Splitting 6-gallon kits to 2x 3-gallon

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kyle5434

Trying to fuse frugal/pragmatic with good results
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I'm sort of thinking ahead here...

Right now, as a 54-year-old of average strength, I can generally manage lifting/moving a 6-gallon glass carboy of wine across a room or from room to room. But as the effects of age inevitably make their presence known, I'm thinking I should have a plan for dealing with that reality.

So it seems like the most straightforward solution would be to split a 6-gallon kit into two 3-gallon batches. Given that most kits now start with warm water + bentonite, then adding the juice and topping off to 6-gallons, it seems like the easiest solution might be to add a spigot to a 7.9 gallon bucket, mix up the bentonite + juice + water, then transfer to 2 different primary fermentation vessels (stirring during the xfer in an effort to make sure the bentonite gets distributed to both vessels). It seems to me that in addition to being easier to move around, this would also enable more experimentation - using different yeast, oaking, etc. in each 3-gallon batch. (Now if only the Fermonster folks would release their promised 3-gallon version...)

Does anyone see any weaknesses in such a plan?
 
I'm sort of thinking ahead here...

Right now, as a 54-year-old of average strength, I can generally manage lifting/moving a 6-gallon glass carboy of wine across a room or from room to room. But as the effects of age inevitably make their presence known, I'm thinking I should have a plan for dealing with that reality.

So it seems like the most straightforward solution would be to split a 6-gallon kit into two 3-gallon batches. Given that most kits now start with warm water + bentonite, then adding the juice and topping off to 6-gallons, it seems like the easiest solution might be to add a spigot to a 7.9 gallon bucket, mix up the bentonite + juice + water, then transfer to 2 different primary fermentation vessels (stirring during the xfer in an effort to make sure the bentonite gets distributed to both vessels). It seems to me that in addition to being easier to move around, this would also enable more experimentation - using different yeast, oaking, etc. in each 3-gallon batch. (Now if only the Fermonster folks would release their promised 3-gallon version...)

Does anyone see any weaknesses in such a plan?
Why move full carboys around when you can simply transfer via vacuum pump?
 
55 here. There are few others here who have talked about using all 3 gl carboys for the same reasons. I've been purchasing plastic milk crates for my 5 & 6 gl, carboys, they are a lot easier to pick up an move around in one plus I picked up the AIO wine pump this past fall. Between the two wine life is a lot easier.
 
Get a longer length of tubing and rack down into the basement. A well hidden hole upstairs in a cabinet or something similar, PVC sleeve to guide the tubing between floors. 10+ foot vertical drop would suck that wine down to the basement pronto!! Kill two birds with one stone.
 
I'm sort of thinking ahead here...

Right now, as a 54-year-old of average strength, I can generally manage lifting/moving a 6-gallon glass carboy of wine across a room or from room to room. But as the effects of age inevitably make their presence known, I'm thinking I should have a plan for dealing with that reality.

So it seems like the most straightforward solution would be to split a 6-gallon kit into two 3-gallon batches. Given that most kits now start with warm water + bentonite, then adding the juice and topping off to 6-gallons, it seems like the easiest solution might be to add a spigot to a 7.9 gallon bucket, mix up the bentonite + juice + water, then transfer to 2 different primary fermentation vessels (stirring during the xfer in an effort to make sure the bentonite gets distributed to both vessels). It seems to me that in addition to being easier to move around, this would also enable more experimentation - using different yeast, oaking, etc. in each 3-gallon batch. (Now if only the Fermonster folks would release their promised 3-gallon version...)

Does anyone see any weaknesses in such a plan?


I have no issues moving carboys upstairs and wherever but i could imagine it being annoying that one would not be able to move it around. Seems like twice the amount of work to split it up and twice the amount of potential contamination to deal with. I would get a pump and if you are moving to clear in a cooler area get a dolly of the sorts. Of course the other option you can get a dolly and fabricate some sort of mechanism that raises it higher. Princess auto sells these small transmission carts that have a hydraulic lift but they can be pricey and not well suited for inside. The other option i guess is to dedicate an area (hopefully a basement or garage and rig up a block and tackle pulley system and affix it to the joists. OR build a 2x4 cage around the carboy location with the block and tackle, when its in the air just slip a table or stool under to raise the carboy. The same principal would apply for putting in on the dolly.
 
I do a lot of rehab/renovation work at Temple Hospital. Took home a 2 older hospital bed tables they were tossing.
Holds full 6 gal carboys very well as long as carboy is positioned on the attached side to distribute the weight straight down to base.
They didn’t stay in use very long just because it was totally unnecessary and took up space. I tossed em. But could come in very handy for all you old geezers! :) set at any height from maybe 1’6” to 4’6” and on wheels.
Ps - stash away your senior citizens discount savings from going to the movies and out towards new equipment. [emoji851]. J/k. Tables were handy though.
IMG_1516238524.527438.jpg
 

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