Blichmann Modular Brewing Stand "Top Tier" (spring 09)

Check it out
TherminatorTM Stainless Plate Type Wort Chiller
I would like to see some more pictures


This is the answer to my thread wanting a burner and stand for my keggle when I am not quite ready for a whole brew rig or tiered setup. Any one hear anything about the Blichmann burners?

They look like banjo burners from their shape and size, with a ss fabricated housing. I think it's a great idea, but it's probably very costly.....too costly for something that is bolted together; i.e., something that you can buy at a big box store and bolt together yourself. A welded stand is a different story, because it requires special equipment and skill.

The burners are new too and won't be out likely until the stand is out (Spring '09):

Link: http://www.blichmannengineering.com/TopTier.htm

Kal

looks like they are using 8020. eBay Store - 80 20 8020 Aluminum T-Slot T Slot extrusion 8020 garage sale:

kal said:

The burners are new too and won't be out likely until the stand is out (Spring '09):

Link: TherminatorTM Stainless Plate Type Wort Chiller

Kal

Click to expand...

No, it looks like the housing is what's new. It's a ss fabricated stand very similar to a KAB5 that just bolts to the frame. Unless Blichmann has gone to casting iron, they're getting it somewhere else and putting it in the stand; just like B3 does with their custom stands.

Is that a commercial stand? Is it just me, or does that look like it is just a complete hack job? IHMO, that is a pretty sad excuse for a professionally built brew stand, especally from Blingman.

If you are going that route, you might as well build your own. The burners still have thier own legs on them for pete sake.

The Pol said:

Is that a commercial stand? Is it just me, or does that look like it is just a complete hack job? IHMO, that is a pretty sad excuse for a professionally built brew stand, especally from Blingman.

Click to expand...

I completely agree, if I went over to a buddies house and he had built that it would be awesome. But I have a few pieces of Blichmann equipment and this really doesn't look to be up to their standards. I am assuming they are only going the bolted together route since it makes for MUCH easier and cheaper shipping.

Exactly, which is why they are called BLINGman... I dont understnad thier first entry into the brew stand market. It has to be the least appealing commercial stand I have ever seen. And, if it is BLINGman, I would not assume it is cheap.
This thoroughly confuses me... they need some diamond plate or something!

The Pol said:

Is that a commercial stand? Is it just me, or does that look like it is just a complete hack job? IHMO, that is a pretty sad excuse for a professionally built brew stand, especally from Blingman.

If you are going that route, you might as well build your own. The burners still have thier own legs on them for pete sake.

Click to expand...

The description says that if your not ready to buy the full system but want to later, you can buy the burners now because they have legs and bolt them to the stand later.

I agree it isn't a pretty sculpture, but in terms of something easily upgradeable it is a good design. You could start with 2 shelves for your coolers and one burner for boiling, then add a second burner later on etc.

Linc

ScubaSteve said:

No, it looks like the housing is what's new. It's a ss fabricated stand very similar to a KAB5 that just bolts to the frame.

Click to expand...

Ah! Ok - thanks for correcting Steve. Sorry for the confusion!

Kal

I just emailed John Blichmann and the burners will not be available until spring. Likely April.

they are using t-slot. and i bet its not stainless but alum. you can do allot of neat stuff with t-slot. including making your own cnc router. allows for easy and quick adjustments and super easy to square off. that was why i posted the link to the 8020 store on ebay. if anyone wanted to try their hand at something like this.

Well, April came and went.

I guess I'll hold my thoughts until I see the final pricing. At first glance, it doesn't really look that desirable. But if it ends up being $150 bux or so, it might not be that bad.

I've never used the t-track material (that size anyway), but is it just 4 t-slot bolts with a nut that is holding 10-13 gallons of hot wort "up"?? Also, with the gas ports on the burners sticking out, you'll have a hard time routing the gas lines "gracefully". Oh, and what about some wheels....

Oops, I said I wasn't going to saying anything yet...

I'll guess this will run at least 3 bills.

As luck would have it, I received an email with a bit more info on this.

Stand $ 499 The way I read it is that is just the stand, the burners and everything else is an option.


There is a breakdown on each item needed for the system. It would quickly add up.

I am currently designeing and building a similar teired brew stand. It is made entirely of t-slot and I did not get it from fleabay because they are selling used, hacked up pieces for full price. Mine is the same design just different legs and feet, my shelves/burners will also be more cleanly built, not so square and sharp. I will post pics soon...
Chuck

nice, can't wait to see some pics

Here is my base/frame completed. Next is the burner for tier one...

44 bolts in all in the base alone...

Is that Minitec t-slot or 8020?

Irrenarzt said:

Is that Minitec t-slot or 8020?

Click to expand...

Its Faztek.

ok I have one burner mounted and the water line is about half way done. I an witing until the top tier is complete to finish the water line so that I know haw high to make it and I don't have my water filter system yet. Any way here is the latest progress.

Brewtree with burner.

View from the rop.

With kettle.

And I know most of you have probably seen a banjo burner lit btu today was the first time for me so here it is.

SO what do you think?

That's very nice, and similar to what I'm thinking for when I get around to building a stand.

I've had the chance to see the Blichmann Top Tier system in action, up close and personal, when brewing with another HBT member who has one. It's well-designed and put together. For the time and $$ I'll probably spend putting together a stand out of 80/20, it's probably a decent trade-off.

I hear you, I like to tinker around and have something in the end that is exactly what I wanted so I like to build stuff. When it is all said and done I will have plenty of cash wrapped up in this stand, but not near as much as a Top Tier, and I will have a plate chiller, cold water circulation pump, pre chiller, march beer pump, tree tier all grain setup and all the hose and fitting I need to effeciently brew a batch with little wasted time and still be below what a Top Tier with one burner would run you. I like the Top Tier design except for the legs, they look a little cheesy to me but that is just my oppinion. Thanks for the comments!

OK - I was going to sit this one out but I have to admit - I bought a Blichmann stand. Why? WHY? you say...

1) I don't have welding skills and could not (honestly -could not find one) find someone to do it.

2) I simply didn't want to spend my brewing weekends building equipment - I would rather brew.

3) I like the modularity... I can make it single tier or gravity...

Here are some pics...

JVD_X said:

OK - I was going to sit this one out but I have to admit - I bought a Blichmann stand.
Here are some pics...

Click to expand...

Aren't you the peristaltic pump fan? You've got a 3 tier, so the pump is just for transfers post-fermentation?

-OCD

chuckger where did you get the Faztec?

beerocd said:

Aren't you the peristaltic pump fan? You've got a 3 tier, so the pump is just for transfers post-fermentation?

-OCD

Click to expand...

Yes and no. I built it in a three tier because I wanted the flexibility with playing around with simple gravity. My RIMS blowing up two weeks ago got me thinking that I might not want to use pumps at all.

With that said. I plan on putting the HERMS coil on the third tier and pumping to the top of the coil so the mash fluid self-drains back into the middle tier. Of course, the bottom tier will be for the BK.

Also, I am getting very interested in doing some decotion, so at some point I can change my configuration. In fact, there is no reason why I could not add another two burners, or stands on the side there is nothing right now.

1) I don't have welding skills and could not (honestly -could not find one) find someone to do it.

I did not weld a single stitch of this badboy, I also do not have a wleder and I don't have time to find one or the money to pay one.

2) I simply didn't want to spend my brewing weekends building equipment - I would rather brew.

I have only spent about 12 hours actually building this and about 8 hours drawing blueprints and researching parts.

I totally understand your points but I could not get the CFO to sign off on a Top Tier and I wanted one so bad I could taste it so I just starting drawing and buying pieces here and there and this is what I have come up with so far. I plan to add a second burner in the near future, went the funds are present... and a gas manifold will come with the burner because the second will be a smaller burner and will require a lower pressure regulator so I will make a cool manifold with seperate shutoffs and what not..

I built the self for the mash tun to day, pics are below. I also decided to try it out so I ground up some grain that I had in the closet and made a belated Oktoberfast tonight. I cannot believe how that banjo burner boils 6 gallons of wort! WOW!

Also I do not have a sheet metal brake so I used a piece of angle iron and a hammer to make the 90 degree edges which adds strength and takes care of those nasty sharp corners.

Here is the shelf I built.


Here is the first go around an the new BEERTREE! That is what I am calling it, I thought it was both obvious and fitting!

mvdilts said:

chuckger where did you get the Faztec?

Click to expand...

Here is the link for the Faztek T-slot. http://www.faztek.net/
If the website is not informative enough just give them a call and the will help you. Everyone that I spoke with was very nice and helpful, shipping was fast too. Also there is a company that is taking apart a semiconductor plant and selling the used parts on fleabay, just seach t-slot or 8020. The really cool thing is that all of the companies that make this stuff; their parts enterchange completely, so it works out nice if you find a few pieces on fleabay that will work then you can buy the rest from Faztek.

chuckger said:

I could not get the CFO to sign off on a Top Tier

Click to expand...

LOL - so true. This time I bought it first and asked the CFO for forgiveness after the fact. She said "so does this mean that I can do the same?".... uhhhhh "no"

I really like your shelves. Are all those shelving components available from the manufacturer?

JVD_X said:

LOL - so true. This time I bought it first and asked the CFO for forgiveness after the fact. She said "so does this mean that I can do the same?".... uhhhhh "no"

I really like your shelves. Are all those shelving components available from the manufacturer?

Click to expand...

Oh you are in trouble now! You are going to come home from work some day and have the prettiest flower print curtains hangin in the brew room!

No the shelving material is all flat steel bought from Lowe's and I bent the edges with a hammer and a piece of angle iron, then fastened the corners together with bolt nut combo and then fastened the shelf to the base with bolt nut combo as well. The two sides of the base are 8"x24" 16 gauge steel and the top is 17"x18" 18 gauge steel.

So yesterday I got my plate chiller and a few fittings that I was missing, I am still waiting on the cold side pump to come in so I only have pics of the plate chiller. The Cold pump will be in TOMORROW! I also found a couple of 1/2 barrel keg shells on craigslist so it looks like the third burner might be coming sooner than later! Anyway on to the update.
Here is a shot of the base that I built to hold the bucket that will have ice water and the imersion chiller inside that will be part of the coolant side of the plate chiller.

Here is shot of the plate chiller and mount that I built.

And here is a shot of the entire setup as it is now.

Yesterday I added the cold pump and the rest of the cold tubing. I also added the thermo/sight glass fitting to the current brew kettle which will become the hot liquor tank when I get the two keggles finished.
Kettle with sight glass.

Cold circuit.

Whole thing from the back.

Wow ! Great work - I tried designing one of those but got hung up on the burner shelf/supports. Went with a single tier which works great but I love how you engineered this.

samc said:

Wow ! Great work - I tried designing one of those but got hung up on the burner shelf/supports. Went with a single tier which works great but I love how you engineered this.

Click to expand...

Hey thanks! It is always nice to hear a comliment especially since I am so excited about this thing!

You have done a GREAT job and have you considered turning the pump so the outlet is facing up? This is supposed to assist in allowing air out of the line. I have my pump mounted like yours but I need to add something to protect it from splashing.

JVD_X said:

You have done a GREAT job and have you considered turning the pump so the outlet is facing up? This is supposed to assist in allowing air out of the line. I have my pump mounted like yours but I need to add something to protect it from splashing.

Click to expand...

I built the bracket so that it would hold the pump sideways like you are talking but it just looked like the fluid would clow better if the pump head was in the vertical position so that is what I went with. When I get a march pump I am going to ount it vertical too right above the cold pump. I am working on a cover for the pump like you are talking about but I did not get much done yesterday because I attended a Halloween party that a fellow home brewer held on Saturday night so I was a bit under the weather yesterday, at least that is what I am telling everybody! I should get the pump cover finished today, I will post some pics.

chuckger said:

I attended a Halloween party that a fellow home brewer held on Saturday night so I was a bit under the weather yesterday, at least that is what I am telling everybody! I should get the pump cover finished today, I will post some pics.

Click to expand...

Awesome...

What did you use to bend your metal? How did you go about it. I want to get some diamond plate like lonnie mac uses but I have no clue on how to bend it to make it look good.

JVD_X said:

Awesome...

What did you use to bend your metal? How did you go about it. I want to get some diamond plate like lonnie mac uses but I have no clue on how to bend it to make it look good.

Click to expand...

I just used a tape measure to mark where I wanted to bend then line it up on a piece of scap angle iron I have laying aroundand tap it with a hammer from one end to the other then back again until it is bent over to 90 degrees. It does not look as nice as if you useda metal break but I do not have one, and most people don't. It does however make perfect 90 degree bends. If you are going to use treadplate you might want to use steel not aluminum, I think Aluminum would crack if you bent it with this manner... Not sure.