Fermenter requirement to be raised up 3-4 feet

[BMarNJ]

Is the requirement in a kit instructions to place the fermenter in a raised position 3 or 4 feet high just to allow for siphoning it into a carboy later without having to move it? I see this also when you are advised to age wine off the floor, why is that?
I’ve started using a box with a lightbulb to provide the necessary warm temperature during winter ferments, so I need to keep it on the ground. The two-handled brute trashcan fermenter is easy enough to move.
Thanks for any insight.

 

[BernardSmith]

Hi BMarNJ. I agree with you that raising the fermenter off the floor three or four feet is essentially to allow gravity to assist you when racking. That said, if the floor in your wine room is concrete then "raising it off the floor" even an inch or two will enable you to insulate the bucket or carboy from unnecessary heat loss.

 

[Rice_Guy]

* from a safety point I keep buckets close to floor level on a low dolly type cart, but then with country wines I also put more effort into staying cool, not adding heat
* wine is extremely forgiving, there are lots of process variations
* I like the pilot plant equipment off the floor mainly so I can hose down the floor
* moving/ lifting is a periodic discussion topic, my read is many of us are at floor level and the rest have nice counter height set ups ,,, mainly for convenience. example :

Hello everyone,
I'm looking for a solution to lift and carry carboys full of wine.
I'm not so young anymore and a full carboy is getting more and more difficult to handle.
Does anyone know where can I find a small material handling lift, either manual or motorized that is not too expensive?
It should lift a carboy from ground level to a counter top .
Perhaps some one built this as a DIY project?
Thanks

 

[BMarNJ]

It doesn’t make much sense. If I put the fermenter 3’ off the ground and it is 2+’ tall, I’d need a step ladder to work with it. I guess they mean the top of the fermenter. At any rate, I usually start mine in a bathtub after spilling half the juice bag one time.

 

[VinesnBines]

It seems a little silly to me to keep it high because you can siphon about half to three quarters out and gently lift the rest to a height where you can siphon the rest. Anyway, I dump the last gallon or so in a pitcher to let settle then add to the carboy or a bottle to use for topping off. Kits have a minimal amount of lees or dregs so sloshing is not a great concern.