No lift brewing

[BeerBottle]

Hello fellow brewers.
I recently (Aug) had hernia repair surgery done and as such have not been able to brew. I want to get back into it soon but I also want to avoid lifting where I can.
I am thinking of a trolley set up where I can wheel the fermenters around to a water filling point and then the final brewing area. If anyone has a set up and pictures they would like to share to help me with ideas I would appreciate it. I have a few ideas but would like to see what other people (if any) have.

BeerBottle

 

[Judanero]

Something like this:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/TABLE-TRUCK-CART-500KGS-TROLLEY-JACK-PALLET-HYDRAULIC-LIFT-SCISSOR-DOLLY-LIFT-/221604907764


Use them at work and they make things easy.

 

[superstock]

Check out Hare & Forbes before you buy. http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/Lifter-Trolleys
Consider carefully how much weight you want to lift & how high. If this is its only use, a lower capacity lift is a lot cheaper.

P,S I also have a small 180kg x 3m lift block and tackle for sale $40 brand new.

 

[S.E]

Hello fellow brewers.
I recently (Aug) had hernia repair surgery done and as such have not been able to brew. I want to get back into it soon but I also want to avoid lifting where I can.
I am thinking of a trolley set up where I can wheel the fermenters around to a water filling point and then the final brewing area. If anyone has a set up and pictures they would like to share to help me with ideas I would appreciate it. I have a few ideas but would like to see what other people (if any) have.

BeerBottle

Why do you want to take your fermenter to a water filling point? Are you kit brewing? If so how about bringing the water filling point to your fermenter with a potable water hose, would that work for you?

 

[pajs]

Fellow hernia-repair case here. I'd suggest having a period of smaller batches where you can avoid much lugging around. This gave me some micro batch ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs7ntKQrMf4

Failing that: embrace the pump.

Good luck with the recovery.

 

[fraser_john]

+1 for block and tackle, after my prolapsed disc (L7?) I could not lift bugger all for 18 months, doing much better now but have to be super careful about everything...AND it was a full conical fermenter that did it to me! So, I have been using a block and tackle, mounted to a roof joist. One of those flat trollys with a fermenter on it, drain into fermenter, wheel to where block and tackle is, hoist it up and then put fermenter on a cart with wheels. Heaps easier and heaps safer.

Good luck, only those of us with buggered backs really know the pain!

 

[S.E]

Fellow hernia-repair case here. I'd suggest having a period of smaller batches where you can avoid much lugging around. This gave me some micro batch ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs7ntKQrMf4

Failing that: embrace the pump.

Good luck with the recovery.

I was initially thinking embrace the pump but I think BeerBottle is probably a kit brewer and maybe just wants to top up the fermenter with cold water. However he/she is brewing there is no reason to carry the fermenter anywhere if using hose and pump.

 

[BeerBottle]

Why do you want to take your fermenter to a water filling point? Are you kit brewing? If so how about bringing the water filling point to your fermenter with a potable water hose, would that work for you?

At the moment I am kit brewing but hoping to move into all grain soon. I need to move the fermenter closer to the internal garage door (to fill) which is close to the laundry where i'm planning to run a hose from, or the alternative is a garden house from outside. there is a step from the garage to the house so I can't move it right into the laundry. The laundry is only about 5mtrs from the door so i'm thinking this is my best option.

 

[BeerBottle]

Fellow hernia-repair case here. I'd suggest having a period of smaller batches where you can avoid much lugging around. This gave me some micro batch ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs7ntKQrMf4

Failing that: embrace the pump.

Good luck with the recovery.

Funny you should post this. While I was laying on the couch after surgery I was on AppleTV looking at podcasts and came across this channel

 

[Batz]

Check out Hare & Forbes before you buy. http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/Lifter-Trolleys
Consider carefully how much weight you want to lift & how high. If this is its only use, a lower capacity lift is a lot cheaper.

Thanks SS, I've saved that site. One of those would suit me down to the ground.

Batz

 

[S.E]

At the moment I am kit brewing but hoping to move into all grain soon. I need to move the fermenter closer to the internal garage door (to fill) which is close to the laundry where i'm planning to run a hose from, or the alternative is a garden house from outside. there is a step from the garage to the house so I can't move it right into the laundry. The laundry is only about 5mtrs from the door so i'm thinking this is my best option.

While you are kit brewing use a potable water hose (available from Bunnings) not the garden hose preferably.

When you go all grain look into pumps. There are very few commercial breweries that move their fermenters about so it really isn’t necessary if you can’t for any reason.

 

[BeerBottle]

There are very few commercial breweries that move their fermenters about so it really isn’t necessary if you can’t for any reason.

The only reason I want to move it is to get the fermenters closer to a tap to fill using a hose from the laundry and, when I move into all grain, fill with water and move to a safer area to light up the gas burner. We all know what it's like carrying a lot of weight in front of you doing that weird waddle to get the fermenter to the table
Hopefully this is just a temporary fix until I build up the muscle strength so I don't blow my guts out lifting

 

[kelbygreen]

hmm 45 mins to make a 6 pack? Yeah its quick but can make 18 x that volume in 4 x the time with AG so know what I choose but my methods wont help your back, Unless you have a lift like posted then you can just slide stuff around or you get a helper and give them a 6 pack your still ahead of there time to volume made.

 

[BeerBottle]

Fellow hernia-repair case here. I'd suggest having a period of smaller batches where you can avoid much lugging around. This gave me some micro batch ideas

I'm thinking this may be the way to go for the short term until I fully recover and get everything set up.

 

[brewermp]

I hooked up a clear tube to the water tank not garden hose as I didn't want any off flavours.

 

[kelbygreen]

clear tube? thats prob vinyl or something, Doubt you will get any less flavours then using a garden hose.

 

[S.E]

The only reason I want to move it is to get the fermenters closer to a tap to fill using a hose from the laundry and, when I move into all grain, fill with water and move to a safer area to light up the gas burner. We all know what it's like carrying a lot of weight in front of you doing that weird waddle to get the fermenter to the table
Hopefully this is just a temporary fix until I build up the muscle strength so I don't blow my guts out lifting

I don’t think I’m making myself clear. MOVE THE TAP CLOSER TO THE FV rather than move the fv to the tap. It just occurred to me you may be thinking I was suggesting an open ended and uncontrollable hose to fill up the fermenter, just to clarify, I was thinking a tap at the fermenter end of the hose to control and stop the flow.

 

[Batz]

. There are very few commercial breweries that move their fermenters about so it really isn’t necessary if you can’t for any reason.

I may be or may not be a bit older than you..but
I think a lift table would be great to move fermenters into and out of my fridges, then up it goes for racking into kegs or gravity filtering. Also good to load my tool boxes in the beast when going of to work. Just need a few more non-brewing uses to pass the you know what

Batz

 

[Grott]

Hi, I use this very robust trolley got fom Bunnings for about 25 bucks. Goes in every direction and inverted to crates on it to suit the height required. Also excellent for shifting full crates of grog about. Very stable.

Trust this helps.

 

[BeerBottle]

I don’t think I’m making myself clear. MOVE THE TAP CLOSER TO THE FV rather than move the fv to the tap. It just occurred to me you may be thinking I was suggesting an open ended and uncontrollable hose to fill up the fermenter, just to clarify, I was thinking a tap at the fermenter end of the hose to control and stop the flow.

Thanks. I understand what you were saying. I still want to get it closer so I only have to run 5m of hose instead of 10 or 15m. Last time I bought a meter of the hose it cost a bloody fortune. I will have a tap at the fill end like you suggested.