On 2/16/2006 8:19 AM, DAve Allison wrote:
[snipped]
> As far as moving, this also bugged me when I first started. If you have
> plastic carboys, move it a few days, I move 4 days in advance, since it
> will kick up more. Glass will not stretch and bulge when you pick it up,
> but the movement up the steps will be a lot. Suggest getting a "handle"
> for carboys if you can buy one, as I find that makes less movement of
> the sediment when carrying in that position versus, picking up.

DAve,

I have a few carboy handles, the rubber coated metal kind that bolts
onto the neck of the carboy in a semi-permanent fashion. All of them
came with the warning that they were for carrying the carboy only while
empty. I've also heard tales (but have thankfully never experienced
this myself) of the neck of the carboy being snapped off while carrying
it full with a carboy handle. I'd suggest caution supplemented by a lot
of support from the bottom if you use this kind of handle to lift your
full carboys. I use a milk crate, a cardboard box, or just lift the
carboy from the bottom and sides when I need to move one. Even in the
milk crate or box I always support from the bottom.

To the OP I suggest racking off of the lees and more time aging for
further clarity prior to bottling.


Cheers,
Ken Taborek