+1. We are Homebrewers. We are have ingenuity bred into us by necessity;)
I would argue that it’s impossible to lift a carboy in and out of a chest freezer correctly. The wall prevents you from getting it close to your body or using your legs.
This is a good common sense suggestion. Thanks. I don’t get the suggestions for an upright freezer. All the ones I’ve seen have the coils as integral parts of the shelves. No room to accommodate a 5 g carboy. Upright refrigerators yes. Is there any reason to consider a freezer superior to a refrigerator? We don’t actually ever take fermentation down to 0 degrees do we?
I crash at 32° often. Some argue that freezers are more efficient due to thicker insulation. Compared to chest freezers, upright freezers are expensive new. That said, my next ferm fridge will be an upright.
Also, with an upright fridge/freezer every one opens the door the cold air flows out. So it’ll cost a bit more in kW. I can see placing a carboy or bucket into an upright just as or more awkward to handle and dangerous to the back as a chest freezer.
If you are putting carboys into the chest freezer then get an orange carboy cap which has two holes. You can put a racking cane in the big hole and add co2 through the little hole and the beer will flow out through the racking can into a keg, secondary or bottle. This way you don’t have to lift the full carboy out of the freezer which can be pretty tough.
I have no desire to argue, but I think it would be much easier to get a carboy or conical in and out of an upright than a chest freezer. There is no wall to lift it over, and you can snuggle right up against whatever you are lifting. Additionally the bottom of an upright is a foot-plus off the floor height already, so one would just have to grab, slide it out and set it down.
I intend to pump into the conical in my upright, then gravity drain it into a keg. No heavy lifting needed.
I think a conical indeed would be easier. A heavy glass carboy no- unless it was in a crate. I just think picking up something heavy then extending the weight forwards seems hazardous to the back. Especially while crouching. Anyway, pushing something instead of heaving forwards would be better.
I had considered putting wheels on my freezers and rolling them around. Can a conical of decent size even fit inside a chest freezer?
Other than the obvious difference, there’s an invisible difference. Uprights spill all the cold air when you open. Chests not so much
If everyone is so concerned with the chest freezer vs back thing, why not use wine coolers for each fermenter?
I have three of those for fermenting and can control each fermenter individually.
There is a guy in this thread from another forum demoing racking from a Speidel from inside a chest freezer using CO2.
I use uprights for fermentation and serving. They are easy to get heavy things in and out of. Uprights are the best. But I guess if I used chest freezers, then they would be the best. There are pros and cons to both and care must always be used when lifting. I like the wine cooler suggestion but I’m a poor boy and those are difficult to find used.
Because they’re wine coolers, silly. They won’t cool beer. 
I like that. That must be the 60L but according to the spec it shouldn’t fit in the freezer. Mine is only 15" wide and the speidel is 15.75". Perhaps all freezers are not exactly the same but that looks like a 7cu- same as mine. It does look like the sides are touching the walls.
I was wondering when somebody would pop in with an engine hoist.
That is the cleanest engine hoist I’ve ever seen, especially in a kitchen. I’m not even mad, I’m impressed.
That’s crazy! Just when you thought you’ve seen it all…
It must be a big block carboy. Probably has a 4 barrel carburetor. ;D
Paul
Well, sorry everyone! I must admit, I did Photoshop Miley out of there. But, I am still calling it Wreckin’ Ball IPA!