Hoisting a conical fermentor

[TheSadisticLoon]

First post here. You know "long time listener, first time caller".

I've been working on a home remodel for several years, and I kept the best part for last: the bar.

The bar is located directly underneath the kitchen where I do my brews. My master plan is to do all of my transfers via gravity. I'll send the cooled wort to the fermentor downstairs (I installed a conduit through floor during the remodel), then from the fermentor to the keg. In order to do the gravity transfer from the fermentor to the keg, the fermentor needs to be lifted. I think it'd look cool for the fermentor to be raised above the bar. (And convenient as this is where the conduit from the kitchen is.) I have a false ceiling above the bar where an electric hoist could hide (which I happen to have leftover from a different project.)

I received a 14 gallon SS Brew Tech Chonical fermentor for Christmas.

The question: How best attach a hoist to it? Since it'll be a focal point for the bar, I'd like to keep it pretty.

 

[CodeSection]

First post here. You know "long time listener, first time caller".

I've been working on a home remodel for several years, and I kept the best part for last: the bar.

The bar is located directly underneath the kitchen where I do my brews. My master plan is to do all of my transfers via gravity. I'll send the cooled wort to the fermentor downstairs (I installed a conduit through floor during the remodel), then from the fermentor to the keg. In order to do the gravity transfer from the fermentor to the keg, the fermentor needs to be lifted. I think it'd look cool for the fermentor to be raised above the bar. (And convenient as this is where the conduit from the kitchen is.) I have a false ceiling above the bar where an electric hoist could hide (which I happen to have leftover from a different project.)

I received a 14 gallon SS Brew Tech Chonical fermentor for Christmas.

The question: How best attach a hoist to it? Since it'll be a focal point for the bar, I'd like to keep it pretty.

Personally, that sounds like as disaster/accident waiting to happen. I'm not sure why one would risk potential injury to themselves as well as to their family and guests along with risking damage to the fermenter and bar if somehow whatever hoist you use fails or if the fermenter slips off.

Is there as reason you are against using a pump?

 

[bkboiler]

Some historic English breweries were built on a hill with the strike water at the top of course...
that being said, the Archimedes screw has been around for a LOOONG time and electrical power is much more accessible than hydro or horse-power (actual horses)...
i second the recommendation to use a pump going from fermenter to keg or else just purchase leg extensions and secure the conical to the wall or ground.

I'd also recommend making the pass thru from kitchen to basement VERY large and pass a small silicone or vinyl hose to transfer the beer just temporarily.

That way you don't need to worry about sanitation of the hard piping between brews...

 

[day_trippr]

Agreed, this has "bad idea" written all over it, especially when an inexpensive "tan pump" would do the job safely and sanely...

Cheers!

 

[Gruel]

I don't know, I like it. I'd use stainless steel rope with loop clamps at each end, attached somewhere to each leg, and guided/held near the top of the fermenter with a ring, preferably one that can't slip off, so that the fermenter can't invert in the slings. The ring probably needs to be permanent, but the steel ropes could be temporarily attached to the ring and the feet with carabiners. If you don't trust the hoist holding the load for a long time, add a second set of stainless ropes fixed to the ceiling that get 'clicked in' once the fermenter is in position.

You should use hardware certified for the load. Climbing carabiners might work, but hoisting/crane or stainless boating hardware is probably better. The marine stuff looks really nice, since it's stainless, much nicer than your usual hoist or crane sling hardware.

In another thread I suggested a motorcycle lift table; but since you already have a winch...

 

[TheSadisticLoon]

Thanks so much for all the input!! I agree with you, CodeSection-- safety should be #1 here. If it's not safe I'm not going to do it.

I realize now that I should have mentioned that I'm only planning on raising/lowering the fermentor when empty (even though the hoist is rated well above this weight). I was thinking along the same line as you, Gruel. Once the fermentor is raised into position, I'd like to attach a fixed set of secondary cables/supports that will attach into the joists above.

I don't have anything particularly against a pump; just one more thing to sanitize. (I have to admit I had to look up what an "Archimedes screw" was lol.) Plus the position above the bar minimizes the amount of tubing from the brew kettle to the fermentor. If I place the fermentor elsewhere, I'm either going to have to use a long (20') tube to reach it, or put the fermentor on wheels.

And to your point, bkboiler- the conduit I installed between floors is 2.5" diameter. It's basically just a guide for the vinyl tube to run through. (I also use it to send up a hose for the wort cooler since my kitchen faucet doesn't lend itself to a hose adapter.)