Brewing with a crook back

[ekul]

Hey guys,

About two years ago I got hit by a car on a bicycle and did my back.

Pretty much since then I have hardly brewed just because I can't lift stuff without getting laid up in bed for a couple days afterwards. Basically if I want to do a brew I have to stand there and direct my wife to do it. She does so much for me already so Id really like to work out how to do this myself. She also struggles to lift a 20L fermenter and a 18L keg.

Does anyone in a similar situation have any tips for putting down a brew with a crook back? I have a grainfather, 2x 20L brew buckets, a fermenting fridge in the shed and a keg fridge in the house (about 50m from the shed with the fermenting fridge).

Cheers

 

[Roosterboy]

Its hard to suggest things on such a personal and individual situation but all I can think of is the BIAC system by brewha which would simplify it all info 1 system. But very expensive and you have to read the cases where people have destroyed it by accident.

 

[MHB]

I know what you mean about a bad back...
Careful planning and gravity can be very effective. Laying out your brewhouse so you move the heavy stuff to the top (mostly water) with a hose and grain in small portions with a scoop, arrange it so it will run to the fermenter, and from there to the keg without lifting.
A small dolly about the same height as the bottom of the fridge can make moving the kegs to or from the fridge again without lifting (just sliding).
Planning and careful layout can be a big help.

Depending on your budget something like this might be a big help (not just for brewing)
Mark

 

[solidute]

There could be some mechanical aids to help with the lifting. Still be a pain in the rear but you'd eventually find a solution that works well for you.

 

[gabbawocky]

If you BIAB then you could setup your kettle on a table, fill it with water using a hose and attach your grain bag to a block and tackle pulley system or an electric hoist (some ideas here: https://aussiehomebrewer.com/threads/biab-hoisting-or-pulley-system.45311/).

That would make it easier to deal with the grain and once you've finished your boil you could fill your fermenter direct from the kettle using gravity (or a pump?).

As MHB said a lift table trolley should make it easy to move your fermenter to wherever it needs to sit.

 

[sstacey]

The best thing I did was to build a dedicated brew stand and the mash tun on a tipping hinge so that I can empty and wash it out without having to lift anything. I fill the kettle using a hose (not lifting water buckets). Just go through your process systematically and engineer out the worst lifting parts.

 

[Engibeer]

Pressurised transfer from fermenter to keg using CO2?