So I am moving into having more long term batches than I have ready table space, as with my fermentation chamber I want to go vertical!
Also, I want to proudly display batches of apfelwein and the like somewhere not in a closet so these need to look interesting.
Ive seen some really cool old demijohn crates that are the bulk of my inspiration for this project and I have started drafting a design in sketchup.
First some issues Ive seen with various examples online:
This guy doesnt look easy or safe to stack:
... Unless you get in the pyramid formation which doesnt meet the safe criteria:
This guy looks resilient, though it seems as if it would impede access to the neck/airlock especially when stacked:
These guys look nice, not crazy about the vertical extensions but we are getting close
I cant of course locate the image I found last night that I consider my design a direct derivative of, because my computer promptly crashed after seeing that work of beauty and I had to try and remember as much as I could to come up with whats below.
The vertical slats and the two boards at the top should hold the carboy fairly securely and given that all the examples I have found are seem to be made from 1x stock, this seems like it should work.
The boards at the top will be held in with thumbscrews (I got a sweet box of these gifted from my grandfather). I would like to design a hole pattern that will allow me some adjustment with board spacing and was thinking that I should be able to do some maths and drill 3 holes in the slat, and insert two threaded thingys into the band that given proper spacing of all 5 holes should afford an amount of flexibility.
If anyone is good at maths and wants to chime in, I have other smaller fish to fry at the moment and would love any advice.
I am wondering structurally if for the two "bands" that wrap all the way around the longer of the pieces should be on the same side of the crate or rotated 90d like in the design. I thought it may be more secure but aesthetically I think I would prefer a uniform face.
The crates stack with a 3/4" bit of 2x2 sticking out of the top band and into a 3/4" recess in the bottom band.
I made a smaller "stacker" that will let me stack ontop of carboy with an airlock, and I will have to assemble one crate to determine the final height for that guy, but Im hoping that it will let me squeeze in a racking cane so I can legit let the carboy sit undisturbed for 6+ months and rack without moving.
I simply copied the bands that I used for the carboy crate for uniformity, though Im thinking I ned to do better as it looks cumbersome and like it may block some access to the mouth of the carboy.
Also it can be used to elevate the carboy while im racking into it depending on the situation.
Or it could be used to display a single carboy crate and keep the airlock activity a little farther away from my dogs nose.
Let me know what yall think, I am going to start looking for reclaimed lumber and would love some feedback on potential issues or improvements that could be made.
Also, I want to proudly display batches of apfelwein and the like somewhere not in a closet so these need to look interesting.
Ive seen some really cool old demijohn crates that are the bulk of my inspiration for this project and I have started drafting a design in sketchup.
First some issues Ive seen with various examples online:
This guy doesnt look easy or safe to stack:
... Unless you get in the pyramid formation which doesnt meet the safe criteria:
This guy looks resilient, though it seems as if it would impede access to the neck/airlock especially when stacked:
These guys look nice, not crazy about the vertical extensions but we are getting close
I cant of course locate the image I found last night that I consider my design a direct derivative of, because my computer promptly crashed after seeing that work of beauty and I had to try and remember as much as I could to come up with whats below.
The vertical slats and the two boards at the top should hold the carboy fairly securely and given that all the examples I have found are seem to be made from 1x stock, this seems like it should work.
The boards at the top will be held in with thumbscrews (I got a sweet box of these gifted from my grandfather). I would like to design a hole pattern that will allow me some adjustment with board spacing and was thinking that I should be able to do some maths and drill 3 holes in the slat, and insert two threaded thingys into the band that given proper spacing of all 5 holes should afford an amount of flexibility.
If anyone is good at maths and wants to chime in, I have other smaller fish to fry at the moment and would love any advice.
I am wondering structurally if for the two "bands" that wrap all the way around the longer of the pieces should be on the same side of the crate or rotated 90d like in the design. I thought it may be more secure but aesthetically I think I would prefer a uniform face.
The crates stack with a 3/4" bit of 2x2 sticking out of the top band and into a 3/4" recess in the bottom band.
I made a smaller "stacker" that will let me stack ontop of carboy with an airlock, and I will have to assemble one crate to determine the final height for that guy, but Im hoping that it will let me squeeze in a racking cane so I can legit let the carboy sit undisturbed for 6+ months and rack without moving.
I simply copied the bands that I used for the carboy crate for uniformity, though Im thinking I ned to do better as it looks cumbersome and like it may block some access to the mouth of the carboy.
Also it can be used to elevate the carboy while im racking into it depending on the situation.
Or it could be used to display a single carboy crate and keep the airlock activity a little farther away from my dogs nose.
Let me know what yall think, I am going to start looking for reclaimed lumber and would love some feedback on potential issues or improvements that could be made.