worstbrewing
Well-Known Member
I've been debating the various directions I could go for building my brew stand, and stumbled on the few threads I found regarding using 80/20 extruded aluminum and was just hoping someone can clear up a few issues I have. I've done a lot of searching and really haven't found much in the ways of single tier builds using 80/20, only about 2 really and I'm still unsure of some things.
To start, I'm upgrading so I want to build a single tier stand to support larger batches. At the moment I want it to fit 20 gallon kettles since that's what I have available (Bayou Classic kettles) but I like the idea of 80/20 because I can expand the rig as my equipment grows, which is good since I want to eventually expand to a larger boil kettle so I can handle 20+ gallon batches eventually (with other upgrades as well). I'm planning to use a Blichmann kettle for the mash tun, but intend to stick with Bayou Classic kettles for the HLT and BK throughout expansions, primarily due to cost.
The benefit I see with the 80/20 is if I build the stand properly, there should only be minimal parts required to expand the rig for fitting larger kettles down the road, but here's where I'm a little stuck. I plan to use BG-14 burners, but how should I mount them, and how should I build the rig so the kettles have proper support underneath of them, but without having the aluminum directly exposed to the burner? I don't know what kind of heat it can tolerate, so I'm not sure if I can use the 80/20 to build a frame around the burner (and wind/heat shield around burner) to hold it in place, or if there is some other method or material that would be recommended.
I've been looking at the pictures of Irrenarzt's build (http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/Smoooth69/photo-2.jpg) and have asked him a few questions, as well as dfess1's rig (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-new-direct-fire-rims-brew-rig-247214/) and asked questions as well, but neither setup is quite what I have in mind, so I'm just curious if anyone else might have some feedback on the matter. I like the idea of the movable height for the burners, but I'm not so sure how easy it will be to fabricate the supports for the kettles, and compared to Irrenarzt's build, where the 80/20 is in direct contact with the flame to support them, I am assuming the BG-14 would be too much for that to be a good idea over the long haul.
Thanks, any feedback is appreciated! I'm working on some sketches in Google Sketchup at the moment, so I'll try to post some rough ideas I've been playing with here soon. Cheers!
To start, I'm upgrading so I want to build a single tier stand to support larger batches. At the moment I want it to fit 20 gallon kettles since that's what I have available (Bayou Classic kettles) but I like the idea of 80/20 because I can expand the rig as my equipment grows, which is good since I want to eventually expand to a larger boil kettle so I can handle 20+ gallon batches eventually (with other upgrades as well). I'm planning to use a Blichmann kettle for the mash tun, but intend to stick with Bayou Classic kettles for the HLT and BK throughout expansions, primarily due to cost.
The benefit I see with the 80/20 is if I build the stand properly, there should only be minimal parts required to expand the rig for fitting larger kettles down the road, but here's where I'm a little stuck. I plan to use BG-14 burners, but how should I mount them, and how should I build the rig so the kettles have proper support underneath of them, but without having the aluminum directly exposed to the burner? I don't know what kind of heat it can tolerate, so I'm not sure if I can use the 80/20 to build a frame around the burner (and wind/heat shield around burner) to hold it in place, or if there is some other method or material that would be recommended.
I've been looking at the pictures of Irrenarzt's build (http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/Smoooth69/photo-2.jpg) and have asked him a few questions, as well as dfess1's rig (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-new-direct-fire-rims-brew-rig-247214/) and asked questions as well, but neither setup is quite what I have in mind, so I'm just curious if anyone else might have some feedback on the matter. I like the idea of the movable height for the burners, but I'm not so sure how easy it will be to fabricate the supports for the kettles, and compared to Irrenarzt's build, where the 80/20 is in direct contact with the flame to support them, I am assuming the BG-14 would be too much for that to be a good idea over the long haul.
Thanks, any feedback is appreciated! I'm working on some sketches in Google Sketchup at the moment, so I'll try to post some rough ideas I've been playing with here soon. Cheers!