Would appreciate input on new sculpture.

[brewindruid]

I have a guy coming out to talk to me, within the next week or so, about welding up a new sculpture. I am working towards a two tier system, rims, gravity feed into kettle, and fermenter, fermenter on the ground. It will be all electric as well.
So, this is kind of an "if you had it to do over, or if You could", what design reccomendations would you make?
I always feel like once I get something finished up, there is always something I should've added. So this is 20/20 hindsight in forethought!

Thnx
Scott

[spiderwrangler]

I think you should make it look like the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones...

[Buttwidget]

I recommend going single tier. Having just gone through the exercise of building my system/sculpture, I understand that we all have constraints that prevent us from going crazy on these types of efforts, but I am very happy I went single tier on something that is going to define how I brew for a good number of years...

As for storage, I built a counter top (Home Depot prefab) that the system can roll under (sans keggles) and am storing the keggles on a baker's rack that I use for the rest of my brewing equipment. My control panel is a seperate unit that I set on the counter top with my laptop, hops scale, etc. allowing the counter to provide some valuable horizontal workspace during the brew day.

Finally, if space required, I could stand the system on its side to have a smaller (albeit taller) footprint.

~widget

[brewindruid]

Very creative Spider, thanks for that! if it only had some kind of telepathic head gear to go with it.

[brewindruid]

Thanks Widget!
I was torn between two tier and single. This is gonna sound silly but even though I was going to recirc with a pump, I wanted to gravity feed into the boil kettle, plus, I figured that would put the boil kettle at a much lower/ safer height. RIght now I am only using one pump, one of the things I had considered was a bar so I could slide the pump beneath the kettles, should I mount gang boxes on the stand? If I do do I then need to ground the stand as well as the kettles, or just ground the kettles to the wired ground?

[Kbar]

Thanks Widget!
I was torn between two tier and single. This is gonna sound silly but even though I was going to recirc with a pump, I wanted to gravity feed into the boil kettle, plus, I figured that would put the boil kettle at a much lower/ safer height. RIght now I am only using one pump, one of the things I had considered was a bar so I could slide the pump beneath the kettles, should I mount gang boxes on the stand? If I do do I then need to ground the stand as well as the kettles, or just ground the kettles to the wired ground?

I have the same design dilemma. Even though I have the pumps, would like to be able to gravity feed HLT to MLT for fly sparging and quick dumps for dough in and not be limited to pump max flows. I am goiung to run 3/4" hose (FDA/NSF) and may have better flows without the pump or both in parallel as you are limited by pump displacement.

I also have a two story garage but not much floor area. Easier to go up then single tier.

Pluses from current system; RIMS and Pump cobmi good. Cooler so far the best MLT even though I have keg and Minibrew options. Cooler has perforated custom false bottom ILO manifold, but also uses a 3 screen (Zymico) manifold setup for any grain bypass. Love the Minibrew HLT. Went electric on the RIMS and HLT (240V, 1.5Kw and 4/5Kw respectively). Would not go back to gas fired for those two at all. Still gas fored for BK, happy with that. Conical fermentor - no carboys ever again.

[Ozwald]

I love my 2 tier setup. The main structure has the HLT high & able to gravity feed into the mashtun. I built it so the platform holding the mashtun is at the same height as my BK burner, but not attached. It's one less pump and with the BK separate from the rest of the stand, it has an extremely small footprint, especially when it's stored in the patio closet since every thing nests together. It's also really easy to make upgrades to.

I think my next system will be my take on the original Brutus system, not because it'll brew better beer but moreso cause it's another step up & looks pretty badass. It'll definitely wait until I have some more space to work with. You can't go wrong with a well thought-out 2 or 1 tier system. Just make sure you plan on some extra 'countertop' space. It's nice to have a place to set down your tools, recipe clipboard, beer, etc. I can't count how many times I've forgotten to put the 1/4" nut driver back in my pocket & couldn't find it when I needed it. Or warmed up my IPA by putting it on top of the mashtun.

[brewindruid]

Thanks Kbar and Ozwald!

Ozwald...countertop space, good on ya...I do the same damn thing! maybe i flip up sideboard thing..hmmmm

I run 2/15g kettles and a 10g Igloo MLT. The MLT is a prefab I got from Adventures in brewing, very happy with it, man can it hold a temp! Only downside there is I can't direct fire it. I got one hell of a deal on the SS kettles so I might just keep an eye out. I really don't know that a slow ramp, if planned right will affect mash negatively?
I would love to swing a fermenter but I am fiscally challanged as it is, better bottles and controlled ferment fridge have worked great for me!
Kbar...aren't those March pumps 7 or 8 Gpm, even with what an eight foot head. I play musical valves with SS QS"s. I have thought about hard plumging up to kettle height, but my weldless fittings are 1/2.