Lifting the carboy.

[Rusty Nesmith]

I have one of those handles that goes around the neck but am not comfortable lifting a full carboy that way. Is it safe or would the sling be better.

 

[Johnd]

I have one of those handles that goes around the neck but am not comfortable lifting a full carboy that way. Is it safe or would the sling be better.

I have used the carboy handles to move them, but I don't any longer, as I just don't think it's safe. The sling is a good option as it supports the whole carboy. Some folks use milk crates as well.

 

[Rocky]

How high do you have to life them? I have essentially two levels, the floor and my benches which are about 2.5 to 3 feet high. If I have to lift from the floor, I do it as a "squat" i.e. bend at the knees, back straight, one hand on the neck and one hand under the carboy, hold the carboy against my body and lift with the legs.

I have two of the carboy carriers and they have been hanging on my pegboard for 15 years. I don't trust them to lift a carboy. I don't know how the sling would work but it seems one would have to put it on the carboy before filling it and lift it with the two handles. Seems like it would be hard to lift to any appreciable height.

 

[CDrew]

I have used the carboy handles to move them, but I don't any longer, as I just don't think it's safe. The sling is a good option as it supports the whole carboy. Some folks use milk crates as well.

I agree. I have handles on almost all of my carboys. They are great for hanging on to the carboy when washing it out. But when full of wine, it just doesn't seem wise to use as a lift point. Milk crates, on the other hand, are great. They are cheap, readily available and keep the carboys apart and mostly safe. Also useful for upending the carboys to drain.

And I will say, for the first time, I didn't buy any new carboys this year! I did break one though(and no cuts!), so next year, we'll see.

Carboys are a blessing and a curse. Be very careful when moving them around. Milk crates are the best option I have found. I wish there was an affordable alternative for the home wine maker, but unfortunately not.

 

[Intheswamp]

I was under the impression that the carboy handles were *not* to be used with carboys with wine in them...just for washing and moving empty ones. Seems they would put unequal pressure on the sides of the neck.

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

The area I use now is not too high. The upper shelf is around an inch too low for the carboy to fit with an airlock. I am going to build another area where the shelf will be close to 40 inches high. I have a lot of spine problems and fusions in my neck. I was thinking about getting one of these.

 

[montanarick]

sure wouldn't use handles to lift glass carboy full of wine. I've used them for years with Better Bottle carboys and they work just fine to lift and/or carry

 

[jvbutter]

those orange neck handles are not my fav. i cant see them holding the 5g of wine in the jug. The vineyard i go to actually saw one of them snap off the neck of the carboy when full. if you use it for empty carrying, i think you are good. I don't use them when full. Yes I do have a few on some bottles, but have been removing them recently

those cart lifts are awesome... getting the shelf to be same height or floor is the key to easy moving. if you have a platform for your wine to sit on, then you slide over onto the cart and jack up to the counter....

 

[cmason1957]

I think the real key to winemaking is to move the wine, not the full carboy. I don't lift full carboys ever. Move the wine to where I need it to be. I do agree those carboy handles look like an accident waiting to happen. I own about 30 carboys and not a single one of those orange handles. I would screw up, forget, use it when I shouldn't and have a terrible mess of broken carboy and lost wine.

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

I think the real key to winemaking is to move the wine, not the full carboy. I don't lift full carboys ever. Move the wine to where I need it to be. I do agree those carboy handles look like an accident waiting to happen. I own about 30 carboys and not a single one of those orange handles. I would screw up, forget, use it when I shouldn't and have a terrible mess of broken carboy and lost wine.

How do you get it high enough to rack it into a fresh carboy every three months without lifting it?

 

[cmason1957]

I don't have to worry about, I use a vacuum pump the allinonewinepump to rack side to side and also under vacuum, so you get CO2 removed for free. There are other alternatives that allow you to not use gravity to move the wine, but some kind of pump. I prefer a pump that doesn't have to agitate the wine to move it.

 

[CDrew]

How do you get it high enough to rack it into a fresh carboy every three months without lifting it?

Rusty-If you vacuum or pressure rack, you never need to lift a full carboy. I'd only recommend vacuum racking with glass carboys.

Check out the "allinonewinepump" that many of us have. It allows you to easily move carboy amounts of wine, even uphill. And in fact racking from the floor to the bench top by vacuum is a good way to assist CO2 dissipation from the wine. Lots of other uses too, and the owner/inventor/builder is a member here on the forum.

https://www.allinonewinepump.com/

 

[JoP]

those orange neck handles are not my fav. i cant see them holding the 5g of wine in the jug. The vineyard i go to actually saw one of them snap off the neck of the carboy when full. if you use it for empty carrying, i think you are good. I don't use them when full. Yes I do have a few on some bottles, but have been removing them recently

those cart lifts are awesome... getting the shelf to be same height or floor is the key to easy moving. if you have a platform for your wine to sit on, then you slide over onto the cart and jack up to the counter....

those orange neck handles are not my fav. i cant see them holding the 5g of wine in the jug. The vineyard i go to actually saw one of them snap off the neck of the carboy when full. if you use it for empty carrying, i think you are good. I don't use them when full. Yes I do have a few on some bottles, but have been removing them recently

those cart lifts are awesome... getting the shelf to be same height or floor is the key to easy moving. if you have a platform for your wine to sit on, then you slide over onto the cart and jack up to the counter....

View attachment 57548 View attachment 57547 I have one of those handles that goes around the neck but am not comfortable lifting a full carboy that way. Is it safe or would the sling be better.

I have been using the “All-in-One Carboy Cover” for a few years and I found them very useful.
Not only the lifting is safer, but they protect againsts accidental cracks and against light.
There are durable carboy jackets with reinforced bottom and handles for lifting.
https://www.carboy.net/store/pc/The-All-in-One-Carboy-Cover-2p2.htm

 

[sour_grapes]

I routinely lift carboys by putting one hand underneath, and grab the orange handle with the other. I bear most of the weight from underneath.

 

[Ajmassa]

I routinely lift carboys by putting one hand underneath, and grab the orange handle with the other. I bear most of the weight from underneath.

Had one slip right off before. About 12” off the concrete floor. Handle was not tightened all the way. Somehow the carboy didn’t break. Just bounced.
Was the type of mistake you only make once.

 

[jvbutter]

I have been using the “All-in-One Carboy Cover” for a few years and I found them very useful.

That is alot more professional than my method... i have been taking my young kids tee's for years... problem is the young kids are mid 20's now, and I've run out of replacements

Somehow the carboy didn’t break. Just bounced.
Was the type of mistake you only make once.

LUCKY>>>>> Very very lucky

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

Looks like I will need to get one of those pumps in the next couple of months. I watched some videos and really liked the bottling attachment. It is not much more than the lift cart but has many more advantages. Thanks for the link.

 

[1d10t]

Had one slip right off before. About 12” off the concrete floor. Handle was not tightened all the way. Somehow the carboy didn’t break. Just bounced.
Was the type of mistake you only make once.

Be very careful with that one. Glass is weird stuff. You may have setup stresses in the glass such that a sneeze could shatter it. You would need to look at the glass through cross polarizing filters to see it.

 

[Ignoble Grape]

My most recent casualty was an empty carboy - thankfully. Happened while washing it out. Slipped right out of my hands and fell 3 inches, maybe? It was one of the new ones, too. What I wouldn't give for a waist-level utility sink. Alas, I rent.

RIP

 

[rustbucket]

I routinely lift carboys by putting one hand underneath, and grab the orange handle with the other. I bear most of the weight from underneath.

I do the same thing and notice very little stress being placed on the better bottle carboy necks when I lift one.

JoB, with regard to the “All-in-One Carboy Cover”, they do seem to be a good answer to carboy handling issues. My only concern is that they may also insulate the carboy thus raising the temperature of the wine by capturing fermentation process heat. Have you found that happening with your use of those covers?