Shift work, heavy lifting and heat: the physical side of brewing jobs

The part people do not photograph

Photos of breweries show shiny tanks and people tasting beer. They rarely show the person cleaning a fermenter after a 12 hour day, carrying malt sacks up a stair or squeegeeing a wet floor at midnight. Those jobs are most of the work in a small brewery.

This is not a reason to avoid brewing. Many people enjoy the physical side, the sense of having worked hard and made something real. It is a reason to go in with your eyes open. Our guide to cellar and packaging jobs describes the roles where this work is heaviest.

Heavy lifting

Malt usually comes in 25 kg sacks, sometimes heavier. A brew day on a small brewpub kit can mean lifting dozens of them, then digging out the spent grain from the mash tun by hand. Full kegs are heavy and awkward. Hoses, fittings and pumps are moved around constantly.

Good breweries reduce the strain: sack trolleys, raised platforms so sacks are not lifted from the floor, grain augers or hoppers and keg lifters. Learn to lift with your legs, keep loads close to your body and ask for help with anything awkward. A back injury can end a brewing career early.

Heat

Brewhouses are hot. The kettle boils at around 100 °C, steam escapes when lids open and hot water is everywhere. In much of India the air is already above 35 °C in summer, so the area around a brewhouse can become very uncomfortable.

Drink water regularly, wear light clothing under your protective gear and take breaks in a cooler area. Know the signs of heat exhaustion: dizziness, headache, nausea and heavy sweating. Confusion or hot, dry skin points to heat stroke, which needs emergency help. Hot liquids cause burns, so wear proper gloves and boots and never open a hot vessel without checking first.

Chemicals, wet floors and gas

Cleaning uses strong chemicals, usually caustic and acid solutions. They can burn skin and eyes, so goggles, gloves and an apron are essential when handling them. Wet floors are constant in a brewery and slips are common, so good boots with slip resistant soles matter.

Carbon dioxide is the hidden hazard. Fermentation produces large amounts of it and it collects in low places and inside tanks. A fermenter that looks empty can be full of CO2. Never enter a tank or confined space without proper ventilation, testing and a trained colleague outside. Our guide to brewery safety culture explains how good breweries manage this.

Long and irregular hours

Brew days start early. Fermentation does not stop for weekends or festivals. Packaging runs and deliveries can stretch shifts. In brewpubs you may work evenings and weekends when the taproom is busy. In larger plants, rotating shifts around the clock are common.

Long hours plus physical work plus heat can wear people down. Watch for tiredness, poor sleep and loss of interest. These are early signs of burnout, which our guide to brewer burnout covers in more detail. A good employer plans rosters, gives proper weekly offs and does not expect people to work through exhaustion.

What good breweries do

• Provide proper protective equipment and make sure people use it.
• Train every new starter on lifting, chemicals, hot liquids and CO2.
• Use mechanical aids for heavy loads where they can.
• Keep floors drained and walkways clear.
• Install CO2 monitors in fermentation areas.
• Plan shifts so nobody works excessive hours without rest.
• Encourage people to report near misses without blame.

When you visit a brewery for an interview, look for these things. A brewery that takes safety seriously usually takes its people seriously in other ways too.

Is it right for you?

Most healthy adults can do brewing work with good training and sensible habits. If you have a back problem, a heat sensitivity or another health concern, talk to a doctor before you commit and be honest with the employer about any adjustments you need.

Spend a day or two in a working brewery before you change careers. Help on a brew day, clean a tank and dig out a mash tun. If you finish tired but satisfied, brewing may suit you well.

Common questions

How heavy are the loads in a brewery?

Malt sacks are commonly 25 kg and full kegs are heavier and awkward to handle. Good breweries provide trolleys, lifters and training to reduce strain.

What is the most dangerous hazard in a brewery?

Carbon dioxide in tanks and confined spaces is one of the most serious, because it is invisible and can overcome a person quickly. Hot liquids and chemicals are also common causes of injury.

Do brewers work night shifts?

In large breweries, often yes, on rotating shifts. Brewpubs have long days and evening work but fewer night shifts.