Proposed brewsculpture design

[Beertastic]

Many brewers have built wooden brewstands before (check out brewhalla.com). You definitely need to take into consideration that you are using a flammable material but with proper design the risks can be mitigated. The stand will be oversized, to distance the frame from the heat sources, and I will probably use aluminum flashing to make heat shields around the frame that is at the same level as the burners. I was also going to use flashing to build circular heat directors to go around each burner. Look at this rig.

[thatguy314]

I looked into it a bit more. Apparently a few people have done it. Check this one http://silverlucebrewery.wordpress.com/2007/07/

[manwithbeers]

Manwithbeers, do you have a pic of your stand?

Thanks,

Beertastic

My Stand is made from heavy gauge 1" square tubing. The grate the pots sit on is 1 inch flat bar on edge, welded to the frame. It uses a truss system to take the weight load when the stand is heated. I highly recommend a welded steel frame for safety.

http://oberon.ark.com/~lkvend/herms.html

[EagleDude]

Four thoughts for your system design. 1) Keep your MLT on the lower tier as planned to make for an easier mash-in. 2) It looks like you are planning on running your sparged wort into the valve of the boil kettle. Once you get a few gallons into the pot, you won't have a way to watch and regulate your sparge speed. I'd suggest pumping through a tube into the top of the kettle. That way you can pick up the tube and see your flow rate. 3) As a future update, you could easily build a HERMS coil that sits in the HLT and use the pump to recirculate your mash and regulate temps (cuts out the need for a burner under the mash tun except for initial heat up. 4) Whatever you decide, enjoy the building process and your first beers that come from it!!

[Beertastic]

Thanks, Eagledude. I would not have thought about how to monitor the sparge rate if pumping in thru the ball valve. I am looking forward to the build/brew process. I have changed my mind and will be constructing it out of angle iron. Spent some time going through various forums and was stoked to find that people have used old bedframes to construct stands. I pulled an old hospital bed out of a recycling dumpster and was able to get about half of the steel I will need for the rig. It was a real pain cutting it apart with an angle grinder but it was FREE.

Beertastic

[Shed Brewer]

my system is similar to your design
HLT top left
MLT bottom left (RED)
Kettle bottom right
1 March Pump
1 Burner







more pics and info if you want

cheers

Dave

[Mylo]

Ok... You know this question is coming... What is the red shit on your mash tun....?


Mylo

[Beertastic]

Ok... You know this question is coming... What is the red shit on your mash tun....?


Mylo

I was wondering the same thing.