CARBOY HANDLES

[gaudet]

What is the proper placement for the carboy handles? There are two ridges on the neck. Most people I have seen here place them between the two ridges. That's where I put mine. But I had them under the second ridge of the neck initially.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Ours are between the ridges...works for us.....Think that's what the instructions said.

Our orange cap fits snugly on top of the handle for siphoning...On one carboy you have to hold the cap down till you get the siphon started...then it pops off.....but the siphon continues.

 

[Wade E]

NW is correct, between the 2 ridges.

 

[PeterZ]

I put mine under the lower ridge. I feel it is more secure there.

 

[dfwwino]

Sounds like we need a poll on this one. I have been putting them between the ridges, but will have to take a look at them. I just started using carboy handles as I acknowledge this year that, due to my age, I need reading glasses and carboy handles. Now the bigger fear I have is whether I should primarily rely on the carboy handle when carrying a full six gallon carboy a long distance as I walk downstairs from my wine storage to my kitchen for bottling. I am deathly afraid it will somehow pop off and I will have six gallons of glass chards and wine cascading down my stairway. Has anyone had a bad experience with the carboy handles?

 

[Wade E]

I know people swear by them but I never truly felt safe with them. DFW, I wonder how much racking hose you would need to vacuum rack that distance and how much vacuum you would need to do that. I may have to experiment 1 of these days with water and get a good length of hose.

 

[NorthernWinos]

We [Jim] uses them to take the full carboy across a short distance, then he picks up the carboy from underneath and the other hand wrapped around the neck. I cringe the whole time he carries a full one a distance of maybe 5-6 feet, he does hold it very close to the floor, but hard tiles would not be a good landing.

We both use the handles to hold the empty carboy while rinsing over the faucet jet washer....Really handy for that job.

Also use it to carry empty carboys around.

Some package instructions say not to lift full carboys with the handles...

What's a body to do???

 

[Bert]

I have handles on all of my large carboys [6 1/2 ,6.25,6 & 5 gal.], but I use a brew hauler for moving the full carboys....just feel better about it and easier to move the carboys with it.....but the handles are great when cleaning, gives you something to hang on to.....But all this may whatever you feel comfortable with....

 

[Mark]

I also don't trust them when full, but carboys get slippery when cleaning with EasyClean and the handles don't. Much less chance of it crashing into the sink.

 

[hannabarn]

I put them on all of my carboys and use them to move and lift! When I first read this thread, I thought maybe I was just lucky. But after reading George's post I guess it's safe!