Moving and installing distillery equipment requires specialized crane and rigging services due to heavy weights, extreme heights, and easily damaged materials like copper. Whether you are installing a 500-liter startup system or a large multi-column continuous still, expect to spend anywhere from $1,500 for a straightforward single-day installation using a small mobile crane, to upwards of $10,000 for multi-day lifts requiring street closures and large all-terrain cranes.
Typical Weights and Dimensions
Before you hire a crane or get an accurate quote, you need to know exactly what you are lifting. Your equipment manufacturer will provide a specification sheet, but here are the baseline numbers based on standard commercial distillery sizes.
Pot Stills
Weight depends heavily on capacity, metal thickness, and material.
- 500-Liter (132-Gallon) Stills: These typically weigh between 1,100 and 3,500 pounds depending on whether they are traditional alembic or commercial hybrid systems. They are usually 3.3 to 11.2 feet wide and 10 to 16 feet tall. They can often be moved with heavy-duty forklifts once inside the building.
- 1,000-Liter (264-Gallon) Stills: These weigh between 1,100 and 3,500 pounds. Dimensions often reach 6 feet in width and 12 to 18 feet in height. Lifting these off a truck requires a mobile crane.
- Large Production Stills (2,000+ Liters): These units easily exceed 5,000 pounds and require overhead clearance. Moving these pieces inside a building often requires machinery skates and hydraulic gantries.
Rectification Columns
Columns present a unique challenge because of their extreme height and fragility.
- Vodka and Gin Columns: A 20-plate column can stand 18 to 25 feet tall.
- Weight vs. Height: While tall, they often weigh between 500 and 1,200 pounds depending on the diameter. The primary risk is bending the column during the initial lift.
Mash Tuns and Fermentation Tanks
Stainless steel mash tuns and fermenters are bulky and heavy. A 1,000-liter jacketed fermentation tank (which features double walls for cooling liquid) often weighs over 1,000 pounds empty. If your facility requires six of these tanks, the installation process will take an entire day of continuous crane operation just to offload the flatbeds and stage the tanks.
Cost Expectations for Crane and Rigging Services
Budgeting for your installation is about more than just the hourly rate of the crane. The total cost depends on the crane size, job duration, distance moved, and manpower needed.
Crane Rental Costs
Cranes are priced based on lifting capacity and type.
- Small Mobile Cranes (15 to 40 Ton Capacity): These truck-mounted cranes work for smaller pot stills and individual tanks. If your equipment is light and the crane can park close to the building entrance, expect to pay between $145 and $285 per hour. Most crane companies enforce a four-hour minimum, meaning your base cost starts around $580 to $1,140.
- Large All-Terrain Cranes (50 to 100+ Ton Capacity): If you are lifting heavy equipment over the roof, or if the crane must park far away, you need a larger crane. Lifting 3,000 pounds 80 feet away requires a large machine. These cranes cost between $225 and $550 per hour. With setup time, mobilization fees, and minimum hourly requirements, expect a full-day job to cost $2,500 to $6,000.
Rigging Crew and Manpower
You pay separately for the rigging crew—the professionals on the ground who attach the slings and guide the equipment.
- Riggers: The billable rate for a certified rigger is typically between $85 and $125 per hour. For a distillery installation, you need at least two riggers. For an eight-hour day, budget $1,360 to $2,000 for the rigging crew alone.
Additional Installation Costs
- Permits and Street Closures: If the crane must park on a public street, you pay for municipal permits, parking meter buyouts, and traffic control personnel. This adds $500 to $2,000 and requires weeks of advance notice to the city.
- Specialty Gear Rentals: If your installation requires spreader bars, custom nylon slings to protect the copper, or machinery skates to move equipment indoors, the rigging company may charge a rental fee for this gear.
Planning the Installation Day
A successful installation requires weeks of preparation. Do not wait until the equipment is in transit to plan the path of travel.
Measuring Access Points
- Measure the exact height and width of roll-up doors, regular access doors, and internal hallways.
- Account for the height of the lifting equipment. If your door is 12 feet tall, and your still is 10 feet tall, you only have two feet of clearance. The lifting slings, steel shackles, and the crane hook take up space. You may not have enough room to lift the still through the door using a crane. In these cases, the equipment must be lowered onto machinery skates outside and rolled in.
Floor Loading and Foundation
Distillery equipment is heavy. A 1,000-liter tank holds over 2,200 pounds of liquid when full. Your concrete floor must support this weight, plus the weight of the equipment, plus a forklift driving over it during installation. If your concrete is thin, you may need to pour new concrete footings before installation begins.
Site Preparation for the Crane
The crane needs a safe, stable place to operate.
Ground Conditions and Underground Utilities
Cranes use heavy metal outriggers to stabilize the machine. If the ground is soft, the crane could tip over. The underlying surface must be structurally sound.
Before deciding where the crane will park, ensure there are no underground utilities beneath the outriggers. The downward pressure of a working crane can crush underground water mains, gas lines, sewer pipes, or buried electrical conduits. Work with local utility companies to mark lines before the crane arrives.
Overhead Obstructions
Look up at the proposed lifting path. The crane requires vertical space to raise its boom and swing the load. OSHA standard 29 CFR 1926.1408 mandates strict minimum clearance distances from live power lines (typically 10 to 20 feet depending on the voltage). If you cannot maintain this distance, you will pay the utility company to de-energize or wrap the lines.
Actionable Steps for Distillery Owners
To avoid costly delays and protect your investment, take these actions when preparing for delivery.
1. Request Detailed Specifications from the Manufacturer
Demand a complete specification sheet that includes:
- The exact dry weight of every individual component.
- The exact dimensions of the equipment on the shipping pallet.
- The center of gravity location for awkwardly shaped items.
- The manufacturer’s recommended lifting points.
2. Hire the Rigging Company Early
Start interviewing crane and rigging contractors four to six weeks in advance. Provide the manufacturer’s specification sheet so they can determine the required crane size and protective rigging gear.
3. Conduct an On-Site Walkthrough
Demand that the rigging company send a representative to conduct a site walk before providing a binding quote. They need to see the access points, measure doors, inspect concrete, evaluate parking, and check for overhead power lines.
4. Verify Specialized Insurance Coverage
Standard business liability insurance will not cover a dropped copper still. Verify the rigging company carries adequate “hook liability” or “riggers liability” insurance. Ensure their policy limits are high enough to cover the replacement cost of your most expensive single piece of equipment.
5. Clear the Installation Path Completely
On the day of the installation, you pay the rigging crew a high hourly rate.
- Clear all construction debris, hand tools, scaffolding, and inventory from the installation area.
- Ensure the path from the receiving door to the final installation spot is unobstructed.
- Mark the exact final position of the equipment on the floor using visible tape or chalk lines. This prevents confusion and stops the riggers from having to lift and adjust the equipment multiple times.