My Cheap 3-Tier Gravity Setup

First I would like to thank everyone that contributes to this site. I have received so much help and information and I am very happy that I am finally able to contribute to hopefully give others ideas on how they can use what I have towards their setup.

I already had the 2 tiers and I just had a buddy give me an old keg he had laying around and figured why not become more efficient by adding the top pot so I can heat up that water while I am in the mash phase. Plus, I don't have a pump so I was literally heating up the sparge water in the boil pot, draining into a cooler, and transferring it up with a pitcher after I sparged. So as you can see I've put in some heavy duty J-hooks and chain and there it hangs. I like that it's not permanent just in case it's in the way or I need to make sure I got out all the water.

It's a work in progress still because I need to attach the burner to the bottom of the upper keg via that metal you hang garage door motors with, add the 1/4 turn drain valve, plumb in the propane and do a few other things BUT I figured I would show everyone here how my 3-tiered setup looks on the cheap.

Let me know your thoughts or suggestions! :rockin:

I'd be a little concerned about the moisture from the top keg affecting the Sheetrock. Maybe it'll be fine.

The HLT won't evaporate much, but it will affect the drywall after a while, maybe a year??

You can probably lower it some. Has to just be barely above the highest water level your MLT will ever have.

I've actually thought about a suspension system for my BK (keggle) so I can hang it upside down and clean it more easily. It's electric, so with the cords, sight glass, etc. it makes it difficult to clean otherwise.

heckels said:

I'd be a little concerned about the moisture from the top keg affecting the Sheetrock. Maybe it'll be fine.

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Keep a lid on it, should be fine.

The drops between each levels are pretty high, you don't need much more than 4" of elevation from the bottom of the each vessel to the top of the next one (when going downwards).

MC

How to do plan to move and/or heat water water in the HLT? You aren't planning to heft a full HLT of water up over your head to attach it are you?


Will that hardware (and the joists they are attached to) support another 80-160 lb of water (plus whatever that keg weighs?).

I'm at a loss of how this is going to work...

As of right now I have a laundry room close by with a utility sink that I run a potable-grade hose from to fill the keggle and so this is also how I'll fill the HLT. Now my debate is to fly or batch sparge but I'm leaning more towards fly sparging since this is the perfect setup for it.

Good idea on lowering the HLT or just using a cover (will probably do both). I did figure since I'm not bringing it to a full boil that there won't be much moisture release. I am probably not going to lower the shelf that the mash tun sits on because when I'm all done the keggle and burner slide right underneath for storage.

Each J-hook can handle 150lbs so all that weight will easily be handled by the 4 hooks and the chain is rated up to 550lbs.

I appreciate the feedback and will get some pictures uploaded once I have it finalized.

Maybe add a pully system so you can lower that keg to heat your water on a burner and when you want to add your strike water or start sparging you just raise it up. You wouldn't have to mount a burner to the bottom of the keg then.

gregboyd3rd said:

As of right now I have a laundry room close by with a utility sink that I run a potable-grade hose from to fill the keggle and so this is also how I'll fill the HLT.

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so you are planning on strapping a burner to the bottom of the HLT? You don't want to be filling the HLT with hot water from the sink tap.

Yes, I plan on strapping a burner to the bottom of the HLT with self-tapping screws and that bendable metal you hang garage motors with. I currently don't but is there a reason why I shouldn't fill with hot water from the tap?? I understand it's coming from the water heater but our water is VERY clean and tasty where I'm at.

gregboyd3rd said:

Yes, I plan on strapping a burner to the bottom of the HLT with self-tapping screws and that bendable metal you hang garage motors with. I currently don't but is there a reason why I shouldn't fill with hot water from the tap?? I understand it's coming from the water heater but our water is VERY clean and tasty where I'm at.

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Water heater water isn't the greatest for beer.

Also, I would consider lowering everything a tad. Do you really want open flame and steam that close to the ceiling?

Good to know and I'll do some more research on that.

I do plan on lowering the HLT most definitely and will figure out the exact height once I get the valve installed on it. I'll probably have the valve just above the tallest point of the MLT once I take the lid off for the sparge phase. I will probably have to figure out some sort of heat barrier so it doesn't melt the plastic while I'm heating up the HLT water but I may not have to either so we'll see once I get it all configured.

I would also make your chains "straighter" = as you get more and more of an angle, the actual force on them and the hooks goes WAY up. It was a calculation I used to do when I rock climbed (back before knees and feet went to crap. . .)

Believe it or not, at certain angles the force on the chain/hook will be MORE than the weight of the keggle/water. . .

You want them as close to vertical as you can - up to about 45deg.

Here's a quick reference: http://www.ropebook.com/information/vector-forces

Huh, never thought about this which is why I LOVE this forum. I'll have to check the angle once I lower the HLT to the correct height but luckily I have the weight distributed between 4 points.

So after looking over that site....a keg ~30 lbs empty plus I'll go on the high side of 10 gallons in my HLT ~85 lbs totally ~115 lbs. A single chain can handle 550 lbs and I have 2 plus a single hook can handle 150 lbs and I have 4 and the hooks are the weakest part of this setup. Even if I'm at the critical angle of 120 degrees that would mean I have a total weight of 230 lbs and 2 hooks should be able to handle 300 lbs at this angle. Again, I am quoting high side so I SHOULD be good. I guess since I'm just over 200 lbs myself I'll just hang from the chains for some testing and do some pullups while I'm at it. :rockin:

Just as long as you hang by the ears. . . that should do it!