Brewing With a Bad Back

Donoroto

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Recently I mildly tweaked my back. It's just a muscle thing, but I've had a weak L5 all my life and so need to be careful. For the past 4-5 weeks I've been rebuilding a small retaining wall at my house, lifting 85-pound wall blocks, digging dirt, moving gravel, all without trouble. I lift a half-shovelful of dirt the wrong way, and Bam!

At the moment I need rest, so anything more than 3 or 4 pounds cannot be lifted in front. I can lift 15-20 pounds if I hold it behind my back, since different muscles are used. in a week or three I'll be fine I think.

Meanwhile, I'm almost out of beer, with about 2 gallons of the Ukrainian Belgian left in the keg. Brewing involves lifting, sometimes just 9 pounds of grain, or an empty pot. How do you manage these tasks? I can actually manage the big stuff - pulley system for the spent grain, a friend for the full fermenter - but what about the smaller stuff?

Thoughts include large doses of ibuprofen, my TENS machine turned up to 10, or bribing the friend to handle most of it (he is a homebrewer too). Smaller batches don't buy me much, almost all of it weighs the same either way.
 

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Recently I mildly tweaked my back. It's just a muscle thing, but I've had a weak L5 all my life and so need to be careful. For the past 4-5 weeks I've been rebuilding a small retaining wall at my house, lifting 85-pound wall blocks, digging dirt, moving gravel, all without trouble. I lift a half-shovelful of dirt the wrong way, and Bam!

At the moment I need rest, so anything more than 3 or 4 pounds cannot be lifted in front. I can lift 15-20 pounds if I hold it behind my back, since different muscles are used. in a week or three I'll be fine I think.

Meanwhile, I'm almost out of beer, with about 2 gallons of the Ukrainian Belgian left in the keg. Brewing involves lifting, sometimes just 9 pounds of grain, or an empty pot. How do you manage these tasks? I can actually manage the big stuff - pulley system for the spent grain, a friend for the full fermenter - but what about the smaller stuff?

Thoughts include large doses of ibuprofen, my TENS machine turned up to 10, or bribing the friend to handle most of it (he is a homebrewer too). Smaller batches don't buy me much, almost all of it weighs the same either way.
Love your work Don!
That looks specky mate!
If i built something like that I'd be gloating about it lol:).

Ok so ways I reduce lifting in my H brewery @Craigerrr had a zoom tour on how I go about it.

So my brew stand is on wheels.
Wheel that over to the filter outlet.
Hook pump return hose into filter outlet (fill from bottom).

You could mill your grain directly into your mashtun but might need to lift them grains.

On brew day once knock-out is reached I pump the wort directly onto my fermentation vessal.

So place fermenter in designated ferm chamber and using long silicon return (kettle) hose pump in wort onto yeast.

Place cleaned purged recieving keg into keezer.

Once fermentation is complete wheel over ferm chamber and pressure transfer using c02 fermented beer into recieving keg.

No pull a pint of beer off the tap and finally lift that beer to your mouth.

So takeaway
Castors fit them to everything.
Pump use pump to push prefermented wort.
Push Co2 to transfer fermented beer.

Long silicon hoses for hot side

Long beer lines for cold side.
And I've got a long c02 keezer line for transfers.

Hope that helps

Also ratchet pulley is good if your got a roof mount.
Ask @BarbarianBrewer about his awesome setup.
 
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Don, I'm so sorry! I wish you a speedy recovery. Basically, you need to either utilize machines to do the Work for you, or decrease your batch size. And remember that 1 gallon of water is roughly 8 lbs
 
Get well soon as a back sufferer I get it. I’m no help on brewing easier other than batch size and having stuff high so you are not bending over. I tend to leave heavy where it is
 
Sorry to hear about your back Don. It makes me think twice about a similar project I have planned for this summer.

Like you said Don, it can be the smallest movement that can cause all the pain. So, I think it would be best to just do some craft beer sampling for the next week or two. But if you do brew, think of every move before you make it so you don't accidentally twist or reach for something. Good Luck!
 
And that's just the two levels. Once I'm better there's a third level, 24" or so, still to come. Then I need to do some plantings. Right now I have about 75 of those wall stones sitting next to my driveway.
No wonder your back is niggly.

Yeah man I plan on HBing for years to come.
I'm guessing you do too.
With every brew upgrade I do I think about how to make the process as streamlined and easy.

I know you'll come up with something I'm looking forward to where you go with this the Wall Included:)

Pictures

Kettle filling
20220513_130044.jpg

Bottom fill
20220513_130105.jpg

And transfering beer lucky I'm doing that today so here ya go
20220513_125546.jpg
 
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Hope your back heals quickly Don!
Meanwhile, just bribe your homebrewing friend :cool:
I just do small batches, but as you stated, even a small weight can do your back out. So I'm still going to check for improvements
 
Recently I mildly tweaked my back. It's just a muscle thing, but I've had a weak L5 all my life and so need to be careful. For the past 4-5 weeks I've been rebuilding a small retaining wall at my house, lifting 85-pound wall blocks, digging dirt, moving gravel, all without trouble. I lift a half-shovelful of dirt the wrong way, and Bam!

At the moment I need rest, so anything more than 3 or 4 pounds cannot be lifted in front. I can lift 15-20 pounds if I hold it behind my back, since different muscles are used. in a week or three I'll be fine I think.

Meanwhile, I'm almost out of beer, with about 2 gallons of the Ukrainian Belgian left in the keg. Brewing involves lifting, sometimes just 9 pounds of grain, or an empty pot. How do you manage these tasks? I can actually manage the big stuff - pulley system for the spent grain, a friend for the full fermenter - but what about the smaller stuff?

Thoughts include large doses of ibuprofen, my TENS machine turned up to 10, or bribing the friend to handle most of it (he is a homebrewer too). Smaller batches don't buy me much, almost all of it weighs the same either way.
Sorry to hear about the back Don.
The wall looks great but will likely be on hold for a bit.
Not sure I can offer much help other than what the others are saying, but I'm sure you'll figure something out for your setup.
I use city water pressure to move water and CO2 to move beer. I also use gravity throughout my process and my only pump is on my keg washer.
All that being said, moving grain, wet or dry is heavy.
Most equipment should be able to be cleaned without lifting.
Unfortunately, you're likely not redesigning your system right now, but if you decide to later, I might be able to help you out with some ideas.
Cheers
Brian
 
I hear ya man. I have an L4 injury. If I move wrong and put it in spasm, i will be on the couch for a half a day.

I use a block and pulley to lift my BIAB on brew day and to lift my fermentor to transfer to kegs.
 
Better every day. Just gotta watch myself...

I like @Trialben 's idea of using hoses. Empty equipment is easier to tote around than full; put it where it needs to end up, then run a (long?) hose to it. Done and done.

Them blocks weren't what caused the hurt. A half shovelful of dirt, held just so...

So below the wall, the larger gravel area is going to be a Biergarten.Couple chairs and a keg or cooler. Very low maintenance.
 
I can just imagine
'cause if you know something is heavy, you know to be careful and use your legs more than your back.
It's those silly little lift, swings and turns....
Luckily I'm a short shit (for Dutch standards) as them tall ones seem to have more issues
 
Them blocks weren't what caused the hurt. A half shovelful of dirt, held just so...

The wall looks great Don!
Would you consider hiring someone to finish your wall?

sending you a PM regarding: "a half shovelful of dirt"
 
The wall looks great Don!
Would you consider hiring someone to finish your wall?

sending you a PM regarding: "a half shovelful of dirt"
The wall can wait. I really do need to let the soil settle for the top section anyway.
 
I just opened this thread. Wow what a nice wall, a man after my own heart!

If I lived closer I be over to help both with the wall and brewing for sure. I only asked to be paid in beer, but I probably bring a bunch too. May not help with getting the work done.
 

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