Yet another brew rig....

Ok, thought I would post this. This is the mock up, but I have begun the actual process of making it. Just need to find some more time to make it back to the shop. I'm also waiting on the UPS/FEDX/DHL/Whoever is bringing me my crap (and I hope they hurry) to get it done. If all goes well I will be brewing on it within 2 weeks...

The idea behind this, is that when brewing I need room to do brew. I also wanted to be able to use gravity, but not have to, so there is a pump included on this model. When I'm done I wanted a small portable brewstand that I could take with me, or stow via a pulley system in my small garage rafters.

I'm finding as I build this thing, several small changes have to happen, or I think of somethimg 'handy' as I move and change the design a little. But this should give all an idea of the direction I'm heading. Any input is welcome.

I am building out of mild steel and will be painting it with high temp paint. I'll be using spring loaded lock pins to get lock the lower burner out and in, and to lock the upper burner up or down.... Right now, in real life it measures 40wx24deepx31" tall (folded in).

Cheers,
Ryan

I like the compact design.

Thanks for all the input. (joking of course)... Okay, I was kidding myself when I said 2 weeks till brewing... though, it could be done if there weren't so much R&D. I was deciding whether to post these pictures, but figure what the heck. This is turning into a really sweet rig. I still have a few more things to add to it, but have met a lot of the goals already. I'm actually starting to think about color. I figure something flashy, like red, orange, or.... yellow?

It works very smoothly, and is very compact. Though, I've only installed one burner so far due to the price, I will likely be ordering two more burners just so it doesn't look half naked. Anyway, enough of the hype.... here it is. I'll post to the Brewsculpture thread as soon as it's finished.

Cheers!

opened:



Closed:

Wow!! looks awsome. Can't wait to see more.

Nice set up. Can tell a lot of thought was put into that. One question. For the "3rd" tier does " wiggle"and with the one support? Get some burners on that and get brewing!!

thats awesome great design. Have you tested the top tier with a full pot on it? That would be my only concern.

Great design. Very Very well done! I can't wait to see the finished product.

very cool design. i never would have thought of that. so compact when not brewing. would be very easy to just toss in the back of a truck or SUV and drive to a friend's house to brew.

Nice workmanship too.

I've been mulling different styles in my head for a while now, not really liking any of them. I wanted a compact and easily stowable rig, with the convenience of 3 tiers. Of course it had to be easy to set up and take down.

Well...






I'm STEALING YOUR DESIGN!

Ok, the basics of it anyway. I might decide to do this or that once it's in SolidWorks. But it's def a winner in all of my requirements!

Thanks!

Thanks all.

Drez: The top tier has held two 10 gallon coolers full of water. It doesn't wiggle, so much as flex. But I have already incorporated a additional support if it is going to be holding that heavy of a load. I used heavier gauge steel on the upper support and accompanying pieces to anticipate the load. I've actually put my weight on it (240lbs) and it held up, just flexed down about 1/2 an inch. But with the additional, quick pop up, support it will hold two of me I'm sure. And right now, it's only tacked together. Once I finish welding it, I should be able to park a Volkswagen on it (well, at least the lower portion )

Berserker, you hit the nail on the head. I planned for this to be mobile when I brew. I miss the days when I did extract and would just drive over to a friends house with a pot and a carboy and brew all day. I actually have one other 'surprise' planned for this brewrig which I think you will especially enjoy; stay tuned.


Homercidal, please see my lawyers... just kidding. That's awesome. Let me know how your rig turns out. It's a pretty simple design, just be wary of the moving parts... it takes a bit of headache to get everything right.

I've actually enjoyed building this so much, that I've considered building another just for fun. The research and development has been such a learning process, I know the next one I build will be even better. Plus a few improvements to this one are on the way... not sure why I improve something I've never used, but I can imagine one day it will be nice for brewing.

Wow, great design.
I never cease to be amazed at the creativity of brewers.
I'm wondering how easy it is to tip up on its end (side) to take up even less floor space.
jason

subscribed!

The portability aspect is VERY appealing. Nice design.

That is PIMP.

love it. the bottom tier is genius.

again, thanks all. I've been working on some of the finer details lately. Got an automatic flame ignition for the burners (bbq style), wired up a pump switch, and finished a little more of the gas line.
Got two more burners ordered, and just some final welding to do. Oh yeah, and the surprise... But I'm waiting to see if it works before I let the cat out of the bag....

Oh, I see. You are a tease!

Nice! But I do have a concern, the third tier supported by one support. I would do at least three. Also, I'd drill a hole through both the supports and slides, and support it by pins.

Just call me paranoid, but having scalding hot water on one support is just asking for trouble.

Homebrewbeer, you are right to have concerns. I don't like to be in the hospital either (and that would probably kill you to have that much boiling water land on you). I have an additional stand that can be pulled up for extra support (if needed). Both have 1/2" pins in them; the shearing force it would take to break both pins is weigh (sic, and pun intended) more than it should be loaded with ever.

I've added the bottom to it with some nice shiny diamond plate. I've also wired it with a toggle switch to control the pump. I also included the GFCI plug to prevent myself from being electrocuted and outdoor plug cover in case of a spill.

Got to love the BLING!!!



here is the outdoor plug mounted on the base:



And I've also installed electric ignition system with the touch of a button.

I'm just waiting for the mailman to bring me my last two burners, some finish up welding... adding the "Big surprise" and showing it off.

Oh yeah, still unsure about a color! I think I'm dubbing this "the turtle" since it folds up into itself... so maybe green....???

Here's a test day pic:



And a two tier setup when I want to use the pump:

rshosted, is there a reason you went with the one support? And, the pic with the two coolers, are they full? It looks to me that it is leaning a little with the weight.

[edit]: Studying the pics a little more, I think you could possibly mount a propane tank below the adjustable third tier. You'd have to move the pump to the right, under the control panel, but it looks like there is room.

They are full to the lip. It was flexing about 1/2 inch. I have added a 2nd support since that 'test day' and it's not going anywhere now. The 2nd support actually 'hides' in the leg, and is recessed in to the leg with a small handle to pull it up with a support pin that locks it up. It takes less than a second to engage it. I will most likely use it every time I have the third tier in the up position. I probably shouldn't have posted the pic like that as to give others concern, but I wanted to test how strong it is.

I can mount a propane tank under the third tier no problems. I think I can fit one of my coolers under there too. I'm waiting for the mailman to bring me my last two burners before I do any changes like that. I'm not sure if I want a tank under there where it could possibly get boilover on it... But you are correct, it would be a very easy addition, and one reason I stubbed the gas-in to that side. Thought the pump can stay there and still have room for the lp bottle.

Although, now that it's getting close to finished, I can see why people keep building on to these things. It is really fun to fabricate and make these!

Now I wish I had more time to design my rig! I could sneak a few minutes at a time at work, but that usually winds up being a few hours. Time at home is pretty non-existant right now.

Ok here is the finished product, minus paint. I will be doing a first test brew on it tomorrow.

The big surprise is my 2 in reciever that allows me to take it to brew where I choose. I got some strange looks on the "test drive" of my brewstand

I'm posting from my blackberryn so I'm hoping this works.



And, just a note, I didn't build the truck myself. But it is "the fastest brewstand" that I've seen, since its hooked to my 11 second truck.



Here is one more pic:

Nicely done!

LOL, I've seen a brew rig built onto a trailer here on HBT, but I've never seen one that can be toted around by the receiver. Nice idea, but that brings another question to my mind. How far does it stick out? There could be some banged up shins on brew day.

well played sir

I have been looking at all kind of set-ups here on the forum for the past month or so. I believe I have found what i am looking for. Hope you dont mind if I copy your design. This thing fits the footprint and portability that I want.

damn, that is amazing!

rshosted said:

Ok here is the finished product, minus paint. I will be doing a first test brew on it tomorrow.

The big surprise is my 2 in reciever that allows me to take it to brew where I choose. I got some strange looks on the "test drive" of my brewstand

I'm posting from my blackberryn so I'm hoping this works.

And, just a note, I didn't build the truck myself. But it is "the fastest brewstand" that I've seen, since its hooked to my 11 second truck.

Here is one more pic:

Click to expand...

I sure bet you'll get strange looks driving around, have it powder coated or painted in a bright color sure worth it just for the looks alone. Now get your D2 Rover into the 15 second times would be nice.

The Rover is my brothers. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if it went faster, but the only way to get that thing to go fast is to drive it off a cliff...

As for shins? Well I plan to take it off the truck to brew. I put too big of burners to have it that close to a vehicle I adore. I'll only have it mounted while in transit.

I did my first test on the rig. It worked out wonderfully, though, I needed some nipples for the pump which had not arrived yet, so I didn't get to fully use it. I hope to use it, in all its glory, soon. It is a big departure from where I was before, stacking coolers on top of boards on my garage counter-top. This made it tons easier. It also heated the water up so much quicker than I am used to. Even when I dropped in my immersion chiller, it didn't stop boiling when I kicked that huge burner up.

I'll probably do a few more test runs on it before painting, just to ensure I don't want to have any additions onto it. I may put one or two more things, just to be handy, but I'll have to wait and see.

As for copying my design, as far as I'm concerned that's the highest form of flattery, so thank you.

Cheers!
Ryan

alright, so the real question is, how much for you to make me one?

Is there enough height differential for gravity? I really like this idea and may have to copy it, my brew tree is HUGE.

Not that you care anymore, but I specifically made the stand so I could use it for gravity with big pots or cooler mashers. I'm in the process of rebuilding this same/similar design with a few changes included. I'm hoping to have it done in the next week or two. I'll probably offer it up for sale locally. Just felt like building it again and don't need two. It was a lot of fun to make.

I saw this build last year, never subscribed and it was lost to the archives, I have been wanting to build this design for 6 months or so but could never find it. I love the collapsable design and the slide out burner is genius, now to get building my own, thanks for the update, I would have never found it!

Yeah, I know this is an old thread but I'm glad it got resurrected too. I just got a turkey fryer, and plan to get another of the same design on Friday, and thought I could make a rig out of them. This design is wonderful, and way beyond what I'll put together, but it has sure given me a couple good ideas for the planning. Thanks.

Awesome rig!
Very well thought out.

Awsome pretty much sums it up here... I may just have to "borrow" your design.

I may have missed it but What kind of gas valves are you using? they look like ether a parker or swageloc like

link

Never seen this before. This is a really cool design.