Best material for top of stand

[butterblum]

I am inheriting some 80/20 from work and am planning a small stand for a one-vessel eBIAB system. What are some good, cheap, heat-resistant materials for the 'counter-top'?
Thanks

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Granite or quartz would be my number one choice. Anything short of a blowtorch will not touch it.

 

[bleme]

We probably need to know more about what dimensions you are thinking as well as what features are important to you.
Hardibacker or Wonderboard are waterproof/heatproof but would probably stain if you spilled on them. If you want something smoother for easy cleaning, I'd go with porcelain tile.

 

[kh54s10]

We also need to know what heat you are trying to protect from. I have my Turkey Fryer burner and Bayou Classic SP10 burner sitting on plywood. I have never had any problems with heat. I can put my hand on the plywood with the burners on full blast. What they are on now is bare plywood. My stand is in storage and it is plywood painted with high gloss interior wall paint.

 

[bleme]

We also need to know what heat you are trying to protect from.

He has an eBIAB, which would sit directly on the surface, so it just has to be something that 212F won't bother.

 

[kh54s10]

Ah yes, missed the eBIAB. But 212 is not hot enough to do anything but discolor the wood.

 

[butterblum]

What about plywood with some sort of clearcoat (or non-clear) that provides some waterproofing?

 

[ancientmariner52]

What about plywood with some sort of clearcoat (or non-clear) that provides some waterproofing?

Most finishes will soften or discolor even at low heat. How about making a large 'coaster', perhaps two pieces of plywood with ridgid foam board between? Use it when brewing, and put it out of sight when you aren't using it.

 

[LittleRiver]

Granite or quartz would be my number one choice. Anything short of a blowtorch will not touch it.

True. But if an area is heated sufficiently, and the surrounding areas are cool, it can crack due to the stresses caused by uneven expansion.

 

[universalfrost]

regular oak plank works for me... also butcher block tops are good ...


some have used ceramic tile on top the wood tops to protect from heat

 

[FloppyKnockers]

True. But if an area is heated sufficiently, and the surrounding areas are cool, it can crack due to the stresses caused by uneven expansion.

Don't heat them 'sufficiently'.

I've had granite counter tops in most of the places I have live. I have never used trivets and was cavalier about putting hot pans and pots right on the counter. Never a problem. The temperatures that we're dealing with are far too low to even consider there being an issue.

 

[LittleRiver]

In terms of thermal mass there's a huge difference between a hot cooking pan and a large internally heated kettle full of boiling liquid.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

In terms of thermal mass there's a huge difference between a hot cooking pan and a large internally heated kettle full of boiling liquid.

You're right. There is a huge difference.

Hot cooking pan from the oven = up to ~450°
Cast iron skillet off medium gas flame = ~525°
Large internally heated kettle full of boiling liquid = ~ 220°

 

[LittleRiver]

There's a difference between temperature and thermal mass, or heat capacity.

A frying pan can be double the temperature of an EBIAB kettle, but unable to impart a significant change in the temp of a granite slab due to the low mass of the frying pan.

An internally heated kettle full of boiling wort will have no trouble heating a portion of the slab, even though it's at a lower temperature than the frying pan. Its heat capacity is WAY higher than a frying pan.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

And still won't affect the granite.

 

[LittleRiver]

FloppyKnockers, re-read my initial post. Uneven expansion is the concern. If a portion of a slab is heated it will expand at a higher rate than the surrounding stone, creating internal stresses. It's those stresses that can cause a crack. It does happen, here's one relevant report.

Another problem with using granite directly under an EBIAB kettle would be the thermal mass of the granite once it is heated. If you use an immersion chiller it will take quite a bit longer to chill the wort due to the hot granite that is under the kettle.

If you move the kettle, the granite is going to be very hot (hot enough to burn you), and stay that way for a while due to its mass.

 

[Cyclman]

Phenolic sheet would be perfect

 

[FloppyKnockers]

FloppyKnockers, re-read my initial post. Uneven expansion is the concern. If a portion of a slab is heated it will expand at a higher rate than the surrounding stone, creating internal stresses. It's those stresses that can cause a crack. It does happen, here's one relevant report.

Another problem with using granite directly under an EBIAB kettle would be the thermal mass of the granite once it is heated. If you use an immersion chiller it will take quite a bit longer to chill the wort due to the hot granite that is under the kettle.

If you move the kettle, the granite is going to be very hot (hot enough to burn you), and stay that way for a while due to its mass.

Holy sh*t, man! I'm not here to argue a known fact. The thermal expansion coefficient of granite is around 4.4. That's less than plate glass and concrete and very close to Pyrex. If you can't comprehend, I'll break it down... That's 0.0000044"/degree F or 0.00088" @ boiling point. That's half of a half of a half of a human hair. In other words granite has almost no measurable thermal expansion. A boiling kettle will not make a piece granite crack. If it cracks, it because it is flawed granite, not because of the heat applied. Keep trolling or learn about granite and CLTE.

TL;DNR granite would be an amazing base for an ebiab kettle because it is an amazing substrate to put hot things on.

 

[SEndorf]

Get some of this stuff, cut to size.
It's what I use.