My Weldless Build Using Strut

[Stealthcruiser]

The powder coating is nice, but it will burn off near your burners, and will smell like a$$ until it burns back to a cool enough spot.

 

[sweetcell]

In fact I now use a 20 gal Megapot for my BK and it overhangs a good bit. The benefit is that is almost blocks the triangular gap at the four corners where lots of heat comes out and heats up things like a sight glass, thermometer, ball valves, etc. Having that totally blocked off is nice.

i'm not sure that having the pot completely seal all gaps is such a good thing. you are potentially limiting oxygen flow to the flame. if heat (and oxygen-free air) can't rise, it need to go around... keeping the oxygen-free air closer (or right on top of) to the flame. heat rising up = fresh, oxygen-rich air being replenished from below.

 

[Rynolee]

The powder coating is nice, but it will burn off near your burners, and will smell like a$$ until it burns back to a cool enough spot.

Has anyone tried to to coat the top of the strut stand (exposed to the burner heat) in Barb-B-Que paint AFTER burning off the galvanization?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Ole...Satin-High-Heat-Spray-Paint-7778830/202315061

If this can work, I would rather get black powder coated strut to maintain a uniform look throughout the stand.

 

[kserfass]

Rynolee, lemme know how the build goes for you. I'm about to embark on the same style stand, I've already got the struts/hardware just need to tighten up the plans and do the cuts. I picked up two 89qt kettles (MT/HLT) that are 18.75" dia and already had a morebeer 26gal BK that is ~20" so I was wondering what dimensions you went with. What height did you ultimately decide on?

 

[kserfass]

Anyone have any idea how I would go about mounting an edelmetall burner from Norther Brewer? Just bolting together my single tier strut stand but haven't thought through the burner mounting. I'd like to keep the windshield in tact.

 

[kirbcheck]

Anyone have any idea how I would go about mounting an edelmetall burner from Norther Brewer? Just bolting together my single tier strut stand but haven't thought through the burner mounting. I'd like to keep the windshield in tact.

I used right angle brackets to attach my burners to the stand. But they were Bg14's .

I would remove the screen, take the bolts to a hardware store, buy longer ones and bolt the burner to the stand somehow. Make sense?

 

[PJM]

Anyone have any idea how I would go about mounting an edelmetall burner from Norther Brewer? Just bolting together my single tier strut stand but haven't thought through the burner mounting. I'd like to keep the windshield in tact.

I used the brackets from strutstands.com to mount my blichmann burner. Fit perfectly and super easy. I was able to use the holes from where I took the legs off but you can just use the screws that attach the burner to the wind screen. Here are a few pics.

 

[kserfass]

I used the brackets from strutstands.com to mount my blichmann burner. Fit perfectly and super easy. I was able to use the holes from where I took the legs off but you can just use the screws that attach the burner to the wind screen. Here are a few pics.

I've seen that mounting scheme on this thread, but the issue with the edelmetall is that it has three mounting holes/legs (instead of four) in a triangle shape so if I were to put the burner in with one hole square to the strut, the other two now face at a roughly 45 degree angle to the other strut on the stand. Does that make sense? I'll see if I can post a pic.

I was thinking I'd have to have bent brackets (not ideal safety-wise) or rig some sort of wire support (harder to to and still not as safe).

 

[gifty74]

I would just drill new holes in the windscreen at the 4 quadrants where you need them to mount up with the brackets. Pretty simple job to drill a few small holes then you have a solid mounting solution.


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[kserfass]

I would just drill new holes in the windscreen at the 4 quadrants where you need them to mount up with the brackets. Pretty simple job to drill a few small holes then you have a solid mounting solution.


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Yes, thanks! As soon as I posted my response I thought the exact same thing. Simple solution that was hard to see because of all the overthinking I was doing.

 

[PJM]

I know what you are saying about only having three legs on your stand. That is why I mentioned that you could probably just use the screws that mount the burner to the wind screen. In the bottom picture above you can see where the top screw is sticking out of the second hole on the mounting bracket. That screw is one of four which connects the burner to the wind screen. You could simply attach the brackets to the wind screen using those screws.

 

[Rynolee]

I was about to purchase those burners but didn't want to put extra work into mounting them, given the 3 legs instead of 4. However, I took a trip to HD and purchased 2x 6ft pieces of 14 gauge pre-drilled steel and cut them up into 11" pieces for each of my 3 burners (I needed a total of 12 brackets), I bent them about 1/3 into each piece so I had an L bracket measuring 4-12" x 6-1/2" which worked perfectly to give me a distance of 3-1/2" from the burner to the bottom of my kettles.

Here's a picture of the burner mounted to give you an idea of the steel used. I'll try to post more pictures if you need a better example:

 

[Rynolee]

Rynolee, lemme know how the build goes for you. I'm about to embark on the same style stand, I've already got the struts/hardware just need to tighten up the plans and do the cuts. I picked up two 89qt kettles (MT/HLT) that are 18.75" dia and already had a morebeer 26gal BK that is ~20" so I was wondering what dimensions you went with. What height did you ultimately decide on?

Kserfass -

I went with 16-3/4" strut for the depth and height of the stand along with 72" length. This allows me to perfectly sit my 20" diameter pots on the stand above each burner. I did, however, end up paying a little more for SS on the top, didn't want to have to worry about the galvanization burning off, plus these dimensions really allow for heat dispersion around the strut. The strut doesn't get that hot on the legs, which is a huge benefit too me

Here's a few more pics of the stand parts used and then mostly built:

 

[tracyk]

I just put my order in at G-P LLC and used the coupon code SAVE and got 10% off my order. I wasn't sure if the code would still work or not, but it did. Will start building my single tier brew stand once all the parts come in. Can't wait.

 

[Rynolee]

I just put my order in at G-P LLC and used the coupon code SAVE and got 10% off my order. I wasn't sure if the code would still work or not, but it did. Will start building my single tier brew stand once all the parts come in. Can't wait.

I used the same code bringing the total cost of the stand with all brackets and screws to a little under $500 (stainless steel added $150). Tom and the guys over at G-P LLC were amazing. Received a call from them on a Sunday to talk about the order and get everything going. They were extremely helpful and delivered within 4 days for the bulk of the hardware (the casters were back-ordered and took another week to arrive).

I'll take a few more pictures along with my full parts list including burners, manifold, etc. hopefully by the end of the month.

 

[Rynolee]

We finally completed the brew stand this afternoon. We did a wet run and found zero leaks (liquid or gas) and everything flowed from one kettle to the next very seamlessly.

We will be adding an additional pickup tube in the MLT (and maybe HLT) as the system currently leaves behind 1.5 gallons, too much for my liking. I guess it was an oversight as we planned for it in the BK but nothing else. BK leaves behind about 3/4 gallons with the pickup tube FYI. We will also be notching the MLT lid so the sparge arm can be used with the lid in place. Finally, we might add a recirculation bulkhead to the top of the BK if we decide to drill the hole, but that's currently just an idea. We really need to start brewing a few batches and then make these modifications :cross:.

I've included my parts list, which came to $584 for the stand including burner mounts, $449 for the burners, and $99 for the manifold. Here's some photos as well!

 

[Sudz_Makenzie]

That's sexy Rynolee! Nice build

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Showoff.............

 

[jackyl]

We finally completed the brew stand this afternoon. We did a wet run and found zero leaks (liquid or gas) and everything flowed from one kettle to the next very seamlessly.

We will be adding an additional pickup tube in the MLT (and maybe HLT) as the system currently leaves behind 1.5 gallons, too much for my liking. I guess it was an oversight as we planned for it in the BK but nothing else. BK leaves behind about 3/4 gallons with the pickup tube FYI. We will also be notching the MLT lid so the sparge arm can be used with the lid in place. Finally, we might add a recirculation bulkhead to the top of the BK if we decide to drill the hole, but that's currently just an idea. We really need to start brewing a few batches and then make these modifications :cross:.

I've included my parts list, which came to $584 for the stand including burner mounts, $449 for the burners, and $99 for the manifold. Here's some photos as well!

Getting ready to do this exact same thing with 25 gallon kettles too. Did you have enough stainless left over to put angles in the front as a second heat block, or do the windscreens do a good enough job? Also, did you vent them out the back at all, or was it not necessary?

Thanks for the parts list, I'm going to probably steal it

 

[Rynolee]

The stainless strut I ordered was just enough for what was shown. Nothing left over. Heat comes up from the corners a bit and after doing a 30 min test run, I got some discoloration in the SS, but no big deal! No reason to direct heat anywhere else as the get shield on the blichman burners do a perfect job.

My only recommendation to the parts list is adding stainless to some of the brackets as I didn't realize it was a customized option from the website. The only bracket I didn't add it too was the center brackets, they don't really get too hot so I'm not too concerned.

 

[jackyl]

Fantastic, thanks! I have BG14s, so the windshield will be separate, but that's probably easy enough when I make the HD run for piping.


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[jackyl]

OK, I think have my parts list set up, although I'm going to do a slightly different style build than Rynolee - most of it is the same though!

I'm going to use a windshield from Brewers Hardware:

http://www.brewershardware.com/12-heat-shield-burner-mount.html
They have a rear vent, and say this about it:

The other new feature allows you to "unfold" the top 2" X 180º of the back half of the ring. One of the issues I've run into in R&D for stands and burner mounts is getting the exhaust gas to vent rather than collect under the kettle and choke the flame. It's a particular problem with these large burners. Mounting the heat shield lower or standing the kettle higher is one way to fix the issue, but then a lot of heat wash comes forward towards your valves, hoses and sensor wires. If you design your stand so the rear longitudinal support is 2" lower than the cross/kettle supports, the exhaust gas will naturally vent to the rear, allowing the burner to breathe better and keep the front cooler.

So, I'm going to have the rear length piece a strut height (1 5/8") lower than the front to allow for venting and probably put a small strut piece back there to hold the kettle. I'm also going to use some leftover pieces to make diagonal heat shields that will totally prevent heat from coming out of the front of the stand. I think I've covered everything with this list, plus some extra fasteners for when I build and attach a control panel, maybe some plumbing to add water easier, etc. Anyway, here's the parts list if anyone's interested. I'm probably pulling the trigger this weekend and will update with pictures once I do the build.

What did you all use to mount the pumps? I've been looking for that u-bracket I've seen on several pictures but was also just thinking about using pipe strap from HD.

 

[Rynolee]

We purchased a stainless steel U-Bolt which went around the pump and long enough to strap through the bottom of the strut. Worked perfectly!

You can see the bolt in the picture attached:

 

[lschiavo]

The U bolts are great and maybe cheaper. Depending on the diameter of your pump body, you may be able to use a pipe clamp as well.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/VPC-4-in-Strut-Clamp-4MSCLAMP/205468107?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cBase&gclid=COnOxPTd7sACFYGC4AodwwEAGA&gclsrc=ds

 

[Zakit24]

Just finished mine! I'm just missing a few heat shields between the two halves and then a board to place the MT on top of.

Thanks for all the help guys. Should brew with it soon and I'll update with any lessons learned.

 

[kirbcheck]

I forgot to post a picture of mine. So many different threads contributed to the finished product.

 

[Reaver]

Zakit, care to share more specifics on this? I've been considering transitioning to a similar staggered setup becuase I use a cooler MT now as well. is the keggle below the Cooler the HLT or BK? curious to how you run that setup.

 

[Zakit24]

Sure thing! I'll get you more pics and specifications in the next two weeks or so. Have a wedding to go to and drink beers but I definitely will get you that info

 

[Reaver]

That's cool. Trying to think and plan my next stages out before I commit. There's a bunch more $ involved in changes at this level.

Sure thing! I'll get
you more pics and specifications in the next two weeks or so. Have a wedding to go to and drink beers but I definitely will get you that info

 

[ARKAY]

I'm looking to build a strut stand but I don't want to use galvanized strut nor do I want to shell out for stainless strut. Has anyone found a good source for non-galvanized strut?