Pre-Built Cheap Electric Brewstand Options?

[biertourist]

I've been evaluating cheap single-tier brewstand options for an electric brewery lately and I'm looking for some input / recommendations from HBT.

I have an electric brewery so a wood stand IS acceptable but I do want something sturdy that can hold a good amount of weight. I want something that looks good but doesn't break the bank and doesn't require tons of equipment and time spent planning and building. Although it's probably completely unnecessary I really like the idea of the brew stand having casters, too. (I realize with an electric brewery this is probably really pointless and I'm willing to give this bit up; if it's easy enough to have the OPTION for casters then I prefer that option.)

I have a bottom dump mashtun so having a wood top is actually QUITE important; I do have a solution if I go with a stainless bench top but it's less than idea and I'd prefer to just drill a hole through the top surface and run the mashtun out through there (obviously including a ball valve).

I'd prefer to not have to build a bottom shelf / brackets to hold my pumps but if I have to, then I have to.


Here are some interesting options I've come across recently:

• 48" Stainless Steel Table w Wheels $179
  
  http://shop.trinityii.com/prep-tabl...ge-48-nsf-stainless-steel-table-w-wheels.html
  Pros:
  Stainless and GORGEOUS!
  SUPER easy to clean
  Has a bottom shelf
  Has casters
  Cheap option
  Cons:
  Not a wood top(won't work well with my bottom-dump mashtun)-I'd have to cut a hole in the stainless top
  Only rated to 300lbs (I'm pushing it with a 20 Ga HLT, 13 Ga mashtun, 15 Ga Boil kettle
  Only 2 wheels have wheel locks...
  Not as easy to attach chiller, water filter and pumps to stainless as it is to attach them to a wood stand...
  Questions:
  Can the shelf be adjusted? -The Home Depot listing for the stationary leg version says it does but the one with casters doesn't say...
  How much drop is required / recommended for a chugger pump?
• 66" Gladiator Bamboo Top Modular Workbench $244 (onsale for the next couple of weeks @ HD)
  
  http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gladiato...ch-GAWB66BAWG/204246912?N=btub#specifications
  Pros:
  Holds a lot of weight (600 lb rating(HD says "3000 lbs" lol!))
  Fantastic quality brand
  Strong Wood top (can drill a hole for my mashtun bottom dump
  Wood top already treated and chemically resistent (brewery cleaning chemicals)
  Looks like it would be easy to install a bottom shelf for the pumps
  Least labor of any option?
  Cons:
  No bottom shelf
  Questions:
  Can you add casters to something like this without welding? (unscrew the feet and screw in casters?)
  What kind of wood would be appropriate for the bottom shelf?
• 54" Gladiator Bamboo top diamond plate front storage bench $223 (on sale next couple of weeks @ HD)
  
  http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gladiator-54-in-W-Grey-Storage-Bench-GAGB54SBYG/204239016#.UlbCWFA_uXM
  Pros:
  Drop dead GORGEOUS
  Short (good if casters can easily be installed and good if you have tall kettles; bad if you need more drop for a chugger pump)
  Wood top
  additional internal storage racks
  Cons:
  Not as heavy-duty as it looks (rated to 300 lbs)
  short
  diamond plate doors will probably be more hassle than they're worth and get in the way of pumps (unless you drill through the top and run pluming; then it's like a super splash guard)
  Questions:
  Can you add casters to this without welding? (have a question in with the MFGR currently)
  How much drop do you need for a chugger pump? -Is this enough?
  Is this TOO short?
• Buy heavy duty steel storage bench legs (home store) and attach a cheap bucherblock counter top to it (countertop cost alone $129 -Ikea to $199 LumberLiquidators)
  -Not a bad option but with the Gladiator 64" available for $244 right now with free shipping to a HD store this option doesn't seem worth the effort; also requires sanding, staining, and sealing the counter top; Lumberliquidators also only sells 8' sections which are a bit big for me
• Buy the 48" Stainless stand above and replace the top stainless shelf with bucherblock ($400 ish dollars...)
  Pros:
  Drop dead gorgeous!
  Wood top works great with my mashtun
  built-in bottom shelf
  Built-in casters
  Cons:
  Might not be as easy as I think (I'm not handy; not sure how to attach the legs to a bucher block counter well)
  Seems wrong to do to this beautful stainless table
  Bottom shelf is still a bit high and "upside down"
  Pretty significant cost increase just to keep the stainless legs and bottom shelf
  Still 300lb limitation
  Butcher block top needs to be sanded, stained and sealed
• Build an all wood stand myself ala Kal's original stand @ theelectricbrewery.com or the plasticconical.com stand
  
  
  
  Pros:
  Cheap (excluding labor)
  Works well with my bottom dump mashtun
  Casters are easy
  All shelving can go exactly the way that I want
  I can still get the butcher block top that I want
  Cons:
  Bulkier base
  I do not want to do the labor and this option would cost more than some of the other options to hire someone to build it
  Time wasted planning and building vs. brewing
  No guarantees of the resulting quality
  Requirement to sand seal and stain / paint

I looked and looked for a good list of options for a single tier electric brew stand and really didn't find that much that was highly attractive with requiring lots of labor; these are the options that I've found right now. Hope someone finds this useful.


Adam

 

[biertourist]

The 54" short little storage bench could be such a great option if you have tall kettles (attn Keggle brewers!) and can find some tall casters for it.

If anyone ends up building a stand based upon this thing definitely let me know and post some pics back here!

I think I'm going to go with the 66" Gladiator and just build a bottom shelf although I think it will be a tiny bit tall for my liking and I realize that casters are probably not an option (plus it would make it even taller).

The stainless table is drop dead gorgeous and incredible value, though... -I guess I could cut a hole in the stainless top for my mashtun bottom drain, too... If the shelf is adjustable on the stainless one and the dimensions and max weight rating work then maybe I'll go with that option instead... (I need to measure my space tonight and weight my vessels and then estimate with 20 gallons of liquid and 24 lbs of grain weight whether I'll be over the 300lb rating.)

Adam

 

[biertourist]

Yes, I admit these aren't really "Cheap" options...


Adam

 

[IslandLizard]

I don't know about you, but Kal's bench doesn't have any toe space. That would drive me nuts, kicking that board each time, plus giving me an aching back and sore calves from overstretching. It looks like packet's stand does have ample toe space.

Is that 48" prep table wide enough for 3 kettles? How much width do you need? You got to figure in stability. Heavier bottomed racks and deeper ones are more stable. Do you need casters? I find them awkward to work on, they rock.

 

[UofMontanaAlum]

I'm a big fan of Gladiator in my electric brewery. I have their 8' adjustable height maple workbench, a Chillerator converted into a kegerator, some gear track on the walls, a couple stools, a tall gearbox and their flooring. It's all great quality and looks nice too. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[biertourist]

I'm a big fan of Gladiator in my electric brewery. I have their 8' adjustable height maple workbench, a Chillerator converted into a kegerator, some gear track on the walls, a couple stools, a tall gearbox and their flooring. It's all great quality and looks nice too. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Your bench isn't physically bent in the middle, right? It's just an optical illusion because of the wide camera.. stuff. (Obviously I know nothing about cameras.)

Do your pumps prime ok? Your pumps have almost NO drop between the kettle and the pump inlet and I thought this was a big no no.
The Gladiator's lack of a bottom shelf is one of the reasons I'm leaning away from it but I like the size a lot more than the 48" table.


Adam

 

[biertourist]

Thank for the feedback guys and keep it coming!

Island Lizard, thanks for the advice about the casters and bench stability... I think I'm going to shy away from casters after all because it's not like I can even use them with an electric brewery that needs to be plugged into the wall...


Adam

 

[UofMontanaAlum]

Your bench isn't physically bent in the middle, right? It's just an optical illusion because of the wide camera.. stuff. (Obviously I know nothing about cameras.)

Do your pumps prime ok? Your pumps have almost NO drop between the kettle and the pump inlet and I thought this was a big no no.
The Gladiator's lack of a bottom shelf is one of the reasons I'm leaning away from it but I like the size a lot more than the 48" table.


Adam

No, the table is not bent. It's the panorama shot I took with my iPhone that makes it look like that. The wood top is 2" thick maple and weighs close to 200lbs. You could put a 3 barrel system on it and it could take the weight.

The pumps prime and function fine. I've never had an issue.

It wouldn't be hard to build a bottom shelf under the table if you wanted one.

 

[LandoLincoln]

I spill wort onto my tabletop every time I brew. Just a few drops from the hoses or the spoon. I'm glad I built a solid-top brew stand with melamine coated wood so I can just wipe it and be done. If I had a slotted table top like a lot of other guys build, I'd be having drops of sugary wort fall between the cracks and down to the pumps or the floor. Not good.

 

[tjr3000]

Has anyone ever tried what is commonly referred to as a Bakers Rack or Baker Scaffold? It's the type of scaffolding painters typically use inside of a house. I've seen them for under $200, they support quite a bit of weight, and they're about six feet x three feet. I had a bunch of equipment sitting on mine in the garage while I contemplated a table option when the idea hit me.

http://www.industrialladder.com/listProducts.do?categoryID=373

I haven't done anything yet, but am giving it some serious thought. Ignore the pricing on that link - Home Depot has them for right around $200. Harbor Freight for less with a coupon.

 

[biertourist]

I spill wort onto my tabletop every time I brew. Just a few drops from the hoses or the spoon. I'm glad I built a solid-top brew stand with melamine coated wood so I can just wipe it and be done. If I had a slotted table top like a lot of other guys build, I'd be having drops of sugary wort fall between the cracks and down to the pumps or the floor. Not good.

Yep, I NEVER considered that an option. A solid counter top is the min bar for a top surface for me.


Adam

 

[BigJack]

subscribed

 

[brrman]

what about this from Sam Club...

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/ultra-heavy-duty-12-drawer-rolling-workbench/prod1480010.ip

Pricey, I know... but doable for some.

 

[biertourist]

what about this from Sam Club...

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/ultra-heavy-duty-12-drawer-rolling-workbench/prod1480010.ip

Pricey, I know... but doable for some.

Beautiful! Great option; I went with the home depot stainless option but now I'm looking for a 4ft table to go with the 6ft and I'm hoping to find a stainless drawer toolbox that will fit under it.


Adam