Show Me Your Wood Brew Sculpture/Rig

[J_Bones]

Few upgrades since my initial setup (shown in action). Still working out some kinks and looking to cover the plywood tops with stainless steel sheets.

 

[Spartan1979]

The temperature you recorded was the temperature of your wort in kettle or of the wort exiting your CFC? I have a thermometer built into the exit of my CFC and plate chiller (whichever i choose to use), and i have had occasions in January where I can pump into the fermenter at 60 degrees with almost no initial re-circulation back into the kettle. This will be the first winter coming up using the CFC so i hope to have similar performance.

Have you used your CFC with very cold tap water, where you didn't have to re-circulate ice water or wait 40 minutes?

Also, were you brewing a lager?

The temperature of the wort in the kettle. I was recirculating.

I started using this system in June, so I have not had a chance to to try it with very cold water.

I was brewing a lager, Rauchbier! I had to brew one again after I returned from Bamberg earlier this month.

 

[RoguePixels]

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It's about 95% complete. I picked up a second hand Brew-boss a few months back and finally got the range hood and 240v outlet installed for it. Finished up the bench and sealed it last weekend. I think all that's left is mounting the cooler and pump. Just in time for winter.

 

[Phil Allen]

Thanks folks. Hard to find in UK.

Managed to get them from amazon.com

 

[neonsandbox]

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

That is a beautiful brew stand and really interesting CFC. How is the performance on that vs. say a typical 25' rubber hose and copper CFC?

 

[day_trippr]

Probably at least as good - the outside material matters not, it's the inside tube that matters.
Plus, the "trombone" tubes can be cleaned

@passedpawn has/built one of those, I think it's a brilliant idea...

Cheers!

 

[neonsandbox]

That is a beautiful brew stand and really interesting CFC. How is the performance on that vs. say a typical 25' rubber hose and copper CFC?

Thanks!

The CFC works great. It brings down the Wort temperature quickly.

As far as comparing it to a spiral CFC, all I can say is that it is much easier to clean. The pipes are straight and the silicon hoses on the ends are easily removed (no hose clamps needed). I just use a 1/2 inch cleaning brush with a long handle.

Here’s a (crude) video I made a while back when I tested it with water.





Other videos will be uploaded soon.

 

[Blazinlow86]

Thanks!

The CFC works great. It brings down the Wort temperature quickly.

As far as comparing it to a spiral CFC, all I can say is that it is much easier to clean. The pipes are straight and the silicon hoses on the ends are easily removed (no hose clamps needed). I just use a 1/2 inch cleaning brush with a long handle.

Here’s a (crude) video I made a while back when I tested it with water.





Other videos will be uploaded soon.

I have one also. I built mine twice as long to avoid soldering so many connections as my brew stand is longer. It works excellent and my main reason for building it was the larger 1/2inch inner pipe allows me to whirlpool chill quickly and creates a very tight whirlpool cone. Cheers

 

[jason.strominger]

Does anyone have the instructions for the reverse chiller in the picture above? (the one that spans the length of the brewing table)

 

[UncleD]

Just built this recently, all gravity right now. Definitely considering adding automation, valves, pumps, and counter flow chilling eventually. Also considering developing a "self clean" system, because I literally hate doing dishes...

 

[jonestrada]

 

[jonestrada]

1/2 barrel, 1/2 electric, 1/2 propane, 2 kettle system

 

[Bailey_Brew]

I haven't brewed in a while, but since all the tap rooms are shutting down I thought it was timely to crank the eBIAB back up. Since I last brewed I put the basic Concord kettle system onto a "new" wooden structure. It's a table my dad built, probably in the late 60's or early 70's, for his Craftsman table saw. The saw had to go when he developed Parkinson's. The table sat in the carport for decades and I brought it home when my Mom passed last year.

I pressure washed years of dust and grime, and finished it with polymerized linseed oil, leaving a lot of what the antique folks call "patina." The lift for the bag is in black iron. (No machine shop - no welder.)

The closed cycle chiller uses a pump from Harbor Freight and it is cooled with frozen Gatorade(r) bottles. The grain mill stand is a pure scrap wood build.

Not a feat of biochemical engineering, but I brewed a batch of ordinary English pale ale today that came out close to the planned gravity. I hope it will be ready to drink about when the six packs run out.

Stay safe, be kind, and wash your hands a lot.

 

[Hunky]

Basement rig, on wheels so I can roll it over to a sink on the opposite wall.

 

[luizartur]

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Congratulations, it's a beautiful stand!

 

[duckredbeard]

A few years of cobbling this together.

 

[PumaGreenBear]

I got a lot of inspiration from this forum. I found some ceramic tiles in my garage and built this rig around those.

 

[burntgraphite]

I bought some old stainless perforated lab tables that'd been in a farmhouse for a while, removed the old rusty table bases and built some new ones out of yellow pine, then finished said yellow pine in the shou sugi ban style, and coated that in danish oil, because why not overkill. It's 80% finished. My conical and the hot liquor tun are cleaning right now, I'll post some photos of the whole thing looking prettier presently. The only downside of the shou sugi ban is that it hides the clavos I used for trim, but subtle is nice, too. Stainless deck screws to attach the table tops to the bases, and also to fasten all the members. All boring ol' butt joints. Not my finest piece of woodwork, but it looks appropriately Texas-y.

I have a big garage and my wife is also a brewer, so I don't have to make it compact.

 

[neonsandbox]

I posted pictures of my stand a couple of months ago. Here's a video walk-through.

 

[MNPyro]

I posted pictures of my stand a couple of months ago. Here's a video walk-through.

Off topic a bit, but how do you like the 2 vessel system? Have you used 3 vessel? My original plan was to do a 2 vessel, but recently acquired a 3 vessel and control panel for a decent price. Still contemplating going 2 vessel and selling one and the control panel as it would be much more than needed (50 amp ebrewsupply back to back version)

 

[Brewer_Dad]

Simple ten gallon electric heatstick basement brewery. 44 and 60 quart kettles not shown. Stand was
a wooden bunk bed that was cut up and repurposed into a brew stand. Window fan keeps humidity in
check during brewing, I do run the fan for a couple hours after the boil to air out the basement.Skateboard
aids in wheeling heavy kettles and kegs about the brewery.

I'd REALLY like if you shared the plans / blueprints.

 

[svthomas72]

here's mine:

nothin' special, but gets the job done.

Any chance you have measurements? This looks like exactly what I have in mind to build for myself. I have just completed my HLT and Brew Keggle, and I have an Igloo Cube for a mash tun. I especially like your propane bottle shelves. I had been thinking about a similar solution.

 

[Soulshine2]

upgraded my strike water element Friday. Our kitchen stove was replaced so i salvaged the large element and transferred it to my rig . cut a 1/3 off my heat time.

 

[BigOrangeBike]

Hi there. I'm a new member/long time lurker. Put this up in the metal sculpture intially, by mistake. I think this pic is most appropriate in this thread.

Here's a shot of my brewstand. I built it from repurposed wood from a buddies old deck. It doubles as an outdoor workbench, quite nicely. My favorite thing about this stand is that the burner platform is on wheels and stows nicely below the main bench, when not in use.

 

[UncleD]

Very nice setup! Welcome!

 

[BigOrangeBike]

Thanks, UncleD

 

[Shermwormbrew]

Nothing fancy but gets the job done. I use a grainfather controller on my DIY HTL and my boil kettle sits on the ground during brew day. I also use the burner on my mash then after collecting my runnings I move the burner to the boil kettle. Will eventually get a second burner and another pump.

 

[mp.shannon]

Mobile Brew House & Storage Closet. A lot of crap can fit into a 2'x4' box.

 

[ba-brewer]

Mobile Brew House & Storage Closet. A lot of crap can fit into a 2'x4' box.
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very impressive

 

[BGBC]

Tested this out for the first time this weekend. Small batch BIAB rig with attached grain mill. Built it so most of the equipment can store underneath after brew day. not quite 100% complete (adding a folding shelf on the left side and still deciding on finishing, paint/stain, etc), but the first batch went well, so no complaints!

 

[garagejob]

A few years of cobbling this together.

What is the little compressed gas bottle for that is attached to the list right of your stand?

 

[Barbarossa]

Plant caddy for the anvil. Does that count?

 

[day_trippr]

What is the little compressed gas bottle for that is attached to the list right of your stand?

Oxygen cylinder for oxygenation of the finished wort, I bet.
As O2 (and Nitrogen and Beer Gas blends) are not condensed to the point of becoming liquid (as in CO2 or Propane) one can set an O2 cylinder on its side without issue...

Cheers!

 

[jpr.edison]

Tested this out for the first time this weekend. Small batch BIAB rig with attached grain mill. Built it so most of the equipment can store underneath after brew day. not quite 100% complete (adding a folding shelf on the left side and still deciding on finishing, paint/stain, etc), but the first batch went well, so no complaints!


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Very impressive. Would you , by any chance, be willing to share plans and material list?
Jim

 

[SeraW]

Can't believe my old account here still works lol I took a few years off brewing.

But now that I've moved, new career, new house, and my amazing wife has helped me upgrade my gear. And she's actually the one who wants me to go for a proper cart build. I'm more of the cooking side of the brew, but she's the engineer; she brings the table saws and tools.

A few designs here have caught my attention, so I sketched out a rough draft for a single vessel induction BIAB setup. My proportions are absolute crap because my spatial awareness kinda sucks, but hear me out. She wants to put as much of the brewing peripherals as possible in drawers or cabinets when not in use; we live in a very dusty desert region with high winds, and I will have to use this in the garage because she's sensory sensitive to the brew day aromas. So I'm theoretically thinking of 1 drawer for the Avantco 3500W induction plate, and the others for things like refractometers, pH meters, Fermcap, Whirlfloc, etc. The cabinet drawers on bottom can be for things like the mill and bottling bucket, and the big one on the right for the 10 gallon boil kettle.

The frame design during use is intended for hooking up a pulley. The space to the right is intended for workspace and laying out things like the mill and hop additions, but I do like to sparge my grain bag, so I'm also considering just putting one of my smaller 6 gallon kettles there during the sparge step and using the pump for that, currently not pictured.

TLDR: new rig cart idea with sparge pully and closed cabinets and drawers. Thoughts, ideas, red flags?

 

[IslandLizard]

Can't believe my old account here still works lol I took a few years off brewing.

Welcome back!
It's been almost 7 years since your last tour here.

We never close accounts, unless specifically asked, or banned due to not following our rules and directions.
Even if a password was lost (over the years), a reset can be requested. If that fails, use the Contact us button on the bottom of every page to get help from an admin.

TLDR: new rig cart idea with sparge pully and closed cabinets and drawers.

A brew stand on wheels, with storage, and an integrated BIAB hoist! It makes sense, yes!

Thoughts, ideas, red flags?

A few general ideas, ones I would find important.
Mind, I brew in the kitchen, so I'm utterly spoiled with having a lot of countertop space...

1. Stability is very important:
   • That means, a decent sized footprint (width and depth).
   • Limiting height of the kettle platform since the plate/kettle combo adds significant height (and weight) themselves. Maybe aim for the kettle rim to come up around the waist or belly height? Perhaps try that out on a demo/work-in-progress stand.
   • Then a higher, standing height table/desk area for your tools, cups with additions, notepad/laptop, etc. I would probably put a 1" high rim around it, so things don't roll or get swept off so easily.
   • Perhaps add some extra weight in the bottom of the cart to help keep things as stable as possible.
2. A decent amount of toe-space is helpful, being able to stick your feet underneath the cart while standing at it. It's very awkward working at a solid box standing square on the floor.
3. Wheels, especially larger/higher ones, tend to reduce stability of the rig. Although they add the needed toe-space, they also add empty, massless height, raising the center of gravity of the whole, loaded-up rig.
   • Use smaller wheels that still roll smoothly on your floor.
   • When using larger/higher wheels, perhaps (partially) recess them or use (partially) retractable wheels.
   • Of course, wheels should be lockable for when using the cart with boiling wort.

 

[Broken Crow]

Can't believe my old account here still works lol I took a few years off brewing.

But now that I've moved, new career, new house, and my amazing wife has helped me upgrade my gear. And she's actually the one who wants me to go for a proper cart build. I'm more of the cooking side of the brew, but she's the engineer; she brings the table saws and tools.

A few designs here have caught my attention, so I sketched out a rough draft for a single vessel induction BIAB setup. My proportions are absolute crap because my spatial awareness kinda sucks, but hear me out. She wants to put as much of the brewing peripherals as possible in drawers or cabinets when not in use; we live in a very dusty desert region with high winds, and I will have to use this in the garage because she's sensory sensitive to the brew day aromas. So I'm theoretically thinking of 1 drawer for the Avantco 3500W induction plate, and the others for things like refractometers, pH meters, Fermcap, Whirlfloc, etc. The cabinet drawers on bottom can be for things like the mill and bottling bucket, and the big one on the right for the 10 gallon boil kettle.

The frame design during use is intended for hooking up a pulley. The space to the right is intended for workspace and laying out things like the mill and hop additions, but I do like to sparge my grain bag, so I'm also considering just putting one of my smaller 6 gallon kettles there during the sparge step and using the pump for that, currently not pictured.

TLDR: new rig cart idea with sparge pully and closed cabinets and drawers. Thoughts, ideas, red flags?

A supportive significant other is the absolute best! On that note, no dis intended (maybe it's just me, I do have brain-damage and visual issues), maybe ask her to do the diagram... I can't make out what everything is, But: If she doesn't already have one, buy here a nice wire-feed welder and consider square tubular steel frame...far sturdier and better load-bearing capacity vs. dimensions, particularly on the hoist...not sure what size a grain-bag it'll be lifting.
@IslandLizard mentioned the very important toe-space and centre of gravity: Where possible, I've always tried to extend castors to the outermost corners, kinda like this:

Makes it far safer to move around.