July 29th, 2008
Let me kick off by saying that I don’t condone people building this brew stand themselves. The fabrication involves cutting, welding, plumbing gas, and some electrical work. If you don’t know how to do those things then I’m not going to be able to teach you through this website. If, on the other hand, you’re simply curious how I made my stand then you’re in luck.
I had numerous responses to my previous post taking me up on my offer to make my cutlist and SketchUp files available. Well here they are:
- Cutlist – Microsoft Excel file with two worksheets covering the metal cutting list and the other parts I used.
- SketchUp Plan – Google Sketchup model of the sculpture I built. You can use this to drill in and get any measurement you are interested in.
By the way, I don’t claim this design is at all unique. I pulled from lots of freely available information on the internet and then made some adjustments for my own situation.
Hoppy Brewing,
Dave.
July 27th, 2008
All the major construction on my new brew sculpture is complete. It’s based on the MoreBeer 1550 except it’s equipped for 5 gallon batches with Blichmann Boilermaker kettles. Also, since I was going for a smaller size I skipped the complexity of the tippy dump mash tun.
Here are a few pictures:
My New Sculpture. Three 10 gallon Blichmann Boilermakers, a 1×2 metal frame, plumbed propane, levelers, and hose rack
A Smoker BBQ Cover Fits Nicely
I still have a few things to complete this week:
- Attaching the March pump (it’s currently in my ammo box setup but I’ve got a nice stainless mounting bracket)
- Putting together the silicone hoses with quick disconnects
- Installing the third burner (just waiting on it to arrive from George)
- Upgrading the regulator (it’s currently a fixed pressure regulator that’s way under what I need. I’ve ordered an adjustable 0-30 PSI one.)
- Mounting the Ranco temp controller
The overall height is just perfect as I planned it so I can easily see into the mash tun.
Some time in the future I plan to upgrade the following:
- Add a control panel to hold my temp controllers and perhaps a float switch
- Add automatic ignition for the burners
- Upgrade to an ASCO valve on the HLT so I can control the burner with a temp controller
I did all the construction myself. Total cost without the pump and kettles was roughly $300 for all materials and consumables. Of course that assumes you’ve got access to a MIG welder and chopsaw, the skills or willingness to learn, and roughly 12 hours.
I’ve got a cutlist and a Sketchup file of the sculpture. Contact me if you’d like copies. Updated: I’ve made a follow up post with these docs: https://www.slobrewer.com/2008/07/29/brew-sculpture-details/
Dave.
Giveaway iPhone 7 Plus
July 4th, 2008
There’s been a bit of a delay in getting things posted on my site as I’ve been busy brewing, studying for and taking the BJCP exam, and working. In the next few months you should see a flurry of updates here as I get back into putting information online.
My focus right now is on building myself a brew sculpture. I’m initially thinking that I want a HERMS setup in roughly the form factor of the More Beer 1550 sculptures. Right now I’m experimenting with various techniques and configurations before I start any serious building. I have acquired two 10 gallon Blichmann BoilerMaker kettles for my mash and boil and will likely pick up a third for my hot liquor tank. Do I need those fancy kettles? Heck no but they do make the process nice and I did want to upgrade to something over my current setup of coolers and aluminum pot.
Happy Brewing,
Dave.
