Contemplating Chest Freezer Usage for Fermentation/Cold Crashing - Safety/Weight Concerns

[awoitte]

I have a chest freezer that can fit two 6 gallon glass carboys that I thought would be wonderful for keeping fermentation and cold crashing temperatures with a temp control device. My issue is the constant lowering and lifting of full vessels, and I'm looking for recommendations. I'd like to keep brainstorming to include the chest freezer, as it is already in my possession and I don't want to purchase anything until I've exhausted all options here.

I thought about placing the chest freezer on a stand/base, which would create an elevated carboy, allowing me to siphon directly out of the freezer without having to remove the glass carboy first. The problem that comes to mind using taking this route is if the freezer is 3-5 ft. higher it then requires me to stand on a ladder, chair, etc when pouring/filling the carboy post-boil. (Perhaps a pump from the boil to the vessel would alleviate this?)

Has anyone got some good procedure methods for using a chest freezer and carboys without breaking your back and keeping safety a priority?

Looking for suggestions =)

 

[Derp]

I use 17-gallon Speidel plastic fermenters and I bolted a sturdy metal bar on the garage ceiling. I use a pulley system to winch the fermenter up, swing it out of the way a few inches, then set it on the closed lid of the chest freezer. My fermenters have sturdy handles to tie onto, so you'd need some sort of carboy carrier/harness.

 

[awoitte]

I use 17-gallon Speidel plastic fermenters and I bolted a sturdy metal bar on the garage ceiling. I use a pulley system to winch the fermenter up, swing it out of the way a few inches, then set it on the closed lid of the chest freezer. My fermenters have sturdy handles to tie onto, so you'd need some sort of carboy carrier/harness.

Hmm, using a pulley system isn't a bad idea. However it would require quite a bit of altering my current setup, including getting harnesses to fit the carboys in addition to adding the entire pulley system. I'm also a little hesitant to trust/want to have large quantities of liquid and glass hanging at ceiling height, but I suppose with the proper setup safety can be maintained. (I think this might be more realistic once I switch over to stainless steel fermenters with welded handles to hold)

 

[MaxStout]

Wilserbrewer sells a nice ratchet pulley, that holds over 100lbs. For a harness, you can use a plastic milk crate.

 

[Dland]

Get a few 5 gallon stainless C kegs? I'd would not want to worry about hoisting the glass either. Kegs have these handy handles on them, haha, good for lifting, and they do not break.

In fact, I have glass carboys, but don't use them much anymore..maybe occasional cider project. For beer I use a chest freezer that holds 12 kegs with external Johnson temp controller that keeps it a 33F.

 

[Jayjay1976]

you'll want to use multiple pulleys to ease the lifting, 50+ pounds is a lot to lift with a single pulley. @wilserbrewer sells a setup with two pulleys, you might want to investigate even more than two depending on how much exertion you can tolerate. https://www.explainthatstuff.com/pulleys.html

 

[kh54s10]

PET carboys... Then you are really only lifting the wort.

 

[don_bran321]

When my chest freezer was working....
I would place the fermenter I side of it before pumping my wort into it (no lifting in)
Then when fermentation was finished I would push a metal raking cane through the bung and pressure transfer the wort into my keg. (no lifting out)
I use a catalyst fermenter. It would depend on how well you can get a seal on ur spedial.
Cheers!

 

[Jayjay1976]

PET carboys... They you are really only lifting the wort.

Also, PET is far less likely to mame you if dropped. I recommend outfitting each carboy (I like fermonsters) with a GENUINE Brew Hauler. That means buying the original made in USA version, not the knockoffs sold on Amazon (knockoffs say "The Brew Hauler" vs. the original which has "Brew Hauler" stitched on the lifting straps. Your safety and that of your beer depends on the quality of the stitching and the nylon buckle, so don't chance it. Find them online at reputable homebrew suppliers or check your LHBS.

 

[Derp]

Wilserbrewer sells a nice ratchet pulley, that holds over 100lbs.

I think that's the one I use. Works great. I've lifted a fermenter with 12 gallons of beer by myself, but it helps to have a second set of hands to manipulate the fermenter once it has been raised.

 

[awoitte]

Would moving/raising the fermenter after cold crashing but prior to transferring/packaging create settled yeast/sediment to start to get unsettled and move around the vessel?

 

[Jayjay1976]

Would moving/raising the fermenter after cold crashing but prior to transferring/packaging create settled yeast/sediment to start to get unsettled and move around the vessel?

Yeah it will swirl up a bit of trub but it will drop again pretty fast, I usually let it sit on the bench for a couple of hours to warm up before bottling anyway. Once the really fine sediment settles out they kinda clump together on the bottom into larger particles.

 

[awoitte]

Well half the fun in my experience is building and upgrading setups, so now that this thread has essentially turned me on to a pulley system I think I need to get into the planning phase!

 

[kh54s10]

 

[Jayjay1976]

Well half the fun in my experience is building and upgrading setups, so now that this thread has essentially turned me on to a pulley system I think I need to get into the planning phase!

Homebrewfinds today had a deal on a 250lb capacity ratcheting pulley: http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2018/1...e-ratchet-biab-6-83-free-add-on-shipping.html

 

[passedpawn]

Get a garage lift for bikes/kayaks. A brewhauler or milk crate and one of these would probably work fine. Just riffing. $15 on Amazon.

Heavy Duty Bike Lift Hoist For Garage Storage

 

[Jayjay1976]

Get a garage lift for bikes/kayaks. A brewhauler or milk crate and one of these would probably work fine. Just riffing. $15 on Amazon.

Heavy Duty Bike Lift Hoist For Garage Storage

View attachment 600854

I have two of those exact hoists in my garage for hanging our bikes, pretty heavy duty and if you mount the two pulleys closer together it should work really well for lifting a full carboy.

 

[kh54s10]

Get a garage lift for bikes/kayaks. A brewhauler or milk crate and one of these would probably work fine. Just riffing. $15 on Amazon.

Heavy Duty Bike Lift Hoist For Garage Storage

View attachment 600854

I have one of those. I guess it is heavy enough, I suspend a kayak which weighs about the same as a 5 gallon carboy, but I would at least replace the cheap polypropylene line it comes with for something much more substantial. The locking mechanism is also a PITA and would be scary to use with a carboy in the mix. Especially if it is a glass carboy. It is not ratchet so if the mechanism doesn't lock it would come crashing down.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I have one of those. I guess it is heavy enough, I suspend a kayak which weighs about the same as a 5 gallon carboy, but I would at least replace the cheap polypropylene line it comes with for something much more substantial. The locking mechanism is also a PITA and would be scary to use with a carboy in the mix. Especially if it is a glass carboy. It is not ratchet so if the mechanism doesn't lock it would come crashing down.

Maybe the lock works better with the original rope as supplied? I haven't changed anything and the locks on both of mine work really well. I haven't lifted any carboys, but my wife's old dutch bicycle weighs a heck of a lot more than a modern bicycle.

 

[kh54s10]

Maybe the lock works better with the original rope as supplied? I haven't changed anything and the locks on both of mine work really well. I haven't lifted any carboys, but my wife's old dutch bicycle weighs a heck of a lot more than a modern bicycle.

I don't know about the lock mechanism and the rope. The locking mechanism is a pita, and I always make sure that I tie off to the cleat before letting go of the rope.... Mine has the original polypropylene rope still. It is fraying. I would definitely change it out if I was using it with a glass carboy. With the kayak, if it came crashing down, it would land on the sawhorses and then , possibly, hit me. I would not be sliced to ribbons.

 

[passedpawn]

I have one of those.

I have two of those exact hoists

I don't have one of those hoists, so I was just putting it up there as an idea. Glad you guys had experience. I posted when I saw the massive engine hoist there and figured it could be done with something simpler. There are motorized ones that look pretty neat, ~ $100. I have 3 bikes on the wall and 2 on the ceiling, all on hooks... I could probably use some of these hoists myself

Well first, I don't use glass carboys, period. Anyone with a bad back should not use.

 

[kh54s10]

I don't have one of those hoists, so I was just putting it up there as an idea. Glad you guys had experience. I posted when I saw the massive engine hoist there and figured it could be done with something simpler. There are motorized ones that look pretty neat, ~ $100. I have 3 bikes on the wall and 2 on the ceiling, all on hooks... I could probably use some of these hoists myself

Well first, I don't use glass carboys, period. Anyone with a bad back should not use.

I posted the engine hoist. I think it is way overkill, but then again it might be nice to be able to hoist the fermenter straight up then move to a different location for the next step. It would require the ability to get the "feet" under the chamber....

Lifting glass carboys, even if not out of a fermentation chamber will give you a bad back!!! Or worse, maybe much worse.