Wood Brew Stand Feedback

[tflew]

Well I'm finally going to put together a wooden brewstand and wanted to get some feedback before I started buying wood. I have two basic designs, one of them mocked up and the other one I will have to describe.

I have an electric HLT, a square cooler mashtun and a keggle that sits on a blichman burner. I have a chugger pump as well so the whole thing doesn't have to be gravity fed.

The first design you can see a rough sketchup of the idea. HLT up on top. The green thing in the middle is my counterflow chiller.

The second idea is basically the same thing but more in the shape of an L with the HLT again in the middle. The thought process behind that is it would be more square instead of long and narrow.

One other question...how far below the MT/BK should the inlet of the pump be? Currently it is oriented vertical with the inlet facing down?

Thanks for the input

 

[madscientist451]

I'd go with a metal stand if using a propane burner. Wood may be ok, and I'm sure some people have done it and made it work, Its just not my first choice.

 

[cubalz]

I'd go with a metal stand if using a propane burner. Wood may be ok, and I'm sure some people have done it and made it work, Its just not my first choice.

agreed. fire+wood=no bueno

 

[tflew]

Well I wasn't asking if wood was flammable

fire+wood=no bueno

The same can be said about water and electricity if not more so, but if you do it right it's ok.

Any input on the actual design?

 

[terrynova]

I too just built a wood stand, three piece but I opted to put my HLT on the left, Mash Tun on top, and boil kettle on the right. This way I use the pump only when transferring water from the HLT to the mash. The rest including the plate chiller all are gravity fed. Makes for a little easier clean up.

 

[TimAikin1]

Looks good.

And there are plenty of ways to insulate the wood from the heat of the burner. Easiest and probably cheapest would be to shield it with cement board.