Brewing with a bad back

[Shoit]

After a medically enforced break from brewing due to spinal surgery I am ready to recommence my young AG brewing career. However, I seriously need to consider ways to reduce lifting and potential strain on my back.

I'm looking for any advice on ways to improve things - i'm considering building some sort of frame to position the empty HLT, MT and Boiler on and possibly a pump to avoid moving liquid from Boiler etc. I'm also wondering whether its possible to ferment in 2x 3gallon fermenters and split a batch rather than having one fermenter to lift.

Any suggestions and advice gratefully received.

Kevin

[Tricky]

Splitting brews should work fine for most parts of the brewing process, I think, but it means twice as many vessels to clean and more risk of infection. I think a frame and pump arrangement would be easier.

[Shoit]

What's a pump likely to cost and how technically minded do i need to be to get one rigged up? I'm still very much a novice but know this will be a long term hobby!

Kev

[Aleman]

Crap back here too. Pumps definitely make life easier. Although a pair of 2L jugs can be used just as successfully. Fill One jug . . . swap run off tube into second . . . First jug into next vessel . . . repeat. Never need to lift more than 2 Litres.

[micromaniac]

this home brew stuff must realy be bad for the spine my backs on borrowed time too i jug most of my wort about now got a 5 ltr jug off net, it takes no time at all

[Shoit]

thanks for all the replies - think ill invest in a pump I'm sure it'll be worth it in the long run...other than that, seems like the best plan is to move little and often!

Kev

[speedtripledan]

I,m another bad backed brewer, i just grin and bear and take pain killers on the day. building / working on my lotus 7 kit car is even worse for it. Old Age is great ! i,m only 38 and and fallen to bits

[Nunfa1]

Wouldn't one of those small 12v pumps that are talked about on here do the job? It does mention pumping up to 2m so I would've thought they'd be just about perfect.

[johnmac]

I can't see the need for heavy lifting or a pump - I fill my HLT with a hose - gravity takes the water from that to the mash tun and then from the mash tun to a bucket. I carry small amounts from the bucket to the boiler. The cooled run off from the boiler is then carried to the fermenter in manageable amounts and gravity takes the beer from the fermenter to the keg. So the only heavy thing I move is a full corny and I don't have to lift that more than an inch off the floor.

[leewink]

I found the perfect pump for you, 12v heres the thread title on it, you can find it further down the list on this grain brewing q and a thread section ....

"thought i'd share this, cheap foodgrade pump for sparge .... "

20 odd quid, and a el cheapo transformer, job done

lee

[hotmog]

The only lifting I have to do is to carry the full 5 gal fermenter from my outside "brew-bog" into the cellar. Prior to that, once the boil is over and the cooling has finished, I hoist the full boiler on to the middle shelf using this pulley - just over 7 quid on eBay. Then I can just run off the wort into the fermenter by gravity.



I do use a pump, but that's for circulating the water from my twin inter-connected 135 litre water butts through the cooling coil - an entirely closed system which means that no water is wasted.

[chivelegs]

I've just used that 12V pump on my latest brew and it works an absolute treat, ran it at 6V with the tap part closed for recirculating and 9V to pump up to a boiler on a table. Bingo! no lifting 25 litres of wort.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=32137

[pantsmachine]

Pumps are a good way to go to relieve the strain. Building a bench to allow you to work at your standing height will be a boost as well. Also worth plumbing water into your brewing area if you can.

[Shoit]

Thanks for all the good suggestions - looks like loads of ways to make this easier - just got to plan a little more!

Kev