Low Cost Brew Stand?

[VladTheImpaler]

So I was browsing Amazon last night and came up on this double burner outdoor stand(http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00264G584/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20).

For the price, it looks like it'd be sturdy enough provide enough heat for a 5 gal. operation. I just wanted to get yalls input on it, I'm thinking it could possibly work...

 

[aangel]

That'll work well. There's also a kickstarter for something very similar going on right now.

 

[VladTheImpaler]

I'm trying to think of what would be the best way to use the middle 105,000 BTU jet burner... I wonder if I could swap them and use it for my HLT or just keep it where it is and use it for my boil kettle once ready... I'm fairly new at this so feel free to chime in and give me some pointers.

Also, anyone got a link to the kickstarter?

 

[aangel]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1100391693/brewers-buddy-your-best-friend-in-brewing

 

[Double_D]

I wish that thing was around when I started all grain.

 

[VladTheImpaler]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1100391693/brewers-buddy-your-best-friend-in-brewing

Much appreciated! That thing is actually sweet, and probably a great option for someone to get a good 3-tier system starting out with all grain, or just someone who doesn't wanna build it themselves.

I just feel like I could do all the same functions on that $130 stand and save a bunch of money... not knocking the Kickstarter, I'm just a cheapskate at times... haha

I wish that thing was around when I started all grain.

I'm more than likely about to get it. I've brewed a couple extract batches and they've turned out great so I feel like I've got a decent enough base to start getting all the extra equipment ready for AG.

I'm just trying to think of the best way to use that 2-tier stand with a 60,000 BTU burner up top and a 105,000 BTU jet burner in the lower tier... hmmmmmmmm

 

[Double_D]

Heat mash water on top, gravity to mash tun on bottom tier. Heart sparge water on top, sparge and collect on floor. My best guess.

I built a single tier so I didn't have to move stuff around but I didn't have an in between like this. I started on a bayou classic just moving pots on and off my counter and burner.

 

[Firewalker11]

So I was browsing Amazon last night and came up on this double burner outdoor stand(http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00264G584/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20).

For the price, it looks like it'd be sturdy enough provide enough heat for a 5 gal. operation. I just wanted to get yalls input on it, I'm thinking it could possibly work...

Oh HELL yes! Nice stand and burners for the price! I am all electric now and gave mine away early on but I was a STEAL for the price!

 

[VladTheImpaler]

Heat mash water on top, gravity to mash tun on bottom tier. Heart sparge water on top, sparge and collect on floor. My best guess.

I built a single tier so I didn't have to move stuff around but I didn't have an in between like this. I started on a bayou classic just moving pots on and off my counter and burner.

I thought that too. The other idea was to have the top tier for the HLT for heating sparge/strike water, the lower tier for the boil kettle, and then have the MLT staggered off to the side, kind of like a staggered 3-tier system. That way I could keep all things stationary and not have to move, for example, the mash tun off the bottom tier and put the boil kettle onto it.

Ideas, ideas.

 

[dsniegocki]

Check out the Amazon comments on the thing, looks like quite a few homebrewers use it and are very happy with it, and some have had good success modding it as well. Nice find and thanks for the post!

 

[VladTheImpaler]

Check out the Amazon comments on the thing, looks like quite a few homebrewers use it and are very happy with it, and some have had good success modding it as well. Nice find and thanks for the post!

I had read a few of the comments, looks like it works great as-is or can be very versatile if you choose to mod it.

With that being said, I just bought it! haha

 

[ndinh]

I used it for about a year. It served me well but keep in mind that it will only support about 5-6 gallons. I wouldn't trust anything heavier than that. Also, the large, bottom burner is super strong, which is good, but you have to be careful because the flame is centralized and may scorch your wort or heat it up unevenly. What I did was, I used the top burner for sparge water which would dump into my igloo mash tun on the ground. At the time, I had 1 march pump to pump into my kettle, which sits on the lower burner. For what it cost, it's a good, beginner's setup and I got dozens of batches from it, successfully. With a strong burner like this, I was going through propane tanks every 2-3 batches.

 

[tjramsey]

TL/DR Version: It works pretty good at a darned good price.

Longer version:
I use one of those and it works quite well for 10 gallon batches. I do HLT on top, my picnic cooler mash tun sits on 2 cinder blocks to the side (until I build a small table for it out of wood). I heat strike water in HLT above, drain with a hose to my cooler, then when I sparge I drain to buckets and pour into my boil kettle on the first tier. (If I do the table for the mash tun right, I THINK I might be able to drain right into boil kettle, just haven't gotten around to doing it, and keep thinking I may invest in a pump for that purpose before I get around to building the in-between tier.)
So basically I'm saying, it's a pretty workable setup, and the price is right. With pretty minor DIY, you could tweak it to be a single tier that also would work.
Jet Burner gets stuff to a boil quick. It IS pretty loud, and I have no doubt there are more efficient burners out there.

I will say, after about 2 years, I have started thinking about building a different brewstand; but I think it's more likely I'll be adding a pump to the king kooker stand and keep using it for a while yet, while make a few other equipment changes first (new brew kettle to step up to 15 gal batches, for instance.)