Jack it up!

[jonbourg]

OK here is my idea. I want to build a nice stand for for extract/partial mash brewing. I just read the article on BIAB so with only a small modification (hoist) I would be able to go that route too. OK here goes, 3 tiered 1st the brew pot then a CFC then fermenter all gravity fed. Only the burner/pot sits on a jackable platform so it can be raised up after the boil. Thoughts!

Here is a pic of the 3D model I made in AC3D so you can see what I'm talking about. Yellow is drawer slides to stabilize the platform as it is jacked up. Green is CFC. I added a hoist frame to hold the BIAB bag. Not sure of exact size yet, but the idea is to build it low enough to pass through a standard doorway. I'm looking at using a 24 inch scissor jack to get the brew pot up high enough for good gravity flow and to reach the "Hoist".

 

[watermelon83]

I like it. It's the complete opposite of most, build to fit your specific needs. Two points to chew on though, burner fuel hose routing and how are you going to get the basket off the upper part to remove spent grains?

 

[causeimthesquid]

Seems strange to go through all this trouble and not do a standard mash/lauter

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

Seems like an over complicated hoist system. Is this going to be metal. I would suggest just using a "post with boom" on the back outside corner, with a boat winch, or something similar, that swivels.

This would allow you to use mechanical energy to hoist spent grain basket, then to swivel out of the way, and lower into a bag, bucket, garbage can etc, when done straining.

 

[jonbourg]

Seems like an over complicated hoist system. Is this going to be metal. I would suggest just using a "post with boom" on the back outside corner, with a boat winch, or something similar, that swivels.

This would allow you to use mechanical energy to hoist spent grain basket, then to swivel out of the way, and lower into a bag, bucket, garbage can etc, when done straining.

Actually I think it is very simple. I have an electric impact wrench that will make short work of using the jack. I made some design improvements. The brewpot sections will be 24 inches wide to allow plenty of room and I made the fermenter section a fold out shelf. The total height will be 76 inches so it will fit through a door. I'll probably store the propane tank underneath the wort chiller. The idea is I can brew the beer and not have to get up on a ladder or something to stir it. Then after the boil raise er up and get good height for a gravity feed. For BIAB I'll have a built in system for the bag. I might put some kind of swivel arm to move the bag out of the way. I'm working with Strutstands for the build as I don't weld and have limited carpentry skills. For the fuel hose I'll just disconnect it before any movement. I like the boat hoist idea, but I can't seem to find one that won't cost more than this entire build.

 

[jonbourg]

Okay here it is! I give you the brewvelator. My carpentry skills aren't that great. I had issues with the left (important) side not being square. I was originally going to put together the 2x4 hoist and then attach it but I ended up stick building it. It would have been better the other way. The hoist sides are actually tapered in somewhat so I couldn't use the drawer sliders to stabilize the platform. I ended up bolting it to the top of the jack. Just need to fine tune it a bit so it is level. I almost scrapped the whole jack idea, but I had to stick with it to see how it works. I got the jack from Harbor Freight, it's ok, but a better quality smoother jack would be better. I also changed the fermenter shelf to a fold-out design. The hinges are too wimpy so I'll have to change those out. I haven't decided yet how to mount the chiller so I'm leaving it open for now.

 

[kh54s10]

If you fill to a fermenter sitting on the floor. Your boil kettle height would only need to be about the height of where the fermenter is now. Sitting on top of the burner (at least one the height of an SP10 would put the top of the kettle below waist height so no problem stirring and no problem draining.

When I set up my 3 tier rig I worked out my heights starting from the fermenter sitting on the ground, BK high enough to drain into the fermenter, mash tun high enough to drain into the BK and HLT high enough to drain into the tun. I fill the HLT in place with overhead plumbing. The only full container I have to move is the fermenter when done and to dump the spent grain into my compost pile.

I think you can simplify this quite a bit. I would remove the fermenter area entirely.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

On the "Brewvelator"..........Ideally, your cross bars should be sitting on top of the uprights, not between..........

Give it hell, and be careful!.............

 

[jonbourg]

I was originally going to do it that way. They aren't going anywhere. There are 3 ea, 3 inch deck screws on either end (in each 2x4) and the 2x4's are glued together. I would feel confident hanging from them myself much less a bag of some grains. The only reason I put two crossbeams was I didn't want the hook screws going all the way through. I might of been drinking some when I did that part too. I'm going to give it a test run this weekend. LOL

 

[Jwin]

I would sandwich a third 2x4 on top of the cross beams, spanning over the uprights, at minimum. Then deck screw the hell out of it. Toenail in from the side going up. 5 minutes, a scrap piece of lumber and a few screws for more peace of mind.

 

[JPicasso]

Any follow up to this?
How did brew day go? Did the design live up to your expectations? Looks like you built a nice stand, I'm planning on building a BIAB stand myself and am looking for anything you might change about yours.