Collapsible Wood Gravity Fed Brew Structure

[JamesKY]

This Spring I'm going to start working on a brew structure. I'd like to make it out of wood since I already have the tools for it and don't have the metal working knowledge to make something from scratch. I'd like the design to be collapsible so that it takes up the minimum amount of space in the garage as necessary. I've been working on a design in Sketchup and I wanted to get your opinions on it. My other main concerns were fire safety and stability.

Thanks for looking!

 

[LandoLincoln]

It looks pretty good. Heat may be a problem by the top of the MLT, so you might need a piece of sheet metal there to avoid melting issues. You could also use pieces of sheet metal under the burners to avoid heat issues there.

 

[jeff13]

Cool idea! My input would be to lower the boil kettles platform as low as possible so everything else could be lowered. Carrying grain up a ladder and mixing would be a pain

 

[JamesKY]

That's a good idea about the sheet metal. It can be added once the base structure is completed too once we have a better idea of what the heat production will be.

We'll lower everything as much as possible that still allows us to gravity feed. We'll refine the exact measurements of everything once we have all of our burners and keggles.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Chrisharvey]

End up making this? I'd love the dimensions and how you built it. I'm going all electric and this would be perfect.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Bigdaddyale]

It looks pretty good. Heat may be a problem by the top of the MLT, so you might need a piece of sheet metal there to avoid melting issues. You could also use pieces of sheet metal under the burners to avoid heat issues there.

looks like the MLT is free standing and you can just slide it farther away

 

[JamesKY]

Well I finally got around to making this thing and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'm looking forward to giving it a test run here in a couple of weeks. I'll probably end up cutting a few inches off the legs once I figure out exactly how high everything should really be.

And here it is collapsed for storage.

 

[brettwasbtd]

Nice design! Is it on wheels?

 

[JamesKY]

Thanks. I'm just using a hand truck to move it around right now and I think that will be fine in the future. I might put dedicated wheels on it one day though. It's pretty heavy and a bit awkward to move since it's so tall.

 

[LandoLincoln]

Well I finally got around to making this thing and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'm looking forward to giving it a test run here in a couple of weeks. I'll probably end up cutting a few inches off the legs once I figure out exactly how high everything should really be.

Well, it's pretty simple. Each vessel's drain valve should be just high enough to gravity drain into the next vessel down the process. BK valve should be just high enough to drain into your fermentor. Work your way up from there.

 

[DurtyChemist]

I think the whole thing is a great idea but it could be shorter. You don't need your boil kettle on the table do you? This could make the whole thing shorter by a lot. Mash tun could be where the propane tank is. Propane tank could be on the ground then store under the mash tun when folded up. Great idea though and I think people will copy you.

 

[Bigdaddyale]

run a gas line up the back on the left side and a filter and water line on the right.add a step on the back

 

[JPicasso]

I think this is FAN-Tastic!

I've worked up a few drawings like what you've built a couple times, but never got around to building it. Love the fold-up mechanism. :rockin:

I like how the pins hold the side up, then hold the legs in place.

 

[Bigdaddyale]

bookmark

 

[dtgrdn]

another bookmark, this is pretty cool

 

[abbysdad2006]

Well I finally got around to making this thing and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'm looking forward to giving it a test run here in a couple of weeks. I'll probably end up cutting a few inches off the legs once I figure out exactly how high everything should really be.

And here it is collapsed for storage.

Great set up, exactly what I'm looking for. Do you have the plans and dimensions that you could share? I can't seem to figure out the whole sketch-up thing. How tall is the piece that stores under the main piece?

 

[5harkey]

I like the bench portion for workable space to put things on but would put the boil kettle and burner directly on the ground and make everything else shorter. Great design though and thank you for sharing.

 

[dcbc]

Very similar to my first brew stand. The legs were held in place by pins, which also held the shelves in place for storage. I started out with one shelf, but I added another for a work space. Yes, the slight inward angle on the shelves is intentional to allow the cooler to drain more completely. Overall, it worked great until I moved on to a BRUTUS-style stand.