Moving an FV safely

[MagnusTS]

While gingerly carrying a full FV down the stairs from fermenting cupboard to the kitchen for bottling, I thought to myself how my wife would laugh if I dropped 23 litres of jet black stout down our newly decorated and carpeted stairway.

Does anyone have any tips for moving an FV safely, or can anyone recommend one with sturdy easy carry handles? I am using a cheap starter bucket FV which does not have much in way of handles.

Thanks.
Magnus

 

[MyQul]

Get a 10L bucket/FV's or jerry can. Once it's finished fermenting rack/syphon 10L of beer from the main FV. Carry that down stairs then carry the rest down the stair. Or buy a 25LL jerry can like this and ferment your beer in it. When it comes to transportation put the lid on tights and even if you drop the jerry can down the stairs you'll be fine

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-x-25L-L...573229?hash=item3ac645e7ad:g:jVMAAOSwfcVUJxIt

 

[Chippy_Tea]

You can get one of these (similar) for £35 on amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005DKJOGI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20



[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSaDC9MXwUI[/ame]

 

[Pirate_Pete]

I tried putting an FV on a trolley Chippy. I found you had to tilt it at too much of an angle.
Going up and down stairs might be OK though. I was filling my FV up in the laundry
and then moving it to the garage some 15 metres away. I now fill up to about 15 litres
and then carry it the garage. Then use a DJ to top up once in the garage before moving
it into the fermenting fridge.

 

[MarkBowie]

I bought some jerry cans off of Amazon for not much as the easiest way for me to get water is upstairs so use them. I dropped one down the stairs and it didn't split so should be good enough to syphon in to, I bought 4 times 5 litre jerry cans as I'd rather do 2 trips with lighter ones.

 

[MagnusTS]

Thanks folks. All good advice, as always.

This is my current workflow (kit brews):

Fermenting - start off in the kitchen, dissolve and mix everything up in the FV, but only top up to about 15L with water. Then carry the half full FV up to the fermenting cupboard (most stable temperature in the house, and out of the way), and finish topping up to 23L with the FV in place in the cupboard.

Bottling - rack to a bottling bucket upstairs, and carefully carefully struggle downstairs with a 23L bucket of beer. Bottle in kitchen where it's easier for washing, sterilising and more space and less mess. I know one day I will drop the bucket on the stairs and that will be me divorced.

So, if I rack half to the bottling bucket and carry half full FV and half full bottling bucket downstairs that will definitely be much easier and less risk. But would I kick up a whole load of mess from the trub moving the half full FV?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I tried putting an FV on a trolley Chippy. I found you had to tilt it at too much of an angle.
Going up and down stairs might be OK though. I was filling my FV up in the laundry
and then moving it to the garage some 15 metres away. I now fill up to about 15 litres
and then carry it the garage. Then use a DJ to top up once in the garage before moving
it into the fermenting fridge.

I have used one of these 3 wheel trucks and you can keep the angle fairly steep because they move a lot easier than single wheel ones. :thumb:

 

[MyQul]

So, if I rack half to the bottling bucket and carry half full FV and half full bottling bucket downstairs that will definitely be much easier and less risk. But would I kick up a whole load of mess from the trub moving the half full FV?

Depends how careful you are. Once you've carried the half full FV downstairs just leave it for 30 mins and everything should be settled down again.

 

[Clint]

....sounds daft but has anyone with the upstairs and downstairs problem thought of running a pipe to the bottling bucket?

Cheers

Clint

 

[MyQul]

....sounds daft but has anyone with the upstairs and downstairs problem thought of running a pipe to the bottling bucket?

Cheers

Clint

Great lateral thinking. Most online HB shops sell plastic tubing which they'll cut to any length so you could just rack/syphon all the way down stairs :lol:

 

[Sbond10]

I have a fermenter from homebrew company with inbuilt handles I will never carry an fv via a wire handle.
Tho it still breaks my back my best advice is to ask for help tho if your wife is like mine I already know the response

 

[brumbrew]

I try if feasible to keep the fv up on a table or somewhere it won't be moved after fermentation. Suppose you could tap some out of the boil kettle and fill up the fv slowly one pot/Demi at a time. This aerating the wort to.

But if you move the fv, remember to crack the edge of the lid. As when you pick it up, sometimes the negative pressure can suck the weeks old air lock water into your precious brew.

 

[Gerryjo]

I purchased three 20 ltr containers recently from an agricultural supplier at £5 each which easily hold 23 ltr.Converted the lid with a 20mm stuffing gland and using to as fermentors as there was 5 brews on the go but now down to 4.They are great and sturdy and fill with hot water and fairy along with a long brush they can be cleaned:thumb: