Ideas for my first all grain setup...

[x2wdtoyotax]

I have been lurking around the forum for a while now... I am inspired by the massive amounts of creativity and ingenuity on the site.

I have been checking out the pictures that people have posted of their rigs. While organizing the ole garage I stumbled onto an idea. Has anyone tried or seen any rigs like this? (Don't mind the horrid photoshop job)

http://s743.photobucket.com/albums/xx76/x2wdtoyotax/?action=view&current=BrewSculptureLayers.jpg

I would like to spend the money on a nice stainless steel shelving unit with some heavy duty casters; with the idea of the unit doubling as storage for all my brewing gear while not in use. I think if the shelves can stand the heat (along with the plastic shelf supports) the setup should work out ok. I also like the idea of all the "plumbing routing" capabilities that the wire shelves and posts would provide. I am thinking of using flexible tubing for the gas and water plumbing. Let me know what you think?

 

[Hoppus_Poppatopolis]

I'm not sure it would matter but most of those wire shelving units are not stainless but steel with a nickel/chrome coating. Some are zinc coated which is even cheaper.
They WILL rust if left wet.
Also, I'm not sure how stable they would be. I would be very careful about moving that if you have a load on it. I'm in the material handling business and we sell this stuff. If you have to move it under load, I would unload the top shelf.

 

[nebben]

That sucker will be TALL! A 3 tier setup that uses 10G coolers and/or 15G sankes is also tall. The one you propose has a keg a level above that- a four tier setup if you will.

That could easily be rectified if you could shift everything down a level instead, and avoid having a sanke way up high. Access and even trying to monitor the water level of the HLT in the top might be difficult as even a sight glass will not be read at the same level, but underneath and giving a false reading (you would be reading the sightglass from below).

If you did do this though, having it on wheels would be pretty sweet if it meant you could roll it back to its storage location and put bins of grain, tubing, pots, etc. on it just like it were a storage rack and not a brew-sculpture. Nice dual-purpose stuff. Personally, I wouldn't put a HLT as high as you propose, but I don't see why it wouldn't work, functionally.

 

[x2wdtoyotax]

Yeah the HLT way up on top might not be the most functional... just an idea. I was thinking about shifting everything down one level and using a venturi pump to transfer the wort to the conical via the water pressure from the CFC. I am on a very limited budget so a march pump is out of the question.

Has any one ever seen a setup like this? I'm curious if the heat will be an issue. Running a high BTU flame through it may cause some warping... dunno?