How much does Top Tier weigh?

[kanzimonson]

I'm thinking about getting a Top Tier with three burners. How much do these suckers weigh? I know it has wheels, but I brew on a raised deck and I store my equipment underneath a porch. I'd be able to roll it up to the edge of the deck, but then I'd have to lift it about 2 feet. Could one person do this?

 

[Markd27]

I have a three burner top tier. No idea how much it weighs, but I can't see one dude lifting it two feet.

 

[rvklein]

They are very heavy. Took two guys to get one in and out of an SUV for our club brew day.

 

[mpcluever]

Not a one man job. It's heavy and awkward.

 

[kanzimonson]

Dangit... the good news is that I can actually wheel it all the way around my house to get it to the same level. I guess the slight inconvenience is worth having a kickass brewstand.

 

[BeerguyNC61]

Cue the boys from SNL skit.......... Hanz & Franz.....

Gurly mun.... cant wift a wittle stand.......

Sorry they just popped in my head when I read your post....

 

[Barnesie]

I'd also worry about rolling it on non-paved surfaces. It's easy enough to move on paved surfaces, but once its on the wheels, you've got a lot of weight concentrated on two very small contact patches. I'm still getting mine dialed in, but it's WEIGHTY when fully kitted out, so I'd be concerned about the very hard plastic wheels digging into dirt or mud.

As an alternate idea, what about making a removeable ramp instead of worrying about lifting it onto a deck?

 

[kanzimonson]

So I've done some thinking about this, and I actually think I'm going to buy three floor burners plus leg extensions instead of a Top Tier. There were really only two reasons I was considering a Top Tier: consolidating everything into one stand, and being able to run everything off one propane tank. Is that really worth $500 to me? The extra hassle of this lifting/rolling problem probably negates it.

I considered only buying two burners, which is what I have now, but I can't tell you how many times I've wished I had a third. When I brew, I'm always doing extra projects in addition to the main batch. Sometimes I'm making tomato sauce, sometimes I'm pressure canning veggies (or wort!). And sometimes I do partigyle batches.

And finally, I'm sure some people will suggest I instead get a much cheaper bayou cooker or similar, but I want 1) Blichmann's wind shielding, and 2) I'm ready to have a quality piece of equipment in my brewery. I used to be excited about the DIY aspect of homebrewing, but now I just care about the brewing. I'm actually less interested in a brewstand now and more excited about the fact that I can get out each burner as needed.

 

[Barnesie]

I came from single burner to the top tier, so it's going to be a world of difference for me. I have a dedicated storage area in the garage, so for me the biggest benefit is not having to take 20 trips in and out to set everything up, and also the guarantee that everything is setup exactly the same every time.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't point out that the $500 is just for the stand and no burners, and three floor burners with leg extensions is going to run you about the same amount, so you're really deciding between $500 or $1000.

 

[kanzimonson]

Exactly... which is why I'm saying that $500 is not worth organizing things into one tower to me.

 

[eastoak]

Exactly... which is why I'm saying that $500 is not worth organizing things into one tower to me.

it was worth it for me, being able to roll my brewery out of the garage then roll it back in at the end of the brew day. i started out with various burners, tables, chairs and other gravity inducing devices. i paid $836 (shipped) for my stand with 2 burners and later bought a 3rd burner (and a pump) and love it. eliminating all of the back and forth was my main goal and now that i have a TOP mash module being able to mount it on the stand is also really nice.

 

[kanzimonson]

Yeah, I just think because of my specific situation, rolling the Top Tier all over the place is just as much hassle as carrying three burners out. Also, I'm using the $500 saved to buy all this other stuff like a second pump, another kettle, etc