

And at about what angle to do keep the keg at? How do you keep it from tipping over? I know these are dumb questions, but for someone who's never come across this or thought of this before, I could use any tips you've got.

 

Empty your keg and take off the lid. Put 3 or 4 cups of water in and with a flashlight look at the bottom.

tilt it until all or all possible water are away from the dip tube (within reason, you don't want it horizontal) with the understanding that you will lay the keg back flat when syphoning, or even tilted the other way, so if the yeast cake is too steep, it will crumble and fall back towards your dip tube.

Mine tilts about what a 2x4 laid flat and just barely under the bottom will lift the dip tube side.

 

So has anyone used the Foreverlast Tripod Game Hoist and what are your comments? I'm 5'2" 100 lbs & working out of my kitchen; just purchased a hydraulic lift table $150 from Harbor Freight (if I can just get it out of the car) but still need to get it picked up another 8" to the lowest level of the table.

 

Wow! I wish you luck.

I would pu the hoist maybe on an 8 inch dolly.

You can tilt a keg or Bucket to get up 8 inches or so without straight up lifting.

Can that thing live in the kitchen or roll to storage?

A dolly makes sense.

 

The table is only 28" x 18" so it's not huge; I'll try the dolly to get the carboys or buckets up to the minimum 8" height. Should work. Can't wait! No more 3 gallons for me!

 

I was just thinking about this and it reminded me of the unistrut trolley system. I have used this for sliding doors before.

Here is the trolley:


That runs in a piece of strut like this:


You could hang a piece of strut on the ceiling which runs from your racking area right over your chest freezer then hoist and walk the carboy right to the freezer. I haven't been able to find a curved section of strut to turn a corner though...that would be nice.

 

If you need to get it up 8 inches, just make a small ramp out of a small bit of plywood or cardboard on some books or something and scoot it up? Or is pushing it not possible either? Worst case if you have a dolly is just make a small ramp and wheel it up...you dont need a fancy hoist to lift something up 8 inches.

 

Inexpensive harbor freight electric 110 winch. Use them around the farm for lifting various things. Put the hook through the carboy handle. One hand on the control one to steady the carboy.

 

I strongly recommend a T-1000 for any heavy lifting. I might let you borrow mine some time.

Self propelled, 0 maintenance, 0 spillage, pretty ideal.


It was sent back in time to erase my existence, but inadvertantly stuck it's hand in my toaster while reaching for my throat. Fried it's motherboard and basically re-booted itself with no prime directive. It was a blank canvas.

So I told it that it's prime directive was to stand by my keezer and lift things in and out. been that way for 6 years. Highly recommend it!

Does get awkward when someone new comes over and wonders about the man just standing in my basement, but it's worth it!

 

Not everyone is as lucky as you are. Quit bragging and lets try to find some real solutions to this problem.

 

I did offer to lend him out!

You are right though, it would be temporary at best.

 

Yes you did. I could use him tonight (I imagine he could just run over). I just threw out my back getting out of my chair yesterday...man I'm getting old.

 

On his way! I was able to guess your address from your location under your avatar. You might want to consider being a little more vague!

I need him back Tuesday, I need to change the oil.

 

Hrm... ideas