starting brew rig build. need specs and measurements

so i have been doing some research about the kind of rig i want to build.

i am thinking i want a 3 tiered one along the lines of this setup.
http://www.the-sparkmans.net/Photo Gallery/Brew Stuff/Brew Stand/slides/DSCN2508.JPG

my question is what size steel should i buy. is 2" too big?

also, i was wondering about making the bottom tier able to move up and down so i can have an overall lower height but also raise up my BK to gravity feed into my fermenter.

much like this one
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/truckmann/Beer/my stand/IMG_0147.jpg


as far as wheels, i want to be able to take off my keggles and have it be kind of light. i plan on putting 2 wheels on one end and tilting it like a dollie to move it around.

thoughts, ideas, measurements for burner stand sizes, steel sizes?

also, if i use 2" box, will a piece of 3" be good for the sleeve for the moving BK stand or should i use something like 2.5"

oh, and what kind of paint is everyone using? just high temp grill paint? or doesnt it really matter except for where the burners are

dam, nothing

Automotive header Paint is good to 1200 degrees and can be had in many colors.

nice. i'll look for that. pep boys have it? or do i need a speed shop?

jonp9576 said:

nice. i'll look for that. pep boys have it? or do i need a speed shop?

Click to expand...

I just got done building my 3 tier rig about a month and a half ago. I used a touch over 2.25" square tubing for the main column and base and a little over an 1.5" tubing for the keggle bases. I got a great deal on some SS metric tubing, so I'd think 2" would be plenty strong. As for the sleeve I'd make it what ever the 2" fits in snuggly. As for paint, you can find header paint at any autoparts store. I think they call it ceramic header paint.

Hope that helps,

Mike

great thanks. i guess i dont need paint yet, but it wont hurt to look around for it. i am picking up my steel today. i forget how long the lengths are. i hope i only need one.

That was my stand in the first link. I think you might want to stick with something heavy duty (2x2-ish) for the mast, but like Mike said, the forks to set the kegs on and the feet certainly don't have to be that heavy. I used 2x2 all around because it was scrap steel I got for free.

The dolly idea is interesting, but 4 casters were so easy, and it made it possible to still move it a little, even with the kegs on there. I think the 4 casters method is a little more versatile, and also made the weight of the 2x2 steel a non-issue.

The BK on a hoist is also an interesting idea, and I considered doing something like that, but for me the extra work didn't seem worth it. Before I bought my pump, I used a wort wizard (actually it was a python acquarium vacuum) to pump the wort through my CFC and into the carboy. Once I bought my pump, I realized it had many more uses, including recirculation while I direct-fire the MLT, moving all liquids, etc., so I built a single tier, which I really like a lot more.

What measurements specifically are you looking for?

Oh, I also helped someone else build one like that. We decided to use hard plumbing for the burners. I think it's a much cleaner look.

sparky, i love the look of the hard plumbing. i plan to use that for mine. i am going to make the BK burner stationary and just have the stand for the kettle move away from the burner to give me the height i want to feed into my fermenter.

today i bought a length of 2x2 steel and a length of 1.5x1.5. i think they are 24' each. i should have plenty of material.

the measurements i was looking for was the distance btwn the legs, the lengh of the legs, and the overall height.

the reason i want to go with the dolly form for the wheels is that where i'll be using it and where i'll be storing it wil be a good distance from each other and there is some pretty rough ground in between. i just figured 4 wheels and i would be pushing it over all the time.

On mine, the forks that the kegs sit on have 10" between them (so 14" from outside edge to outside edge) and each fork "finger" is ~ 16" long, the width of a keg.

The base is ~ 4' x 4'. You could probably get away with a little less, but that base is VERY stable. No worries about it ever tipping over.

thanks, i plan on making some cuts and welds tomorrow. i'll start a new thread with build pics. this should be fun