Need help with Brew stand design...Please!!

Looking for some help in the design of a 2 tier stand i think. Going to be a gravity feed system for now. But im having a hard time coming up with a system. This is what i have for equipment, one blichmann burner, one 10 gallon blichmann brew kettle, HLT, and mash tun. My goal is to have the blichmann burner and blichmann kettle stay in one spot on the stand. I know guys have at least 2 burners and 2 boil kettles but since i started out with extract and went and bought the blichmann burner i want to use it as it. Maybe some day will buy another burner but wanna stay somewhat cost effective right now.

Any thoughts, drawings would be great. And am willing to compinsate the designer in some way or another. Thanks in advance.

If it's a two tier, you'll need a pump. Gravity won't drain horizontally!

Yooper said:

If it's a two tier, you'll need a pump. Gravity won't drain horizontally!

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I was kinda thinking on just having the main burner on the main tier, and using the top tier and the floor as my gravity flow points to drain strike/sparge water then taking the mash tun to top tier to drain into the boil kettle. I know i would be moving the mash tun up and down a few times during the brew day but would it work?

poislb said:

I was kinda thinking on just having the main burner on the main tier, and using the top tier and the floor as my gravity flow points to drain strike/sparge water then taking the mash tun to top tier to drain into the boil kettle. I know i would be moving the mash tun up and down a few times during the brew day but would it work?

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Oh, yes, then that would work. Remember that 15 pounds of grain in the MLT isn't that heavy until you add the water!

If you mash in with 1.5 quarts of water per pound of grain, that's an additional 45 pounds added to the weight!

Have you seen the "Blichman Top Tier" design? That's what I picture when I picture a gravity system. http://www.blichmannengineering.com/brew_stand/brewstand_modular.html

Yooper said:

Oh, yes, then that would work. Remember that 15 pounds of grain in the MLT isn't that heavy until you add the water!

If you mash in with 1.5 quarts of water per pound of grain, that's an additional 45 pounds added to the weight!

Have you seen the "Blichman Top Tier" design? That's what I picture when I picture a gravity system. http://www.blichmannengineering.com/brew_stand/brewstand_modular.html

Click to expand...

They have what looks to be the mash tun on the top tier, is there a pump from one kettle to the mash tun? That thing is tall, i would think it would be harder to get up that high. alot higher than what i was thinking on doing. Unless im just confusing the heck out of myself right now....lol

poislb said:

They have what looks to be the mash tun on the top tier, is there a pump from one kettle to the mash tun? That thing is tall, i would think it would be harder to get up that high. alot higher than what i was thinking on doing. Unless im just confusing the heck out of myself right now....lol

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No, the stand itself just is a pole with three moveable shelves. You can set them up in any configuration.

I'd have the HLT highest, as you just have to use a hose to put water on it, and then the MLT in the middle (for ease of stirring and adding grain), and the BK on the bottom. That can all drain by gravity!

Yooper said:

No, the stand itself just is a pole with three moveable shelves. You can set them up in any configuration.

I'd have the HLT highest, as you just have to use a hose to put water on it, and then the MLT in the middle (for ease of stirring and adding grain), and the BK on the bottom. That can all drain by gravity!

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Gottcha, so in order to do it right where i dont have to move anything would be to get another burner and kettle? and either buy a pump or build a 3 tier stand for gravity...correct?

Unless i just decide to move the mash tun higher than my boil kettle eash run correct? Thanks again for all the help.

poislb said:

Gottcha, so in order to do it right where i dont have to move anything would be to get another burner and kettle? and either buy a pump or build a 3 tier stand for gravity...correct?

Unless i just decide to move the mash tun higher than my boil kettle eash run correct? Thanks again for all the help.

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I'm trying to figure out another way, but I really don't see this being easy without the second burner OR a pump to move the water from the BK to the HLT if you only want to have one burner. I'm no engineer, though, so there are probably lots of ways to do it that I'm not thinking of! Homebrewers are amazingly resourceful!

Yooper said:

I'm trying to figure out another way, but I really don't see this being easy without the second burner OR a pump to move the water from the BK to the HLT if you only want to have one burner. I'm no engineer, though, so there are probably lots of ways to do it that I'm not thinking of! Homebrewers are amazingly resourceful!

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I know, my brain is fried.....lol

Brain fart....i do have a second 10 gallon mash tun, i could use that has a HLT to hold my sparge water correct. This way i can use one burner and one kettle, i think... Just have to move the coolers higher or lower to get the gravity into my BK....kind of a pain at first but can be done right....

Or go really smple and just BIAB...lol

I like doing things the hard way

poislb said:

Brain fart....i do have a second 10 gallon mash tun, i could use that has a HLT to hold my sparge water correct. This way i can use one burner and one kettle, i think... Just have to move the coolers higher or lower to get the gravity into my BK....kind of a pain at first but can be done right....

Or go really smple and just BIAB...lol

I like doing things the hard way

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Sure you could to that if you don't mind lifting stuff up. In my old set up, which involved a kitchen stove, a bar stool and a dining room chair, I poured the water from the stovetop into the MLT without even using an HLT. Where there's a will, there's always a way!

I'd take a look through the gallery and some of the threads here on two and three tier sculptures to get ideas and see what others are doing.

Yooper said:

Sure you could to that if you don't mind lifting stuff up. In my old set up, which involved a kitchen stove, a bar stool and a dining room chair, I poured the water from the stovetop into the MLT without even using an HLT. Where there's a will, there's always a way!

I'd take a look through the gallery and some of the threads here on two and three tier sculptures to get ideas and see what others are doing.

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lol...Funny ya should say that, just spent an hour going through the threads and pics. Great advice my friend and you are correct " where theres a will, theres always a way" Cheers to you my good man

Again, thanks for following my thread so closly and giving such quick advice. Appreciate it

I have been a member to many forums just cause of all the damn hobbies im into and i must say, this is the friendliest site i have ever encountered. Im so happy and priveldged to be a member. Thanks

poislb said:

Cheers to you my good man

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I'm a petite middle-aged grandmother. I just look bigger on the internet, I guess.
But you're welcome!

Yooper said:

I'm a petite middle-aged grandmother. I just look bigger on the internet, I guess.
But you're welcome!

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Its the intimidating pic of Matthews I guess....lol

Anywho, its a pleasure to have spoken with you. Go Pack!!!

poislb said:

Its the intimidating pic of Matthews I guess....lol

Anywho, its a pleasure to have spoken with you. Go Pack!!!

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Nice recovery there Bob...

I agree.... GO PACK GO!!!

lol, okay I grew up in Waukesha and owned a house in Kenosha...

But really, think it out and look at as many thread on here as you can stand to look at. I just finished, my single tier after a long long time of thinking about what I wanted. I went with a single tier just becuase I didn't want to lift anything any more and I plan on using this for many years to come so the lifting part will be even more importent to me.
Yes, the expense is there but once you make the stand you can use the cast iron burners ($9 apeace) and manually control them. I am still getting away with just using one pump and for my stand that isn't working well becuase I have two burners automated. but I make it work. I will get another pump sooner or later but for now it works.
So, what I'm saying is you can start with a plan stand and then add to it along the way for what you want. even if you decide to do a 2 or 3 tier you can still start out with the basics and add along the way. Just make sure you think it out on the type of stand you want to go with.
Good luck!

I only have one burner (for now) and it works fine really. I built a shelf below the hlt so I could heat my strike and sparge water. Then just before i start my sparge (fly) i move the burner down and set the boil keg on top. Not a huge deal...

I made a gravity fed system with two burners, one high for the HLT that has a sight glass so I know how much water is in it. I use a hose attached to an inline water filter (RV type) that mounts to the post and has CPVC fittings at the other end to pour into the HLT. It then drains to the rectangular cooler (mash tun ). I do heat my mash out water on the lower burner and lift it to pour into the mash tun...but that's usually only a few gallons since I do 6 gallon batches. My sparge water is heated in the HLT and then the mash tun drains to the boil kettle on the lower burner.
I then change the mash tun for another cooler I have and fill it with ice water and connect that and the boil kettle to the wort plate chiller and then drain to the better bottle carboy sitting on the ground. I recycle my chilling water back to the cooler and add more ice. All this has worked very well at 102 outside and I waste little water.
Yeah, I lift some, about 3-4 gallons....but all very easy to do.

and yes...GO PACK GO!!

Thanks for the great advice

I think i came up with an idea to run my single blichmann burner. Im going to build a single tier stand and mount my blichmann on top, gonna use maybe some diamond plate or some heavy duty screen material (forget what its called) Then have my 10 gallon cooler (HLT) and mash tun side by side. Gonna buy a pump and put quick dissconects on it. That should work out pretty good i think. Got some sweet Chrome Snap-On wheels that came off a tool box, gonna use then cause they are rubber with a chrome rim. Will post some pic later.

Again, thanks everyone sooooo much. Please advice if my plan is gonna work, hopefully it plays out.

Heres my casters im gonna put on it, just have to put the hardware back on..