Rotating Brew Sculpture - Gravity x2

[flountown]

Hey, I am putting together a design for a brewstand that will use two keggles, a heat stick and gravity, but more than once. Basically, I am not in a position to purchase a pump right now, and don't feel like dealing with a 3-tier stand. Below is a CAD drawing showing the two separate pieces, top and bottom, along with the 3 positions that can be maintained with the peg system I designed. The highest a Keggle will sit when at the top point is 48ish inches to the rim, much better than messing about with hot stuff and step ladder...any suggestions to improve the design, the drawings show it in 4x4 (3.5x3.5") post, but eventually I'd want to make it out of box tubing.

Sorry if the image is an issue, I am not good at resizing stuff.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

"A" for creativity, but for the extra cost involved in building a stand like that, you could likely just buy a used march pump on eBay for $90 and be happier with the end result. Plus a Keggle filled with Wort weighs about 125ish pounds. Not something you want to have fall down.

I think it is a cool idea, and hate being a downer, but I would STRONGLY consider just waiting a bit, saving some pennies, and buying the pump. Or going 3-tier.

 

[Hang Glider]

That looks ingenious!
I may have to stea....er..borrow that idea!

 

[Funkatollah]

Looks like it would be excellent for cleaning. How much of a factor is weight going to be? Even half-full kegs are heavy.

 

[weirdboy]

If you're looking for a cheap pump, I got one of these (only, a 110V version) on ebay for $50:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gorman-Rupp-Ind...QptZBI_Pumps?hash=item255576ad56#ht_500wt_956

 

[flountown]

"A" for creativity, but for the extra cost involved in building a stand like that, you could likely just buy a used march pump on eBay for $90 and be happier with the end result. Plus a Keggle filled with Wort weighs about 125ish pounds. Not something you want to have fall down.

I think it is a cool idea, and hate being a downer, but I would STRONGLY consider just waiting a bit, saving some pennies, and buying the pump. Or going 3-tier.

I understand your concerns, but the most a keg could fall is 22.5" as that is the farthest from the ground it is at any point in time. My current cost analysis for this would be heat stick, keggles, and wood to build the majority of the base and a couple of pieces of pipe to provide some axes for rotation. Also, with this set-up, I feel it would be safer since any type of lifting could also be counter-weighted.

Also, I have already decided that I don't want a three tier, but want to use gravity more than once and maintain a two container unit. People used complicated pulley/re-purposed weight lifting gear to do this, and I wanted to avoid that since I feel that would more dangerous than these two keggles rotating about the central axis.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Don't let me stop you! I love seeing the creative things people come up with. All I am saying is that you could likely build a single tier, two vessel system with one pump, for cheaper than you are going to be able to build this. Unless you have free wood and axles and all that jazz.

Anyway you go, I am excited to see it!!