Hoist setup ideas

[JONNYROTTEN]

Trying to MacGyver a hoist. How are you all doing it?
Im brewing electric in my kitchen in the winter and outside in the summer.so I need a hoist I can lift, move around and store.Also,once you hoist the bag/pot up and let drain how do you move it from on top of pot to lower it to the ground.Up and down isn't going to work. The entire rack must move or there needs to be a slide bar the pulley is mounted to,to slide to the side of the pot and lower? Im picturing 2 uprights with a cross bar with hoist in the center?

Eye hooks in the ceiling of my kitchen wont work.I tried but got a definitive...NO

 

[LabRatBrewer]

There are some ideas in this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f244/ideas-portable-biab-hoist-heavy-batches-attach-pulley-420979/

I used the Alton Brown Turkey Derrick which is fairly common. My ladder has wheels.

Just-a-sip posted a very nice setup:

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I went through that thread.The only thing that may work is the little giant ladder that Ill need to buy.Im still curious how everyone moves the bag/basket from on top of the pot after draining. Aside from the engine hoist that I see rolling and working,but would be tough to get away with in the kitchen...

 

[wilserbrewer]

I would put a small hook either inside the stove top cabinet, or if you have a soffit, put the hook in the wall above the cabinet just above the cabinet out of view.

Using a simple ratchet pulley, IMO works best to attach the pulley to the bag, lift at the pulley and cinch the hoist rope with the other hand.

 

[LLBeanJ]

Once the bag has drained, it's not that heavy. Just lift it up and drop it into a bucket and set out of the way.

I've never brewed full batches indoors, just smaller 3-4g batches. For those, I've always carried my kettle of hot wort to the sink, manually lifted and held the bag while it drained, then when it was mostly drained, dropped the bag into a bucket. If I were to do full batches in the kitchen, I'd likely design a 2-vessel system of some sort due to not really having a good way to hoist and hold the bag.

 

[grathan]

What do you have near the stove. Anything that could hold a 2x4 ?

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Im doing a freestanding EBIAB so there is nothing over the pot except the ceiling in the middle of the kitchen,hooks in the ceiling are out
Im doing 10 gal batches so Im figuring a 20# dry grain bill average,dont know how heavy that is drained and wet for a dead lift 7ft off the floor.

20" stand+ 20" pot+ 20" basket over the pot+ 20" bag to get out of basket= almost 7 FT high.Ill need to be on a ladder leaning over the pot full of hot wort lifting 30# ish bag.I see bad things happening. I need to figure out a rolling or swivel DIY build

 

[LLBeanJ]

I do not think pulling the bag for 10g batches will be doable without a hoist. With 12 gallons of water + the grains sitting on top of your bag, it will take something like 120 lbs of lifting pressure just to get the bag moving upward.

I think if I were in your position I'd be looking at a solution that has you draining the wort out of the kettle into 5g buckets or something similar. Once most of the wort is out, you can pull the bag and add the drained wort back in.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

I went through that thread.The only thing that may work is the little giant ladder that Ill need to buy.Im still curious how everyone moves the bag/basket from on top of the pot after draining. Aside from the engine hoist that I see rolling and working,but would be tough to get away with in the kitchen...

The wheels on the Little Giant are only good for removing the ladder when done with the boil. Because of the way they are oriented the pot is in the way.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Looks like Im going to have to go this route.
2x4 uprights on castors
2x6 cross bar with this attached/handle removed and cranked with drill.http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...-IGoAw&usg=AFQjCNFD_XSLJJ3jbvmrTOz8_eHG326SOg

It will roll away from pot and be relatively easy to store,with a "power" winch..seems kinda cool.
The reason for the winch is Im thinking if I use a pulley the whole setup (on wheels) will follow the path of least resistance.(Sideways) The winch will pull straight up. More than I wanted to spend for a hoist but still pretty cheap

 

[wilserbrewer]

Jonny
Just my opinion, but I feel you are way way overthinking this!

That 1 ton hoist w a 2x6 cross bar could haul a 28 foot motor yacht up a boat ramp.

A couple of people have attached a simple mast to their brew rig and then a simple ratchet pulley is all you need.

20- 30 lb grain bills are fairly manageable, a ratchet pulley gives you the advantage to slowly raise the bag letting it drain as it comes out of the kettle, greatly reducing the weight....

There are a few examples on the forum.

I'll take a look for you....

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Jonny
Just my opinion, but I feel you are way way overthinking this!

That 1 ton hoist w a 2x6 cross bar could haul a 28 foot motor yacht up a boat ramp.

A couple of people have attached a simple mast to their brew rig and then a simple ratchet pulley is all you need.

20- 30 lb grain bills are fairly manageable, a ratchet pulley gives you the advantage to slowly raise the bag letting it drain as it comes out of the kettle, greatly reducing the weight....

There are a few examples on the forum.

I'll take a look for you....

Ya ,I tend to overthink things. I enjoy the figuring out part of things. I did think it funny that Im looking at a 2000# hoist for a 20# bag of grain. I googled "small" and "Mini" hoist but nothing came up that fit the bill.Its cheap and pretty lightweight so I figured why not.Plus I can crank it up with a drill and that's cool to me.But by all means Im open for ALL ideas
Again, this is a "mobile" setup in my kitchen with the pot on top of an octagon fish tank stand.Nothing can be attached to the stand for lifting,and nothing screwed into my ceiling

 

[wilserbrewer]

Something like this perhaps?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Rankam-Game-Hoist/25174750

showing out of stock

 

[wilserbrewer]

20" stand+ 20" pot+ 20" basket over the pot+ 20" bag to get out of basket= almost 7 FT high.

I would remove the basket and bag as one, then remove the bag from the basket off the hoist. I see 60" to the top of the basket, or say 65" to the hook on the basket handle during removal of the basket and bag from the hoist, or 5'5" more manageable IMO.

 

[jahdub]

I use one of those crappy laundry hanger rack things that they sell at walmart. Mostly just cause that is what I had laying around. I think I paid $15 for it.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

OP, it would help to see what your stove and surrounding area look like. Can you post a photo? My layout is post #25 here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f244/bag-hoist-hanging-any-pics-466358/index3.html

As you can see, my hoist hooks serve double duty when I'm not brewing. If you have any way to inconspicuously place eyes or hooks over the stove, you're all set. Another option would be to set a molly in the ceiling/soffit/whatever over the stove into which you can screw your eye or hook and remove when you are done. If the molly is still too obvious, screw some kind of decorative cap into it when you're not brewing.