At my usual pub the firkins are rolled off onto a pad the rolled and dropped about 3m to the cellar. There was a kilderkin - a proper coopered one - and I don't know how that was lowered - hoist at a guess. Dropping it could be messy. The reason for all that ale being poured away during the first lockdown was because the drays weren't equipped for lifting full containers. The disposal was at a rate set by the Environment Agency so that the treatment plants didn't get pissed.
Yes, of course the 'coal man' would have his 50kg bags of coal on the bed of his lorry at just the right height to lift onto his shoulders without actually having to lift it much.
Still very hard work! :-)
and coal - but we did get bad backs later in life.
Dropped with someone holding on to a rope and hook - not just pushed into the cellar hole :)
Traditionally, and still in many pubs, they still have to lifted onto staging in the cellar. One pub I use (before various lockdowns) now uses a system for real ale which stands the cask on end on the floor and a vertical tube assembly is inserted.
Probably cheaper to pour it away and claim back the tax than trying to recover it and repackage for other markets.
Never saw that - it would have meant leaving my pint for a while.
This pub has a hoist system to lift and move the casks and kegs - the cellar was ruled by the manager - she's superb at looking after the 'real' ales.
Couldn't recover it - some was close to end of life and even the fresh casks wouldn't have long enough left. No other markets except for cans and bottles and there was a glut of those.
Farm hands used to carry 16 stone sacks up ladders when I were young
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