Need help picking steel for a brew rig

**CidahMastah** · 09-06-2011, 02:26 PM

Hye all.

I found a local place that does small orders for precut steel stock and my thought was to request a quote for all precut steel square tubing so we would only have to assemble via welding.

I found this site:
http://www.murphynolan.com/

Only issue being that I don't know what exactly I should be looking for. I was considering 1x1 inch or 1x 1.5 inch square tubing for either a single tier build or possibly a 2 tier build with 1 pump. Right now I am 66% electric with a direct fire mash tun. I will likely be making the MT an eherms, but I want to be sure any steel I buy will be fine direct fire (I assumed all steel would be ok).

Am I looking for carbon steel or alloy steel?

Can someone help me ID the type of steel product I should be requesting from this company?

thanks!!

**MooMooBrew** · 09-06-2011, 03:00 PM

I'm also looking for help on this front, hope you dont mind if i piggyback

.

Were you looking to powder coat?

I'm looking to do all propane banjo burners so if all you homebrew metallurgists could lend some knowledge I'd be much obliged.

-MOOMOO

TommyBoy · 09-06-2011, 03:58 PM

I used 3x2x.083 tubing for my 3 tier. I would recommend you not use less than 1.5x1.5x.065. I plan to build a single level from stainless next spring and will use 2x2x.065. Better safe than sorry when it comes to open flames and boiling liquids.

**CidahMastah** · 09-06-2011, 04:25 PM

Piggy back is totally cool with me.

I probably will not powedercoat unless I can do it for supercheap. Likely it will be painted, but I am more looking for functionality with my rig. TOo much money has been flying out lately

I am not going the route of a stainless rack just based on cost. Also, I don't mind a regular steel stand since I won't be eating off of it

You think 2x2 square tubing is really needed for a single tier? I have seen people build them out of 1'' square tubing. 2x2 seems like overkill

**JonW** · 09-06-2011, 05:35 PM

I like 2" for the stability that it gives the kettles. It also makes the stand more rigid so that vertical upright supports are not needed on the front or back. I put dimensions in my build thread located in my sig if you're interested.

I did powder coat my stand. The top level still gets beat up and I think high temp paint would hold up just as well and be easier to touch up. At some point I will end up sanding the top level of my stand and painting it.

**CidahMastah** · 09-06-2011, 07:00 PM

Very cool set up Jon - love the software portion (now all you have left is to go electric!

)

For sure your budget on this is bigger than mine!

I like the idea of recirculating in the HLT to keep the temp accurate. I was hoping to get away with using one pump, but I can see how nice it is to have three. The question becomes how much hardware is needed to make 1 pump do the jobs of 3. I was thinking about making a copper manifold for the three pots to run three lines into the pump opening, then having three lines to run out the pump to each. my thought was, as long as you have ball valves on the pots, I would only need 3 more ball valves on the exiting manifold, per line.

**JonW** · 09-06-2011, 07:22 PM

You won't be able to fly sparge on a single level with one pump if that was somthing you wanted to do. If you want to stay with one pump, I would go with a two level design similar to a Sabco (two kettles higher, one lower) or do a design with just one higher (HLT) and put the MLT and BK lower. Use the single pump for recirc of the MLT and then switch it over to pump into the BK.

**CidahMastah** · 09-06-2011, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonW

You won't be able to fly sparge on a single level with one pump if that was somthing you wanted to do. If you want to stay with one pump, I would go with a two level design similar to a Sabco (two kettles higher, one lower) or do a design with just one higher (HLT) and put the MLT and BK lower. Use the single pump for recirc of the MLT and then switch it over to pump into the BK.

I don't plan on fly sparging, but hate to take the option of the table. Why is it that the pump can't accommodate a flysparge? Are the march pumps that limited in their lift capacity? guess what I am saying is... what is different from fly sparging than recirculating?

Clearly you have experience with this, just wanted to understand.

**CidahMastah** · 09-06-2011, 07:36 PM

By the way - what was your wall thickness on the 2'' mild steel?

**emjay** · 09-06-2011, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CidahMastah

I don't plan on fly sparging, but hate to take the option of the table. Why is it that the pump can't accommodate a flysparge? Are the march pumps that limited in their lift capacity? guess what I am saying is... what is different from fly sparging than recirculating?

Clearly you have experience with this, just wanted to understand.

You misunderstand what he is saying. The pumps work fine for flysparging, but because it involves simultaneously filling and draining the MLT, it requires TWO pumps if you go single-tier.