Combo Steel / Wood Brewstand...

[cantrell00]

Tired of this;

&

In favor of; (Vessels are more spaced out than shown)

 

[broadbill]

I'd worry the cantilevered platform will tip the entire thing over when filled with liquid (if that is the HLT then I would expect that at first that would get filled before the other pot that would provide counterweight).

 

[WayFrae]

I think you would need to shift the top to be centered on the cart so when only the HLT is filled it won't tip over.

 

[Peruvian802]

Would you have to lift the boil kettle back up to the burner on the stand after lauteting? Why not skip the cantilevered side and put the BK & burner on the floor for a three tier system?

 

[WayFrae]

Would you have to lift the boil kettle back up to the burner on the stand after lauteting? Why not skip the cantilevered side and put the BK & burner on the floor for a three tier system?

I assumed that he would use the pump pictured in the illustration to transfer from MLT to BK

 

[cantrell00]

I assumed that he would use the pump pictured in the illustration to transfer from MLT to BK

Correct.

 

[Peruvian802]

Oops. Missed the pump.

 

[cantrell00]

I had the cart to start with (steel) - Unfortunately it is only 3' long... I'm doing 5-6 gallon batches so the MLT on the elevated portion is only going to see 5' gallons max. I have filled my MLT on the far end with the brew kettle empty & the stand is very stable. Not worried about tipping.

Everything that I have read is that "if" only using a single pump on a single tier, you are best served to gravity drain into the mash tun... Is that the basic rule of thumb? Seeking advice from the experts. The nice thing is I can do this in a variety of ways with the freedom o change on the fly if need be.

This will be my first brew process using a pump & no longer entirely dependent on gravity to transfer wort.

Chilling will be done with an IC & recirculation in the kettle. Extended hopstands & varying temps, etc...

 

[cantrell00]

Mounting 2 X 3 rails to extend the top of the stand... Decked with 1/2" plywood. I will eventually place some cheap 18" ceramic tile under each burner & between the two burners & MLT.

Cheap heat barrier @ 2.00 per.

 

[broadbill]

I had the cart to start with (steel) - Unfortunately it is only 3' long... I'm doing 5-6 gallon batches so the MLT on the elevated portion is only going to see 5' gallons max. I have filled my MLT on the far end with the brew kettle empty & the stand is very stable. Not worried about tipping.

Everything that I have read is that "if" only using a single pump on a single tier, you are best served to gravity drain into the mash tun... Is that the basic rule of thumb? Seeking advice from the experts. The nice thing is I can do this in a variety of ways with the freedom o change on the fly if need be.

This will be my first brew process using a pump & no longer entirely dependent on gravity to transfer wort.

Chilling will be done with an IC & recirculation in the kettle. Extended hopstands & varying temps, etc...

You lost me. It is your HLT (not your MLT, i.e. cooler) that is going on the elevated platform right? Wouldn't that hold more that 5 gallons? I thought the idea of the 3 vessel system was that you fill up the HLT once with both mash and sparge water...for a 5 gallon batch you are probably using upwards of 8 gallons.

Did you test the tipping with the filled pot in the elevated position or just sitting on the platform in line with the top of cart? Somebody with more physics recollection can chime in, but I would guess the fulcrum effect would be more (i.e. more able to tip) if you moved the filled pot up higher when it was out on the cantilever, as it would be farther way from the carts center of gravity.

Also, why bother with the plywood (and then ceramic) when you can just put the vessels on the bare metal of the cart?

Lastly, it looks like you are using 2x4s not 2x3s

 

[WayFrae]

You lost me. It is your HLT (not your MLT, i.e. cooler) that is going on the elevated platform right? Wouldn't that hold more that 5 gallons? I thought the idea of the 3 vessel system was that you fill up the HLT once with both mash and sparge water...for a 5 gallon batch you are probably using upwards of 8 gallons.

Did you test the tipping with the filled pot in the elevated position or just sitting on the platform in line with the top of cart? Somebody with more physics recollection can chime in, but I would guess the fulcrum effect would be more (i.e. more able to tip) if you moved the filled pot up higher when it was out on the cantilever, as it would be farther way from the carts center of gravity.

Also, why bother with the plywood (and then ceramic) when you can just put the vessels on the bare metal of the cart?

Lastly, it looks like you are using 2x4s not 2x3s

Yeah, I thought your HLT would be holding more than 5 gallons too but if you have already tested it then it should be fine. I'm sure the weight of the propane tanks really helps to keep it from tipping. Especially if you keep them both on the far right like they are in the pic.

I think the plywood and ceramic will look nice, and who doesn't want their brew stand to look nice?

Those look like 2x3s to me but it doesn't really matter what they are.

 

[cantrell00]

The top of the cart was bent up and not flat. Plus I needed to extend the length 18" to accomadate a 3rd pot. Pots not sitting relatively level bug the hell out of me

Sorry.. the HLT is elevated, not MLT.

Not tiling the entire top. Only where the burners rest. Vertical pieces of tile between the burners and cooler.

 

[cantrell00]