Getting new fermenters - any vids / info on how to get them upright?

[fastricky]

There's a 5' clearance from the top of the tank to our ceiling so a ceiling beam hoist ain't gonna work... I know this can be done with a forklift pulling it up and perhaps a 2nd forklift holding it back once it gets past the halfway point. But what braced the legs to pivot?

All ideas welcome!

[fastricky]

I should mention these are 90 bbls...

[schmogger]

Sent a PM.

[Fausto Yu-Shan]

Tandem Lift

The following link may help you:

http://siddiqkhatri.blogspot.com/2013_03_01_archive.html

or

http://thefullpint.com/beer-news/breckenridge-updates-us-on-expansion-w-pics/

[Matt Dog]

With tanks that big hire a rigging company and save yourself the worry. They will be insured and know what they are doing.

[DowneastCider]

Check out our facebook page. We had some construction guys bring a mini crane into our space to help lift our 2 x 20' tall 4000 gallon fermenters (ceiling is sloped from 20' to a little over 25').

If the link below does not work just look for Downeast Cider on facebook and go to Photos > Albums > New Tanks

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.512116015521552.1073741825.156544961078661&type=3

[fastricky]

Check out our facebook page. We had some construction guys bring a mini crane into our space to help lift our 2 x 20' tall 4000 gallon fermenters (ceiling is sloped from 20' to a little over 25').

If the link below does not work just look for Downeast Cider on facebook and go to Photos > Albums > New Tanks

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1078661&type=3

OK, looks like a very similar situation to what we'll have... there's a bit of a gap in the placement of the tank tho' in the pics. You're using the truck to lift one end but what happens when the top of the tank gets close to the ceiling? All I can see is the truck arm is above the tank to lift it initially but that wouldn't have worked when you get closer towards the ceiling...

[fastricky]

The following link may help you:

http://siddiqkhatri.blogspot.com/2013_03_01_archive.html

or

http://thefullpint.com/beer-news/bre...ansion-w-pics/

Thanks for the links but we're working indoors with minimal headspace above the tanks...

[DowneastCider]

OK, looks like a very similar situation to what we'll have... there's a bit of a gap in the placement of the tank tho' in the pics. You're using the truck to lift one end but what happens when the top of the tank gets close to the ceiling? All I can see is the truck arm is above the tank to lift it initially but that wouldn't have worked when you get closer towards the ceiling...

At that point a forklift pulled a strap tied to the leg of the fermenter. This caused it to tip and fall on all 4 legs. No the most graceful, definitely stressful, but it got the job done.

[fastricky]

At that point a forklift pulled a strap tied to the leg of the fermenter. This caused it to tip and fall on all 4 legs. No the most graceful, definitely stressful, but it got the job done.

Ah gotcha, hey it worked! We will probably do something identical, thanks!

[lhall]

Here is how we did a bunch of ours, 80 and 120 bbls:

1. Take the forks off your fork lift
2. Use a short strap attached to the bottom lifting lug on the top of the fermenter and to the mast of the forklift.
3. Put some scrap carpet or something between the mast of the forklift and the top of the fermenter so you don't scrape it up
4. Start lifting straight up on the fermenter with the forklift. The top of the fermenter will be resting against the mast of the forklift
5. Lift straight up until two of the legs touch the ground. Once you get the tank about 50 degrees up, you can start gently driving the forklift forward so that the tank continues to pivot on the two legs on the ground.
6. Now for the tricky part. You will get to a point where the tank is at a tipping point. You want to carefully lift straight up so that you still have tension on the strap, and then gently drive forward until the other two feet are on the ground.

Make sure that the strap you use is not too long or you won't be able to lift up high enough to maintain tension on the tank. You said five feet from the top of the fermenter to the roof? So probably use a four foot strap.

Your results may vary, and if you aren't confident then get a professional rigger. But we've raised and lowered dozens of tanks this way and it probably took me longer to type this post than to raise a tank.

[fastricky]

Here is how we did a bunch of ours, 80 and 120 bbls:

1. Take the forks off your fork lift
2. Use a short strap attached to the bottom lifting lug on the top of the fermenter and to the mast of the forklift.
3. Put some scrap carpet or something between the mast of the forklift and the top of the fermenter so you don't scrape it up
4. Start lifting straight up on the fermenter with the forklift. The top of the fermenter will be resting against the mast of the forklift
5. Lift straight up until two of the legs touch the ground. Once you get the tank about 50 degrees up, you can start gently driving the forklift forward so that the tank continues to pivot on the two legs on the ground.
6. Now for the tricky part. You will get to a point where the tank is at a tipping point. You want to carefully lift straight up so that you still have tension on the strap, and then gently drive forward until the other two feet are on the ground.

Make sure that the strap you use is not too long or you won't be able to lift up high enough to maintain tension on the tank. You said five feet from the top of the fermenter to the roof? So probably use a four foot strap.

Your results may vary, and if you aren't confident then get a professional rigger. But we've raised and lowered dozens of tanks this way and it probably took me longer to type this post than to raise a tank.

Very helpful, thanks!

[Commercial Mach]

Here is a video of how we stood up 10 - 240BBL Fermenters at Elysian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1HF52NreYQ

We later discovered that the crane in this video was not recently certified, and got a big DMAG that we had outside and dropped the line in through a skylight. I believe there was less than five feet clearance at the top on this job. I am the one with the Seahawks hardhat. I also have the full length videos if you would like to see more. I can travel...

Dan McDonough
Commercial Machinery