Show us your sculpture or brew rig

[Huaco]

Here is a crappy pic of my brewery. I will try to take more pictures with my good camera and not my phone...
Would still like to polish the keggles...

 

[BeardedIdiot]

Huaco, you used the original openings of the kegs as tri-clover drain fittings that run through the top of the table, yes? Trying to remember back when you were doing your build thread...

 

[Jimmy_B]

Please tell me you have a link to that giant bag you use for mashing...that'd save me so much time cleaning up! Not to mention reduce tannins from the grain!

Here is a pic of the bag without grain in it, sitting in an empty 70 quart coleman extreme cooler.

My girlfriend actually makes bags. Here's a link to the ad/discussion on our local club forum.

http://brewnosers.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1679

And a quick video of me draining the mash tun - no lifting of the bag required!

 

[Huaco]

Huaco, you used the original openings of the kegs as tri-clover drain fittings that run through the top of the table, yes? Trying to remember back when you were doing your build thread...

That is correct... It is a little tricky to remove the clamps, but that is the ONLY downside... Bottom draining these vessels is AWESOME! Some guys in my local club are catching on to the idea as well.

 

[Huaco]

I also used chrome sink disposall flanges to cover and protect the hole I cut in the wood.

 

[HollisBT]

Aright, no one shoot me please, I did search and still couldn't find a solid answer...


What is the typical cost of having a single tier brew sculpture welded together? For materials and labor.

 

[Huaco]

Aright, no one shoot me please, I did search and still couldn't find a solid answer...


What is the typical cost of having a single tier brew sculpture welded together? For materials and labor.

Hey Hollis
I lived in Greenville for about 3 years... well, Simpsonville actually.

Anyway, Cost could vary wildly. This all depends on what material you use, the complexity, etc. Even the same brew stand could vary price quite a bit depending on what shop you get to fabricate it. Best advice I could tell you is to ask around to your buddies... Who knows... you never know who will have a welder and experience.
To your question though, I can't tell you because as you see, I built my stand out of wood.

 

[HollisBT]

Hey Hollis
I lived in Greenville for about 3 years... well, Simpsonville actually.

Anyway, Cost could vary wildly. This all depends on what material you use, the complexity, etc. Even the same brew stand could vary price quite a bit depending on what shop you get to fabricate it. Best advice I could tell you is to ask around to your buddies... Who knows... you never know who will have a welder and experience.
To your question though, I can't tell you because as you see, I built my stand out of wood.

Upstate represent!

Thanks for that, I've been trying to find information to budget for the stand... I know of a good welding shop in the area, but haven't put together final plans as of yet...

I'm also debating whether or not to learn how to weld it together myself

 

[Monster Mash]

What is the typical cost of having a single tier brew sculpture welded together? For materials and labor.

There is no definite answer for that question. It depends on how much of the work you do yourself and how much the welder thinks he's worth. Come up with a design and start going to welding shops, you might find one that likes beer and will barter a bit.

 

[dcbc]

Aright, no one shoot me please, I did search and still couldn't find a solid answer...


What is the typical cost of having a single tier brew sculpture welded together? For materials and labor.

Like MonsterMash says, it depends. In my case, the cost of labor to weld and materials (2" mild steel box tubing) was around $800. That does not include casters, burners, high temp. paint, gas plumbing, bolts, nuts or taking it back to have something added, i.e., another burner windscreen that I should have had them put on there in the first place but I never thought I would be direct firing my mashtun. For pictures and dimensions of what I had done, click my signature.

 

[brewman !]

Aright, no one shoot me please, I did search and still couldn't find a solid answer...
What is the typical cost of having a single tier brew sculpture welded together? For materials and labor.

I just bought 2x2x11 ga (1/8", basically) SS for my brewstand. I got a deal at $7/foot. You can use smaller tubing, but I think you'll need more of it, or you'll have a weaker stand. I could not go thinner than 11 ga, no matter what the material.

The same material in mild steel is $2.50/foot.

Steel like this is usually sold in 20 foot pieces. My stand is going to take between 40 and 50 feet.

SS needs to be MIG or TIG welded. TIG is a slower process and finding something with TIG equipment and experience is more difficult. In my area, TIG welders charge shop time at a minimum of $100/hr.

Shop time includes set up time, coffee breaks, bathroom breaks, clean up, tool maintenance, etc, as well as the actual work time. You can probably add 25% to the actual time it takes to weld the stand to get shop time.

The other issue is material. Most shops aren't going to have exactly what you want already on hand. They are going to buy it from their supplier at whatever price they offer it at and charge you for the time it takes to get it, directly or indirectly. Nobody works for free.

A big part of the fabrication process is figuring out the design, cutting the pieces and drilling all the holes. And a welder works about 50% faster if they have a helper.

So... if I were you, I'd find a welder that will "work with you", preferably outside of normal shop hours. I'd figure out what material I wanted and go buy it from a supplier. I'd buy or rent a chop saw and cut all my material and drill all my holes so that all the "welder" needs to do is weld. I'd also prep every weld edge so that its clean and ready for the torch and rod.

If he will allow you to, I'd be right there with him in the shop, working, while he is putting together your stand so that you can answer any questions and help him with the setup and figuring things out.

The actual "welding" time (torch burning rod) on a brewstand isn't very much. Its all the other stuff that takes the time. And the more of it you handle yourself for the welder the less expensive its going to be and the better the chance that you get what you want will be.

Just my $0.02. Hope this helps.

 

[gifty74]

Aright, no one shoot me please, I did search and still couldn't find a solid answer...

What is the typical cost of having a single tier brew sculpture welded together? For materials and labor.

Or, do what others and myself have done and go "weldless". Much much cheaper (~$150 in materials for a single tier, 3 station stand), easily cut the sections of strut with a metal cutoff blade, design it however you like, have the ability to change it at any time by cutting a new piece, removing a few bolts, and inserting the new piece, have all the strength in the world, have attachment points all over the place to put whatever you want on it with a nut and bolt, and build it on your own time in your garage. Only tools needed are a saw with cutoff wheel, steel file, and socket wrench. Put mine together in 30 mins after the sections were cut.

 

[HollisBT]

Thanks guys, I knew it was a pretty vague question, I just wanted a figure to budget around...


I guess I'll draw up some plans and ask some shops around here.

As far as weld less goes, I'm already spending a pretty penny on a new set up, I kind of feel like I might as well shell out a little more to do it exactly the way I want it the first time and be done with it, instead of leaving me wanting more, and spending more in the future.

Thanks for the insight guys

 

[brewman !]

As far as actual time spent welding, a welder should be able to put down 1 inch of bead per minute.

 

[brewman !]

Or, do what others and myself have done and go "weldless". Much much cheaper (~$150 in materials for a single tier, 3 station stand), easily cut the sections of strut with a metal cutoff blade, design it however you like, have the ability to change it at any time by cutting a new piece, removing a few bolts, and inserting the new piece, have all the strength in the world, have attachment points all over the place to put whatever you want on it with a nut and bolt, and build it on your own time in your garage. Only tools needed are a saw with cutoff wheel, steel file, and socket wrench. Put mine together in 30 mins after the sections were cut.

If I was going to build a bolt together brewstand, I'd use mild steel or SS tubing and the joiner pieces of the strut kits. You could still cut the tubing with a chop saw. The only extra work would be drilling the holes for the joiner pieces.

Regular tubing would be a lot stronger than the strut and a lot easier to clean with not so many nooks and crannies.

FWIW, 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.100 wall square tubing is about $1.50 per foot.

 

[JohnnyUtah]

Aright, no one shoot me please, I did search and still couldn't find a solid answer...


What is the typical cost of having a single tier brew sculpture welded together? For materials and labor.

My wife works with a gal whose husband welds and fabricates. He put this rig together for me, painted it, and drilled all the holes in the kegs for $400 cash.

 

[Warrior]

New three tier stand hurricane burners work great on the Natural gas lines! The lowest stand is designed as a portable. I have a low pressure regulator so I can use it with a propane bottle.[/quot

Check a scrapyard for used angle iron much cheaper to use. Mine was used 2" angle iron. my pictures are on page 187 post #1870

 

[modenacart]

Like MonsterMash says, it depends. In my case, the cost of labor to weld and materials (2" mild steel box tubing) was around $800. That does not include casters, burners, high temp. paint, gas plumbing, bolts, nuts or taking it back to have something added, i.e., another burner windscreen that I should have had them put on there in the first place but I never thought I would be direct firing my mashtun. For pictures and dimensions of what I had done, click my signature.

I got bed frames for free off craigslist. It is plenty strong. I bought a welder off craigslist for $50 and did the fabrication myself. It wasn't hard to learn, just takes practice.

The crappy thing about bed frames is you need to strip off all the old paint for the high temp paint to do it's thing.

I found the casters for about six dollars apiece at lowes and they are plenty strong too. So many people are over designing their stands.

 

[Jones]

It only took me 10 months to complete.
1.5" square tube and 2,000 degree paint.
It's time to finish up on the HLT and pumps.

 

[bd2xu]

Got a lot of work done on mine this weekend. Still need to add a platform at the bottom, a couple more shelves. Will probably replace the HLT burner with another Banjo.

 

[thughes]

eBIAB:

 

[JLo]

eBIAB:

thughes - I like the simplicity, I'm getting ready to post mine and I'm admiring the simplicity of your setup.

 

[CapnBry]

Are we just supposed to post the finished product? Super-fast build log style:










Still need to mount the control panel to the side (with a television wall mount) and the pumps (not sure yet), add some pegs for hanging up tubing, add stripper pole...

 

[rocco1]

My first 1-tier brew rig, no automation yet.
Quick connect to my shop's propane plumbing with a 20' hose.
19 gal. Stout tanks

 

[jammin]

what is the height from the top of your kettles from the floor? beautiful kit!

 

[rocco1]

Floor to kettle's top is 54", I built it low profile on purpose to access the kettles easily without a stool. Thanks.

 

[gyropilot1]

is this the 20gal kettles? I am planning to go above 15 gal in mine, so looking for alternative

 

[Jps101]

Where did you get those pots? Nice

 

[rocco1]

Yup, they are 20 Gallon vessels (19.8 to be exact) from Stout tanks and vessels - http://conical-fermenter.com/

There are still some planned improvements coming, but at least I'm brewing!

 

[gyropilot1]

I was looking to the stout. but notice theire pot have like a skirt. a step and raize it from the stove. dont know how this will behaive. my goal is to get to 50gal kettle x 3 fit in my brutus. will see

charles

tanks were bought in VA polished and flow across US to PR