I dropped off some beers at my nearest decent pub after work tonight. Arriving in the pissing rain I manhandled the firkins across the car park, down the slide and into the cellar. I must admit I found it a bit of a struggle. Sticking my foot in the deep puddle at the bottom of the slide did not add to the experience.
It got me wondering how do people manage with bigger barrels? Though a full firkin weighs around 50 kg it's still only a quarter barrel. Kilderkins (half barrels) are still in common use and I've heard of some breweries that still use full sized barrels.
Of course back in the day they were made of sterner stuff and hogsheads (barrel and a half) were in common use. These must have been around 300 kg (47 stone). Makes me feel faint just thinking about it.
Honestly, brewers these days! Have the all gone soft? :P
ReplyDeleteNah ... maybe they did it in pairs or all died of hernias at the age of 28?
I'd reccommend buying a cask-truck, e.g. from , http://www.connorinnovations.co.uk/ or http://www.samuelhandley.co.uk/ (owned by Murphy's of Nottm) - try not to lift firkins & definitely don't lift kils, or you'll have as knackered a back as I do!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't even attempt to try lifting a kil on its own, but firkins are quite manageable, especially if you use a bit of cunning. The trick is not to lift them straight up off the floor.
ReplyDeleteWhat I use to do was roll the cask up to the bottom of the cellar steps, then using the bottom step as a pivot, lever the cask up onto the step. You can then repeat the process up onto the next step. By this stage the cask will be at a suitable height for lifting, without putting excess strain on your back.
Yes Cask-truck, also proper hook/rope.
ReplyDeleteI've seen a big old iron ring set in the ground near the drop at a couple of (old) places. I'm guessing ropes and pulleys were employed back in ye day?
With a drayman's mate! I've spent a couple of days out with a friend who delivers beer in the North East, and it's hard work for sure. And then there's the lost art of 'roping' up a full kil from a pub cellar to be returned to the brewery...
ReplyDeleteSurely just clean it to your shoulder and walk in with it... Sounds like you need to reinstitute our morning workouts :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the tips. I only occasionally do deliveries when there's a pub on the way home from work. And now I know Uncle Mungo is so handy with a full cask I'll just ask him to do it!
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