ksharpesays

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Greetings Home Brewers and DIYers!

I had a few questions about what sort of brew stands everyone is using. I will post a few numbered pictures of different styles just to get a general idea of what is most popular. If you could when you reply to what you use, answer the following questions that would be great. I want to build my own but there are so many different variations- I have no idea where to even begin.

A. What do you like about your stand?

B. Weldless or welded? Why do you prefer that?

C. Did you build it or purchase it pre-made?

D. What would you change about it? (if anything)

E. If you could have 1 of the other variations below, which would it be?

Thanks a lot to everyone (in advance) for any answers you provide!

BeerguyNC61

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What about the electric brew crews? Wooden stands and all that?

Subsailor

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BIAB Brewrs?

__________________
Remember the 4 Boxes that keep us Free:
The Soap Box
The Ballot Box
The Jury Box
and
The Cartridge Box

And possibly, there is a 5th Box: The Pine Box

BeerguyNC61

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Left handed blind brewers............

ksharpesays

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If you are using electric or wooden setups feel free to mention it, post a picture... I'm just trying to see what the general consensus is.

lschiavo

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There are umpteen variations out there. Take inspiration from any or all but ultimately build it to fit you. Walking through your process on paper will be a great help. Then pick and choose the options that work for you.IMO, that was half the fun of building my stand.

Beer_is_good_for_you

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Mine is very similar to #1, it is welded, and I like it a lot. However, when I sparge I find myself wishing I had a pump.

__________________
"Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live on nothing but food and water." W.C. Fields

ron,ar

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It would help if the levels on each stands were labeled. I assume that the higher ones are the HLT , the mid level is the MLT and the lower one is the boil kettle. I like #2 as it resembles what I use except that mine is a temporary thing set up each time I brew. I don't have a pump so I have to use gravity flow.

fightdman

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My setup is most like #7. I like to use gravity to drain MT.

Transamguy77

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I was in the same boat as you a few months ago, trying to figure out cost (materials, time, parts) and ease. I looked at #2 and #5, ended up going with #2.

Where I work I ended up with 3" angle for free from the scrap bin so I spent the next few weeks welding it up. I used a burner at every level and used converted kegs, I like the idea of a direct fire MLT and not having to use a pump (so some savings there). The one downfall I have found is getting the water to the HLT, the stand is 5.5 ft tall and with a keg it's 7.5 so climbing on the ladder to add water is a pain.

I have used it for a few brews and love it, I don't think I would change a thing. As far as cost goes the only money that was spent was on burners and plumbing, I found burners on eBay 3 shipped for $55, 20 psi regulator for $25 shipped and plumbing iron pipe, fittings, tubing and ball valves were about $100.

If you are not a welder and want to go wood there are some great rigs out there to get ideas from, I was thinking of wood first since I have a pile of 2x4's left over from another project. If I had gone wood I would have built #5.