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The
BrewLadder
By Steve Kranz
It
seems that I do almost as much off-site brewing (i.e. while camping or at
someone's home) as I do on my own deck. A
couple of months ago, I started thinking about building a portable, stand-alone
rack for all-grain brewing. I had a
couple of ideas for designing something from scratch, but I didn’t like any of
them and didn’t trust either my engineering or construction skills to create
something that wouldn’t collapse under the weight of a ten gallon-sized mash.
After further contemplation, I decided to try modifying a store-bought
6-foot wooden stepladder. It was
just the right height, was lightweight and highly portable, and it seemed stable
enough. Plus it had the added
advantage of costing only thirty bucks. I
seized the moment while my faithful and usually tolerant Spousal Unit and our
three kids were out of town. That
way, I’d have no explanations to make as to why I need yet another (third)
brewing rack thingy, and hear no snide comments as I made four...five...six
trips to Lowes as my brewing sculpture came together.
Finding
a wooden stepladder wasn’t the easiest thing.
You need a wood ladder because the steps are removable and my design
requires the removal of two of the ladder’s steps.
All they sell at Lowe’s and Home Depot are aluminum and fiberglass
ladders, on which the steps are permanently riveted.
A few phone calls later, and I found what I needed at an Ace Hardware
store. What you want is a 6-ft. Type
III (weight limit 200 lbs.) Werner brand ladder.
There might be other brands out there, but this is what I found.
The
idea is to attach a fold-down shelf to the front uprights of the ladder, similar
to the little fold-down shelf on the rear of the ladder that holds a can of
paint, tools, etc. When the shelf
folds down, the rear arms of the shelf are stopped by one of the ladder’s
cross-members in the rear, which allows the shelf to support the significant
weight of a full mash tun.
Of
utmost importance was the consideration of the weight capacity of the shelf, and
the overall stability of the ladder under a full load.
Water weighs something like 8.3 lbs. per gallon, so a large mash (about
25 lbs. of grain), plus a total of, say 15 gallons of water for mashing and
sparging, plus a few pounds each for the coolers, will come in well within the
ladder’s 200 lb. weight rating. The
shelf itself is never likely to ever have to support anything more than maybe 70
lbs. So, here are the “nuts and
bolts” for the basic BrewLadder:
Ingred…(oops,
this isn’t a recipe) Pieces & Parts:
·
1 — 6-ft. wood stepladder
(Werner brand probably the most available);
·
2 — 1 x 3 x 8 ft. framing
lumber;
·
1 — 1”x13”x12” board for
the top shelf;
·
2 — ⅜” x 2.5” hex
bolts
·
4 — ⅜” regular washers
·
2 — ⅜” fender washers
·
2 — ⅜” lock nuts with
nylon inserts (at Lowe’s they’re called “stop nuts”;
·
2 — ⅜” nylon spacers,
about ¼” thick...or about a dozen more of the fender washers;
·
1½” flathead wood screws or
decking screws.
Parts
and hardware for the basic BrewLadder should come in under $45.00.
You’ll only need some basic tools, including a circular saw or hand
saw, a hacksaw, level, a clamp (two is better), drill, screwdrivers, measuring
tape, pliers & an adjustable wrench or socket set.
The
first step in fabrication is to remove the ladder’s third and fourth steps.
There is a threaded rod that runs underneath each step across the width
of the ladder , and the nut on the right side suggests that the thing should
just unscrew….naaah. Take my
word for it, rather than spending the rest of the day figuring out how to
unscrew that little nut, just use a hacksaw and cut through the rod (and
necessarily, the step). Once you do
that, the steps just slide out.
Next,
measure and cut two shelf arms from your 1 x 3 lumber.
They should each be about 28 or 29 inches long.
Then you need to attach the arms to the ladder’s main legs at the right
height so that when it swings down, it will stop in a perfectly level position.
For this, you’ll have to drill holes in the ladder.
You cannot use the existing holes where you cut out one of the steps…I
tried, but the holes are at the wrong height.
So I clamped new shelf arms to the ladder, with the rear of the arm
underneath the rear cross member of the ladder (i.e. the “stop”), made sure
they were nice and level horizontally (use a level for this), and drilled new
holes in the centers of both the shelf arms and the ladder’s front upright.
The
attachment process proved to be a matter of trial and error.
You have to account for the fact that ladders are narrower at the top
than the bottom. So, in order for
the shelf to fit within the ladder’s uprights when it is folded up, the shelf
has to be slightly narrower in the front than at the pivot point where it
attaches to the ladder. You have to
construct the thing with the two shelf arms in place first in order to be able
to accurately measure for the shelf slats. During
my learning curve (and another trip to Lowes) I determined that a cold beer
helps things move along more smoothly…but you’ll be wielding power tools, so
please pace yourself.
Because
the finished shelf will be narrower at the front than at the very rear, there
will be a gap between the shelf and the ladder at the point where it is
attached. This
photo shows the placement of a nylon spacer on one side of the shelf
assembly, to fill this gap. Use one
spacer for each side. As a result of
this gap, I was concerned about the stress which 45-70 pounds might put on the
hex bolts. I had originally used ¼”
hex bolts, but on trip #4 to Lowe’s I replaced them with ⅜” bolts for
peace of mind. In addition to the
nylon spacer, I put a fender washer (wider than a normal washer) between the
nylon spacer and the shelf arm, to prevent the spacer from “digging” into
the soft wood over time as the shelf gets rotated up and down.
With
the nylon spacers and washers all in place and the lock nuts snug but not
over-tight, swing the two arms up so that they are in inside the frame of the
ladder, and measure the width across the two arms for the first (frontmost)
shelf slat. Cut the first slat,
swing the arms back down in the “stop” position, and attach the slat using
pre-drilled holes so you don’t split the wood.
With that first slat attached (with 1½” wood or decking screws), add 3
more shelf slats, spaced
about 3/4” apart. Remember, each
subsequent slat will be ever-so-slightly wider than the one before it, so you
have to measure for each one.
Another
issue is the relatively narrow top shelf of the ladder, upon which the hot
liquor tank sits. I put a cooler up
there and filled it to test its stability. It
wasn’t going anywhere, but I felt safer by making a wider shelf.
The brackets
underneath the attachment hook onto the original top shelf, and the whole thing
is much more secure, though it would also work without the shelf attachment.
The hooks I used were old brackets used to hang a hose reel on a wall,
not an off-the-shelf item. I have
since reworked this design for subsequent BrewLadders by using a 12” piece of
1x4 lumber, screwing it along one edge of the underside of the shelf, and
screwing two 8 inch lengths of 1x3” lumber perpendicular to the 1x4 to create
the “hooks” out of wood. All
they need to do is steady the shelf, not support the full weight of 10 gallons
of water. Feel free to improvise
your own shelf attachment.
It
also occurred to me that having removed the two steps and their rods might tend
to slightly undermine the lateral (left-to-right) strength of the ladder.
Even though no one would be climbing up this ladder, I added two corner
braces on the fifth step for some extra stability and strength.
I also added two small corner brackets to the rear cross member of the
ladder which is the “shelf stop”. Considering
the force which the weight on the front of the shelf will put on this cross
member, I just thought it would be prudent to reinforce this area for longevity,
but I think it was probably unnecessary.
Once
the unit was assembled, I applied a waterproofing wood preserver to the whole
thing. I used an Olympic brand
product because it was available at Lowes in a quart size rather than having to
buy a whole gallon of Thompson’s Waterseal.
The
maiden voyage of BrewLadder was our club’s July 10th annual
Brew-Ha-Ha, and it performed flawlessly. It
was rock solid under the weight of a full 10-gallon hot water tank, and a mash
tun with about 15 pounds of grain and 5 gallons of water.
Accessories
The
utility and fun of a BrewLadder can be significantly enhanced by the addition of
accessories, limited only by a brewer's imagination ingenuity.
Here are several accessories which I have already implemented.
Notice that a few of these accessories are mounted to the outside of the
ladder. Because I will want to be
able to lay the folded ladder down on one side, I mounted all such
“external” accessories to the same side of the ladder so I can lay the
ladder down on the other side without damaging anything.
· The Official BrewLadder Plaque
·
Bottle Opener (Starr brand)
·
Tool / towel hooks
·
Water pump (driven by a cordless
drill)
·
American flags
·
Spoon / tool clip
·
Spash-resistant radio/CD player
·
Timer/thermometer
The Official BrewLadder Plaque: Add a touch of style and class to your BrewLadder with a shiny gold-colored metal plaque. It announces your status as its Owner and Operator, bears its model year, and its own unique Serial Number. These plaques may be ordered through Steve Kranz at cost, which as of the last one I ordered for BrewLadder No. 3, was $17.00 delivered.
Bottle
Opener:
This is a natural for a brewing device.
It adds a slightly whimsical yet very utilitarian effect to the
BrewLadder. Before you drill holes
to add the opener, give some thought to placement so it won't interfere with any
other add-ons you might consider.
Hooks:
I added two small (1")
screw-in hooks to the end of the shelf, to hold a brewing spoon, towel, hoses,
etc. You could put them, or
something similar, in many other locations on the BrewLadder, depending on what
you want them for. Be creative.
Before you put any hooks on the front of the shelf, be sure there is
enough clearance for them when the shelf is folded up.
Water Pump: Pictured is the drill-powered pump which I originally installed on my BrewLadder. I have since added a March magnetic-drive brewing pump on the bottom shelf of the ladder, in conjunction with a new (since late '07) recirculating system I built using hi-temp thermoplastic hose and CP quick disconnects.
But
when I brew remotely like at a campground, using a water 
pump powered by a cordless drill to pump hot water six feet
off the ground to the hot liquor tank is the near-ultimate in remote brewing
convenience. In addition to the
unavailability of electricity when, say, brewing at a campground, there is the
risk of shock, electrocution or pump damage, if there is any accidental contact
between water and electricity or an electric pump.
There are many drill-powered water pumps out there, but I found one which
is uniquely suited to our needs because it has a tolerance of water temperature
up to 220°. The pump I found costs
$15 plus shipping, from www.northerntool.com.
Go to the site, enter "drill pump" in the search field, and
you'll go right to it.
The
pump's barbed inlet and outlet ports accept a 3/4" I.D. (internal diameter)
reinforced braided hose...the instructions say to use a 5/8" I.D. hose, but
it just doesn't fit. I used two
short lengths of 3/4" hose and barbed garden hose fittings to make threaded
connections for the inlet and outlet ports on the pump.
Then I made hoses to connect the pump to the kettle and hot liquor tank
using male and female brass garden hose connectors.
This way, I can unscrew the hoses from the pump for cleaning, drying and
storage, rather than having to pry them off of the pump's barbed connections.
For the hoses, I used the slightly narrower 5/8" hose, for three
reasons: I had already purchased it,
it's easier and more flexible to use, and it’s easier to find fittings for it.
Use hose clamps to secure the hoses to the brass fittings and the pump.
[One word of advice: if you use this pump, which has now served me very well in the four (4) years since originally building the BrewLadder in 2004, you'll want to disassemble it and completely de-grease the insides. It is packed with white petroleum grease, which will gradually find its way into your sparge water and your beer. It is simple to break the pump down, give it a good soak and rinse in some P.B.W., and reassemble.]
The
pump comes with a U-shaped bracket for attaching the pump to a board.
I mounted it to the front leg of the ladder at a convenient height, using
an existing hole from one of the steps and drilling one more hole.
I also attached some tool storage clips to the legs of the ladder to
store the two hoses “on board”. This way, they'll always be ready for use,
and they store straight to drain and dry quickly.
The
pump is self-priming, so all you have to do is connect it to a supply source or
immerse the end of the supply hose in water, start your drill, and the pump
sucks all the air out of the supply line until water starts flowing.
The pump's capacity is rated up to 650 gallons per hour, or over 10
gallons per minute, meaning it should take only a couple of minutes to pump as
much as 10 gallons of hot water up to your hot liquor tank.
When
you release the trigger and stop the drill, water will flow backwards through
the pump, so be ready with a shut-off valve just as you let go of the trigger.
You could use a valve attached either to your hot liquor tank or to your
kettle, but I installed an in-line brass valve just above the pump, for
convenience.
The
drill I use is a DeWalt 14.4 volt, 3/8" cordless.
It drives the pump without any stress, which suggests to me that
a lower-powered cordless drill (12V or even 9.6V) might also work.
If you use an electric drill, I would think that anything you have on
hand will work well although the pump's instructions state that the drill should
be rated at least 350 watts.
Flags
— I drilled holes at an angle into
the left side of the ladder's front leg, and used small desk-top sized flags I
found at Wal-Mart. Select a
drill bit that is as close to (or slightly smaller) the diameter of the flags as
possible, since you want them to stick in there snugly.
You can always widen the holes if necessary, but if the holes are too
large, the flags will fall out.
Spoon
/ Tool clamp — I found these at
Target and Home Depot. They are a
spring-loaded clamp that mounts with a couple of screws.
I mounted these to the underside of the shelf along one side, where my
plastic brewing spoon is held in place for storage and travel.
I also installed a couple underneath the top shelf to hold a screwdriver
and anything else I can think of.
Radio
/ CD Player — This might be one of
the less critical accessories to a standard brewing session, but I still like
having my tunes handy. Yes, I could
just bring along a portable CD player, but where's the panache in that?
Plus, just any old portable might not like being splashed with water or
wort. The market is filled with
"shower" radios and CD players that won't flinch if water gets on
them. The first one I tried was a
$30 job from BestBuy, brand name of Curtis.
Its best feature is that it was inexpensive ("cheap" is the
word). Beyond that, it pretty much
sucked. The sound quality was lousy
(not that I expect too much from any small speakers, but c’mon!).
It didn't reliably play my burned CD-R's.
And it would skip at even the slightest nudge.
So back to the store it went. I
replaced it with a Sony model, the Liv™ 4-Band Shower CD Clock Radio
ICF-CD73LIV2. I found one at Target
($80) after they had been out of stock for weeks.
Or get one online somewhere, such as www.sonystyle.com or
www.etronics.com. The sound quality
is substantially better. It plays
all of my CD-R’s without a hitch. It
has a digital tuner. The controls
are easier to use. And for your
brewing use, it has a built-in countdown timer/alarm which can take the place of
a separate timer, for timing your boil, hop additions, etc.
I use one of those spring-loaded "D" hooks to hang it from the
side of my BrewLadder because I don't want it to fall off if the ladder gets
bumped. While the Sony doesn't seem
to have any anti-shock circuitry either, it takes much more of a bump than the
Curtis did to cause it to skip.
Timer / Alarm — If you don’t use the aforementioned radio with a built-in timer, any digital kitchen timer/alarm will do.
UPDATE
- February 13, 2009
HERMS (Heat Exchage Recirculating Mash System) option - In this 2008 issue of our club's newsletter, I elaborated on the addition of a magnetic-drive March brewing pump to create a recirculating mash system. The pump mounts on the bottom step of the BrewLadder. It's a very excellent addition to the BrewLadder, and since adding the March brewing pump, I have removed the drill-powered pump from the ladder.
Therminator (Blichmann Engineering) - The Therminator is a compact counter-flow wort chiller which most of you have seen, either in use or in homebrew catalogs. I mounted one on the second shelf of the BrewLadder, directly above the pump. With a few fittings to let me quickly swap hoses after boiling is done, the Therminator will chill ten gallons of wort from boiling to about 68°F in about 5-6 minutes. That's with really cold ground water...in the spring and summer months I would expect it to go a little more slowly.
Other BrewLadder Links - There are now at least six (6) BrewLadders that I know of in the world, four of which were built by members of the Midnight Homebrewers' league. Each BrewLadder is a unique work of art. The beauty of the BrewLadder's design is that it can be configured and customized in a limitless number of ways, to suit the needs and whims of the builder. Here are links to two other BrewLadders of which I am aware, whose owners found the idea here. If you come across any others, please pass them on.
-
http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s8/michael90t/HomeBrewing/
-
http://www.franklinbrew.org/members/sj.html (Owner/operator Steve Jones has added an official BrewLadder plaque to his ladder, which makes his the 5th officially serial-numbered BrewLadder.)
Feel free to email any questions, suggestions for additional accessories, or requests for additional photos to stevekranz@comcast.net.
