Need a carboy hoist

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Maylar

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I'm a handicapped old man and lifting a 50 lb. fermenter is not possible for me. I need a way to lift a carboy so that I can remove it from the insulating jacket before cold crashing. My brew room is in an unfinished basement, so I have the option of attaching a simple hoist to the floor joists. Is there anything out there made for this purpose?
 
I would strongly suggest getting rid of those glass carboys. Take it from someone who has had one break while moving it. I've had a couple of different pulleys to lift my BIAB grain bags and baskets and found that you really want one with a ratcheting system to hold the weight when you let go. They are pretty easy to find either at homebrew suppliers, big box home stores or even outdoor hunting/fishing retailers who sell them for lifting big game.
 
I’ve used the fermonster carboy carrier and it works well.

I’ve started using square milk crates. It protests them while I’m moving stuff around and while they are just sitting on the ground. Obviously, hoisting them would not be a good idea.
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I have seen a few cool youtube vids regarding hoists. One was with Alton Brown from the food network. He used an aluminum ladder with some rope and hoist. I don't remember just how it worked, but I thought it was pretty cool.
I kinda miss old Alton clambering around in a velcro suit with pool noodles and trying to be a carbohydrate molecule.

I bet you could rig something with a battery and a cheap winch.
 
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I'm a handicapped old man and lifting a 50 lb. fermenter is not possible for me. I need a way to lift a carboy so that I can remove it from the insulating jacket before cold crashing. My brew room is in an unfinished basement, so I have the option of attaching a simple hoist to the floor joists. Is there anything out there made for this purpose?
I can see ditching glass for beer. However, for mead or cider, I still prefer glass.

I’ve downsized my mead and cider to 3 gallon batches. Those are much easier to move around.
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Good options so far, and another vote on ditching the glass. I'm disabled myself and while my girlfriend does most of the heavy lifting for me, I'm still contriving ways to improve my ergonomic processes and build the needed gear to do it myself. Having an unfinished basement is a real plus, but even better is if you have the cash to spend on things like this:
https://unistrutstore.com/blog/post/unistrut-trolley
https://www.harborfreight.com/2000-lb-utility-trailer-winch-with-steel-rope-57365.html
Maybe post a pic of what and where you are working so one of us might have a flash of 'Solution Magic' that'll suit your setup.
That said; so far, dollies, carts and harnesses as well as switching from glass to fermonsters, a fermzilla and sankes has been serving me OK, but I'm still looking for more ways to improve it.
 
Agreed on ditching the glass. Not sure of your setup, but I have a keezer in my garage and I got tired of the back pain lifting a full keg (and occasionally my fermenter) into the keezer. I mounted one of these onto the ceiling. My back thanks me every time I use it.
Overhead pulleys are great if vertebral compression is an issue, but if it's muscular..... well, I have both. I've tried overhead pulleys and it's nice to get some exercise and stretch my spine but there's still a tonicity consequence. Sometimes there's no workaround for lack of assistance or automation but making for a lighter load by ditching the glass and/or smaller batches has the most significant result.
 
I'm a handicapped old man and lifting a 50 lb. fermenter is not possible for me. I need a way to lift a carboy so that I can remove it from the insulating jacket before cold crashing. My brew room is in an unfinished basement, so I have the option of attaching a simple hoist to the floor joists. Is there anything out there made for this purpose?
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/ratchet_xl_38.htm is the one I use.
 
Glass carboys are the most interesting way to brew, IMO. Being able to shine a light thru the thing and see the yeast in action is fascinating to me. I have not used one in years, but if I did, I would have to organize it in a way that it doesn't require moving it. I have a harness for mine but it's still kind of a cheek squeaker to lift a full one. It's like lifting a 50 lb egg. Not even sure leaving it stationary would be practical since it needs to end up high for siphoning. I will probably never get rid of mine, but it may end up a conversation piece full of corks eventually.
 
Agreed on ditching the glass. Not sure of your setup, but I have a keezer in my garage and I got tired of the back pain lifting a full keg (and occasionally my fermenter) into the keezer. I mounted one of these onto the ceiling. My back thanks me every time I use it.
This one is available at Harbor Freight for $16. It’s rated to 440lbs. I just added a carabiner that would hold the rope from slipping back and was good to go.

(I don’t use the gambrel, but you might find a way.)

IMG_9835.jpeg
 
Good options so far, and another vote on ditching the glass. I'm disabled myself and while my girlfriend does most of the heavy lifting for me, I'm still contriving ways to improve my ergonomic processes and build the needed gear to do it myself. Having an unfinished basement is a real plus, but even better is if you have the cash to spend on things like this:
https://unistrutstore.com/blog/post/unistrut-trolley
https://www.harborfreight.com/2000-lb-utility-trailer-winch-with-steel-rope-57365.html
Maybe post a pic of what and where you are working so one of us might have a flash of 'Solution Magic' that'll suit your setup.
That said; so far, dollies, carts and harnesses as well as switching from glass to fermonsters, a fermzilla and sankes has been serving me OK, but I'm still looking for more ways to improve it.
Just to add here, that unistrut accessories can be found on Amazon too, maybe not all, but a good spot to reference before heading out somewhere to buy it. Most of the home improvement stores handle it including the track.

I have worked with it a lot in my engineering job. Really neat stuff for more than hanging electrical conduit.
 
Glass carboys are the most interesting way to brew, IMO. Being able to shine a light thru the thing and see the yeast in action is fascinating to me. I have not used one in years, but if I did, I would have to organize it in a way that it doesn't require moving it. I have a harness for mine but it's still kind of a cheek squeaker to lift a full one. It's like lifting a 50 lb egg. Not even sure leaving it stationary would be practical since it needs to end up high for siphoning. I will probably never get rid of mine, but it may end up a conversation piece full of corks eventually.
I have two that were left out by a neighbor so they were free. I, like you, thought it might be kinda cool to watch the process vs using a bucket where I am just hoping. LOL. I might one day give it a go, but they have been sitting in a shed for years so I am not even sure how stable they are.
 
I'm not using glass. But 6 gallons of practically anything is too much for my frail body to lift alone. I have siphons and a transfer pump for moving liquids and I do deal with 3 gallon containers in secondary. This request relates to a specific need that I have coming up soon. I have a Cool Zone temperature control system that includes an insulated jacket around the plastic bucket carboy:

cool zone heater.JPG


When primary is done, I will wheel the cart out into the cold New England winter to cold crash for a week. It really helps my mead to clear. Maybe I'm overthinking this (OCD Engineer here) but I'd like to take the insulation off for better exposure. Just need to lift the bucket up high enough to slip it out of the jacket. I think that either of the hoists mentioned here would work. Just have to figure out how to attach one to the bail on a bucket. Thanks for the ideas guys.
 
Lifting a full bucket regularly with the bail will invite a disaster one day. What about a bucket shaped stand (Slightly smaller than your bucket) where you could slip the cover down around the stand and expose the bucket?
 
I’ve seen a few for less, but aside from the cost, it could be a good solution if no stairs are involved in the work area. https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-70726.html
I have begun using one of these. It’s fantastic. I can handle 10 gallon batches without straining at all; in fact, with less lifting than I used to do with 5 gallons batches prior to the lift cart.
I’m considering going BIAB. Instead of try to hoist the bag out, I’m thinking about raising the table; tying the bag securely overhead, and just slowly lowering the table. After draining is complete, I can just roll to the side a bit. I can retrieve the grains later by raising the table and releasing the rope. If this works, so much easier to pump the pedal with my foot than pulling on a rope.

The alternative would be to use the game hoist in concert with a cheap boat trailer winch. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
If you're aging for a long time, I read an article ages ago that indicated the O2 exposure at the bung swamped any diffusion through PET, meaning that a glass and plastic carboy would have essentially the same O2 performance if the bung seal was identical.

That also indicates that wider jars (and HDPE or PP lids!) would perform worse. So maybe don't age mead for 2 years in a fermonster.
 
If you're aging for a long time, I read an article ages ago that indicated the O2 exposure at the bung swamped any diffusion through PET, meaning that a glass and plastic carboy would have essentially the same O2 performance if the bung seal was identical.

That also indicates that wider jars (and HDPE or PP lids!) would perform worse. So maybe don't age mead for 2 years in a fermonster.
I do bulk aging in glass with screw caps or non permeable stoppers. Not bungs. Only 3 months in a PET Speidel for oaking. Gotta keep headspace to a minimum too.
 
I do bulk aging in glass with screw caps or non permeable stoppers. Not bungs. Only 3 months in a PET Speidel for oaking. Gotta keep headspace to a minimum too.
AFAIK speidel are only HDPE

Also, is there a technical definition of stopper vs bung? I think of both in wood, silicone, and nitrile rubber
 
Also, is there a technical definition of stopper vs bung? I think of both in wood, silicone, and nitrile rubber
Umm.. yeah. I'm referring to a rubber cap over plastic wrap or metal foil as a stopper. Couldn't think of anything else to call it. I'm aware of the study in permeability that you referred to. But fortunately, mead is pretty resistant to oxidizing. For my ciders I use only screw caps for long term.
 
I’ve seen a few for less, but aside from the cost, it could be a good solution if no stairs are involved in the work area. https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-70726.html
+1 on this Harbor Freight Hydraulic Cart. For me this is better than a rope lifting system because it can be rolled around my room or garage. I can haul jugs of water, my fermenter, my boil kettle, etc. Once I jack it up to my table heights, it is easy to slide the weight from the cart to a table top with no lifting.

I now use this thing for many things around the house besides brewing. It is awesome.
 
I got two of those last year and I have to lift this every day up and down the stairs.
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I'm not saying you should You are older than me, old enough to be my dad. I had the second one done mid-Nov. How's the right one treating you? Looks like you have some arthritis on the socket (whitish area) but the space over the femoral head appears good and possibly still has cartilege?

Fortunately the dog has lost 8 pounds. She's easier to carry than a carboy actually. She knows to stay still when carried and weighs about 37 lbs now. Before pic.
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How's the right one treating you?
Life happens. Right leg was amputated 2 years ago due to a blood clot. Left hip broke when I fell in my driveway. Between the hip, the prosthetic, and lower back issues I'm in pain most of the time. Lifting 50-60 lb. carboys isn't gonna happen any time soon. Got PT twice a week. Getting stronger every day. Thanks for sharing bro.
 
Thought maybe you were in between replacements. Tough sequence of events. Sorry you are in pain and lost part of the leg. Much respect that you are walking around!

I picked up a grain mill from a member here last Sunday. Somebody looks to have dibs on the BIAB rig but for illustrations sake, look at this thread. He had a motorized lift to pull the bag out.

I've worked with one of those hydraulic tables too. Really handy. It was an old industrial model with a power motor. Didn't wheel around and needed a pallet jack if I remember. That harbor freight one might be usable if you sat down on a stool to pump the lift, or figure a hand method or upgrade to a motor.
 
Life happens. Right leg was amputated 2 years ago due to a blood clot. Left hip broke when I fell in my driveway. Between the hip, the prosthetic, and lower back issues I'm in pain most of the time. Lifting 50-60 lb. carboys isn't gonna happen any time soon. Got PT twice a week. Getting stronger every day. Thanks for sharing bro.
Here’s hoping you have a speedy, safe recovery.
 
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