Stainless table vs equipment stand

[mbauer013]

Hey all, I'm rebuilding my brewery as I'm remodeling the basement. One thought I had was that it seem all of the Herms setups using a stainless platform use stainless work tables, but that seems really high up for stirring 15 - 20g pots and what not. Is there a reason people don't use equipment stands like the ones griddles are placed on in professional kitchens? They are 25" tall rather than 30-35 and also generally have a higher weight rating.
My old stand was wood so even though I've run a Herms system for a while, thought I'd ask the question.

 

[sicktght311]

I have a stainless table for my 10 gallon kettles, and an equipment stand for my fermenters. I brew 5 gallon finished batches so the height works perfect for me as a 6foot1 person.

I think ultimately it comes down to how big your system is, and how tall you are. If you are running 30+ Gallon pots, equipment stands would definitely make it easier to reach into as needed. Fermenters in the 5-10gallon range fit perfectly on an equipment stand, however any bigger than that and it makes more sense to have them on the ground or on wheels.

its all about your work flow. Whatever you feel is the most comfortable to you, is the right solution

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

I built my own table so I could put the height where I wanted. Taking into account the height of the kettles (30 gallon) I have no problem, but my wife still stands on a stool when she helps me with mashing in. I had a local machine shop bend the stainless top for me.

 

[Deadalus]

I cut the legs on my stainless steel table shorter. My vessels are all keggles. It was a relatively inexpensive table, I ended up putting wheels on it. I probably cut the top of the legs but I can't recall at the moment if there was an internal bracket at the bottom or how the wheels attached. You might not want to cut the bottom if the feet attach specifically. You wouldn't need to buy a griddle table to get a sturdy one. I'm fine with the 24"depth on mine and could have been fine as well at 60" instead of 72".

 

[Golddiggie]

I'm still using the first brew stand I made. Originally it was built for propane burners, but I've gone electric. It has wheels, but I added leveling feet, so it would take some work to move it around. I'm looking to get a stainless stand for after I move and have more room. IF I can find a table that will work as a base, that I can get modified to fit my wants, I'll do that.

Back when I built the brew stand, I was using keggles. I wanted to make sure the tops were low enough to make working with them easy. I welded it up myself (MIG) since I had just gotten a welder not long before then. Came out good, and the welds are strong.

 

[EternalHoppiness]

its all about your work flow. Whatever you feel is the most comfortable to you, is the right solution

This.

Otherwise, it depends on what else you want your setup to play nicely with. I considered the equipment stand at first for the exact same reason, but then realized that the height of my stainless sink matched the stainless table (and was higher than the equipment stand). Being able to directly drain kettles to the sink while CIP is worth reaching a little higher during brewing for my specific setup. If it weren't for the sink and wanting to clean kettles without moving them (bad back), I would have gone the equipment stand route.

Good luck!