Anyone use a carboy harness?

Beerbelly

Beerbelly

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Pros? Cons? I'm not getting any younger, if you know what I mean....
 
I have one for my 6 gallon fermonster. Don't know how I'd move it without it. I prefer to put it on before I fill it but that sometimes means having to wash the harness if it gets wort on it
 
jschein said:
Not a fan of them, they break. When I had carboys I used a milk crate
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Thanks for jogging my memory! I bought a glass carboy years ago that came with a bottled water crate; I no longer use glass, so I stored the crate out in my garage. Perfectly sized for my 6.5 gallon Big Mouth Bubbler:

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I have one but it's more strain on my back to lift the carboy with the sling rather than just hugging it.
Instead of lugging 5 to 6 gallons of wort down the steps to my bierstube, I built a frame that fits into my wheelbarrow to hold them in place while I wheel them to the back door of the basement.
 
Beerbelly said:
Thanks for jogging my memory! I bought a glass carboy years ago that came with a bottled water crate; I no longer use glass, so I stored the crate out in my garage. Perfectly sized for my 6.5 gallon Big Mouth Bubbler:

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Yeah I agree the plastic crate is the way to go. I use milk crates. I don't use carboys for beer only wine and cider for long term storage though
 
Brew Cat said:
Yeah I agree the plastic crate is the way to go. I use milk crates. I don't use carboys for beer only wine and cider for long term storage though
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Really anything with handles works as long as it's sturdy. Just don't cheap out if you buy a harness. Don't get the ones that look like mesh or netting, get the kind with the nice wide nylon straps.

The downside I could see with a milk crate is that based on where the handles are I think you'd have to lift it slightly higher to comfortably carry it
 
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If they are glass, replace them with plastic. Glass breaks and cuts flesh. But handles are a great idea, since many of us have bad backs and struggle to lift 40+ pounds of sloshing liquid. Handles can also facilitate using a pulley system to lift and lower them. A cart or moving dolly can help move them too.
 
Donoroto said:
If they are glass, replace them with plastic. Glass breaks and cuts flesh. But handles are a great idea, since many of us have bad backs and struggle to lift 40+ pounds of sloshing liquid. Handles can also facilitate using a pulley system to lift and lower them. A cart or moving dolly can help move them too.
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Yes, I got rid of my glass carboys years ago, replacing them with plastic Big Mouth Bubblers, and was also lucky enough to buy some of the Big Mouth Bubbler screw-on lid rings back then. The lids and the silicone seal require some modifications, but the "lifting lid" issue is non-existent now.
My issue with a full 6.5 Bubbler was getting underneath it to lift it, then hoisting it up; hard on a 73 year old back! This crate's handles are 14" off the floor, which should make lifting much easier.
 
Beerbelly said:
Pros? Cons? I'm not getting any younger, if you know what I mean....
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Know exactly what you mean. 69 here and also diagnosed with Essential Tremor this year. I’ve used harnesses on my glass carboys for over 25 years but with the tremors I usually have one of my buddies helping me lift them now. I can no longer go up & down the cellar stairs carrying equipment so much to my wife’s dismay I’ve taken over one of the spare bedrooms on the first floor as my brewery.
 
Anteakguy said:
Know exactly what you mean. 69 here and also diagnosed with Essential Tremor this year. I’ve used harnesses on my glass carboys for over 25 years but with the tremors I usually have one of my buddies helping me lift them now. I can no longer go up & down the cellar stairs carrying equipment so much to my wife’s dismay I’ve taken over one of the spare bedrooms on the first floor as my brewery.
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dude do yourself a favor and ditch the glass. Just get some buckets. Simple and safe and very easy to carry
 
I can't believe people still use glass carboys. Those were only used when nothing else was available. There is absolutely no advantage that I can see. Sorry
 
paulbern said:
I have them for my Big Mouth bubblers. The worst part is they can be a bit of a pain to get on the carboy. Other than that, they make life a lot easier.
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Same here. I use painters tape at the handles to keep the harness on but remove them when I wash at the end of the brew. Putting the harness on with the carboy upside down makes it a lot easier.
 
Beerbelly said:
Pros? Cons? I'm not getting any younger, if you know what I mean....
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I am 73 and still fermenting. About eight months ago, I built a three tap keezer. The down side: keeping it full is a lot of work. I prefer glass carboys. I don't trust plastic. I do have a harness, but I built a four wheel cart large enough to hold two car boys. Much easier !
 
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Same here but just 1wheel and 1 carboy with my rig.
 
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