# Brew Stand Shelving



## kymba (20/7/12)

as per title - anyone used this stuff for a brew stand?

http://www.handy-storage.com.au/product-range/rack-it.html

i have searched but the terms "Rack it" generally return results like "should i rack it to secondary"...if i had a dollar!

it looks ok and claims to hold up to 750kg per shelf (as long as you use the shelf braces when using the 1800mm beams, which i wouldn't) - at the local bunnings they even had galvanised parts as well as the powdercoat finish, and that is good because gal is way more manly than pc

anyway i want to make a stand for my upcoming build - i am thinking of having a shelf with kiln fired pavers and a splashback type arrangement on the 3 sides made from more pavers. This should give me protected space underneath for the hex and gas bottle

i recon you could make a decent biab stand+skyhook thing out of the 2100 side frames with a pair of beams up the top

oh and it is pretty cheap too, and it looks like you could fit out an entire garage with this stuff in the time it would take to put up a single one of those other bolt together 3 tier weak-as-piss shelving units from the same joint


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## kezza (20/7/12)

i was thinking of using the same thing as im about to build a 3v single tier rig myself, i worked it out it would cost me about $130 to build from my local green shed


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## cam89brewer (20/7/12)

I have one of these just for storage and does the job. It seemed a little flimsy when putting it together but once you have weight on it is pretty solid.


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## sean83 (20/7/12)

Was just in the green shed checking it out myself, looks good and better quality in my opinion than the other bolted angle steel. The only problem is you are limited to either 1800 or 900 lengths which for me was either to short or a bit too long. Still a very cheap option that looks pretty good.

Sean


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## kymba (20/7/12)

ok, i am seeking approval from the minister forthwith!


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## Maheel (20/7/12)

if you can get onto some Dexion shelving stuff cheap it bolts up well and seems pretty strong 
i have my (being built) 3 V / BIAB set up on it and roll it around the shed nicely 

i always looks at that bunnings stuff keep and thinking i should just buy a bit of it each week and fill the shed with it


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## onescooter (20/7/12)

I got some racking off this guy Storage sam Very happy with it for the price.
Cheers 
Scott.


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## mjadeb1984 (22/7/12)

Just went down to bunnings and brought me a rack-it setup 900mm high 450 deep I think and 1800 long. 
Cost $101 all up and is solid as a rock very happy with it I'll post some photos in a minute.


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## mjadeb1984 (22/7/12)

here, as you can see its quite long but i got the room. there is plenty of space for pumps and the like on the lower shelf. and the price was actually 120 including the wood and metal shelves but those could easily be improvised. and it really is solid as a rock i could park my car on it. 






granted there is cheaper options but for quality vs cost i thinks its a great deal, what do people think, anyone got any ideas/suggestions.

Price Breakdown
end things $17 ea
shelf cross things $15 ea
safety pin kit $7

Mic


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## BOG (22/7/12)

mjad said:


> here, as you can see its quite long but i got the room. there is plenty of space for pumps and the like on the lower shelf. and the price was actually 120 including the wood and metal shelves but those could easily be improvised. and it really is solid as a rock i could park my car on it.
> View attachment 55974
> 
> View attachment 55975
> ...



What was the name of his stuff at Bunnings?

For the price it looks fine. Could you put casters on it to move it around?

BOG


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## mjadeb1984 (22/7/12)

its called Rack-it, and yeah i reckon you could put castors on it, there is tabs with holes in so you can bolt it to the ground so you could use them but i would think you might need to reinforce that part maybe with a piece of flat bar between the two legs?


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## kymba (23/7/12)

looks good mjad! the CFO has given approval so hopefully this weekend

hey whats the shooter in the background? reminds me of wagging school to go play time crisis at the pinnies


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## petesbrew (23/7/12)

I've had my eye on that rack it setup for a while. The price seems right for what I'm after.
How easy is it to assemble & pull apart? I'm thinking of using it for a temporary setup & stack away when not in use.


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## samward (23/7/12)

mjad said:


> its called Rack-it, and yeah i reckon you could put castors on it, there is tabs with holes in so you can bolt it to the ground so you could use them but i would think you might need to reinforce that part maybe with a piece of flat bar between the two legs?


I have used the same stuff for my brewing stand. I'm considering that I will have to change the shelves for some marine ply at some point (given MDF doesn't stand up to water too well), but for the moment it works well.

While wandering around my local Bunnings, I found they had, what I think were supposed to be, little flat trollies for moving furniture. I found that they had 4 decent casters on them and a good bit of ply, and were about the right size to fit under the ends of the racking (the short side). At around $20 each, I bought 2, and now my brewing stand is on wheels. 

Might be worth having a look around your local store for them. I'll try to take a photo of them tonight and post a pic.


cheers
Sam


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## mjadeb1984 (23/7/12)

> hey whats the shooter in the background? reminds me of wagging school to go play time crisis at the pinnies


its Point Blank i picked it up of a mate who was in need of some room got it for free too. only has 1 gun at the moment but have a spare just need some time to figure out connecting it up.



> I've had my eye on that rack it setup for a while. The price seems right for what I'm after.
> How easy is it to assemble & pull apart? I'm thinking of using it for a temporary setup & stack away when not in use.


it shouldnt be too hard to pull apart you would need a mallet to knock it apart, my only thought would be that it could get a bit sloppy after a few times made and unmade



> I'm considering that I will have to change the shelves for some marine ply at some point (given MDF doesn't stand up to water too well), but for the moment it works well.


my thoughts too mate i was just lazy and got everything at once but if i thought about it i would have probably looked around for something different for the shelves. how have you gone with the heat from the burners? i was thinking of a piece of stainless sheet over the wood?

and yeah would love to see some photos of your wheels setup

Mic


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## samward (23/7/12)

mjad said:


> and yeah would love to see some photos of your wheels setup



Excuse the quality of the photo's:
Top


Bottom



I haven't bolted them on yet (its heavy enough not to be a problem) but you easily could.


Cheers
Sam


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## Edak (23/7/12)

Was at my friends place on the weekend testing out his new rig, I believe that it is made of the same stuff with timber shelves painted in a slick black.

PHOTO!





Just realised that it is slightly different...  I can ask where he got it though.


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## mjadeb1984 (23/7/12)

that is the same stuff mate just a couple of taller end pieces they come in a few heights. thats a nice neat setup too


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## mjadeb1984 (23/7/12)

actually i think they are the 900mm ends just the shelving has been set up a little lower


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## white.grant (23/7/12)

mjad said:


> here, as you can see its quite long but i got the room. there is plenty of space for pumps and the like on the lower shelf. and the price was actually 120 including the wood and metal shelves but those could easily be improvised. and it really is solid as a rock i could park my car on it.
> View attachment 55974



OT - Is that MkII cortina in the background?


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## mjadeb1984 (23/7/12)

nah mate 1967 XR Falcon


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## white.grant (24/7/12)

Aah, I can see it in your avatar now I look.


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## glenwal (24/7/12)

I picked up some of this stuff on the weekend for my new 3V build (pics to come soon) and i'm really happy with it. Its extremely solid, much better than most of the crappy garage type shelving you get. And you really can't beat it for price. 

I went with the "wire mesh" shelves instead of the MDF as i figured it would be better for spills.

Super easy to put together - though i'd imagine if you constantly put it together and pulled it apart the tabs that lock it into place would probably stretch out.


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## petesbrew (24/7/12)

Glen W said:


> I picked up some of this stuff on the weekend for my new 3V build (pics to come soon) and i'm really happy with it. Its extremely solid, much better than most of the crappy garage type shelving you get. And you really can't beat it for price.
> 
> I went with the "wire mesh" shelves instead of the MDF as i figured it would be better for spills.
> 
> Super easy to put together - though i'd imagine if you constantly put it together and pulled it apart the tabs that lock it into place would probably stretch out.


Good to hear thanks.


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## squirt in the turns (24/7/12)

Edak said:


> Was at my friends place on the weekend testing out his new rig, I believe that it is made of the same stuff with timber shelves painted in a slick black.



Edak, do you know what your mate painted it with? Is it water-proof? I thought it was pretty difficult to get a hard wearing water resistant finish on MDF?



Glen W said:


> I picked up some of this stuff on the weekend for my new 3V build (pics to come soon) and i'm really happy with it. Its extremely solid, much better than most of the crappy garage type shelving you get. And you really can't beat it for price.
> 
> I went with the "wire mesh" shelves instead of the MDF as i figured it would be better for spills.
> 
> Super easy to put together - though i'd imagine if you constantly put it together and pulled it apart the tabs that lock it into place would probably stretch out.



Obviously the wire mesh option eliminates the need to try to seal MDF. Less convenient other than for spills I guess, though. I'm trying to decide whether to just get an LBP in addition to my march pump and go single-tier for my HERMS build. This would mitigate the risk of condensation from the boil destroying the upper tier MDF shelf. Ah, what the hell, it'd be an extra $90 including the additional camlocks - a drop in the ocean compared to what I've spent already! :angry:


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## kymba (10/7/13)

Ok, so here's the mostly finished product. The tiled insert sits on an mdf shelf which is supported by 5 or so lengths of pine battens that span between the beams. The battens fit snugly in the beam which is pretty handy.

I've siliconed between the tiles so i can quickly clean up with a spray & wipe. I wasn't sure if it would handle the reflected heat from the spiral burner but it turned out alright

The wheels are made by the same mob that make the shelving and bolt straight onto the bottom

The lifting hook is tied onto a length of thick walled 50mm pipe. I had it spanning the other way when lifting the bag with 15kg of grain out of the pot

Next thing is to add another shelf underneath to hold the hex, pump and other bits


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## denemc (3/1/14)

I'm thinking of replicating this for my BIAB setup. Do you have any regrets, changes you would make, or given the chance would you do something else?

Cheers.
Dene


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## denemc (3/1/14)

And how has everyone found the MDF shelf for heat resistance?


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## warra48 (3/1/14)

It doesn't stand up well as a stand for a burner on its own.

I use a length of melamine on a couple of milk crates as a stand for my 3 ring burner under my kettle.
However, I have a sheet of metal on top of the melamine to reflect the heat. That has worked OK for me now for several years.

I also use a length of recycled kitchen bench MDF under my HLT, and again I have a sheet of metal on it to reflect the heat from another 3 ring burner.


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## breakbeer (3/1/14)

I'd really recommend NOT using MDF for the shelving. It absorbs water & gets mouldy really easily, not something you want anywhere near your brew rig


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## GalBrew (3/1/14)

breakbeer said:


> I'd really recommend NOT using MDF for the shelving. It absorbs water & gets mouldy really easily, not something you want anywhere near your brew rig



And burns when fire is applied.


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## boybrewer (3/1/14)

One could use MDF with a sheet of AC sheeting on top . That way its fire resistant and water resistant at the same time .


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## Glot (3/1/14)

I like these real life builds. That is what a forum is really about. Sharing ideas.


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## Glot (3/1/14)

Form ply is water proof but a bit pricey


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## Glot (3/1/14)

If you have a look in Ikea etc they have seconds and damaged laminex bench tops pretty cheap sometimes.


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## unclebarrel (3/1/14)

Form or marine ply FTW, thats what I would be thinking Glot.
That or beer belly's suggestion of MDF with AC on top.
Personally I would avoid MDF altogether. Over time with weight and some heat applied also some spillage, it will warp.
Spend a little extra $ to get marine or form ply, or even regular ply wood and clad it with AC ( or villa board form any plaster joint.)

There are metal fabricators or aluminium places around where you could also pick up an off cut sheet of tread plate stuff and fix that down on top if you really want to trick it up a bit too.

UB


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## Glot (3/1/14)

At last someone that knows what AC is lol. The good old days. Cement sheet dust has never tasted the same since they took the asbestos out of it.
I do a lot of kitchen renovations and the number of good bench tops that go to the tip............
It is all a matter of approaching the right people. Just talk to some kitchen companies. They would like to see them go to a good home too.
You will always find some contractors out there that the $ means everything. But if you keep looking, you will find quite a few that will assist if it doesn't cost them. They are like you and I.


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## unclebarrel (3/1/14)

Ah, there is nothing like the fresh smell of cement sheet dust to fill the nostrils in the morning !

True on the bench top pick ups Glot, any tradie would be happy to give away some junk that he was going to have to pay some hard earned to take to the tip anyway.


….maybe for a sixer of something decent !


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## boybrewer (3/1/14)

Yes I do remember the good old days . We would cut up the asbestos sheeting, I loved the smell of it when it was freshly cut . Still no sign of asbestosis though cough cough aarrgh . :blink:


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## Topher (9/8/14)

Digging up this old thread. I use this shelving and love it. The wire mesh shelves are great and are easily strong enough for full brewing vessels.....but has anyone tested the heat resistance of this stuff? 
Been fine with the urn on it, but I'm moving to a gas fired keggle and don't want to have the joins on the mesh give way with 40litres of boiling wort on.


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## Cervantes (9/8/14)

Mine works fine.........

2 x 40 litres and 1 x 10 litres, no worries.


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## Topher (9/8/14)

Looks great mate, mashing higher gravity in Bm then boil in keggle? 

Anyway, What I'm really trying to find out is if the wire mesh shelves will withstand heat from a 3 ring gas burner.


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## TidalPete (9/8/14)

Those setups above look great but another option can be found if you look at Justin's brew frame which pre-dates all the fancy electronic gismos used today but IMHO is a ripper budget-wise. :super:

Socked this link away years ago when I started brewing but was unable to find an old angle iron bed frame at the local dump so went RHS.

Maybe you'll have better luck if you're keen?

[SIZE=medium]http://hbd.org/discus/messages/366/33903.html?1187742085[/SIZE]

Doesn't have to be welded. You can easily cut & bolt this frame together.


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## SimoB (10/8/14)

I use rack it and I think it's great.
It's on the rack it wheels too. Makes it very easy to move.


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## Weizguy (10/8/14)

I like the look of the unit with the Gal mesh shelving at Bunnings.

MDF is not good after the first flood.


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## SimoB (10/8/14)

I used scrap hardwood decking.. works a treat


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## lael (10/8/14)

looks great! Are the castors rack it ones or just a castor with a bolt? Any chance you remember pricing?


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## Cervantes (10/8/14)

Topher said:


> Looks great mate, mashing higher gravity in Bm then boil in keggle?


Not going for higher gravity. The addition of a boil kettle means that I can get two brews done in a shorter brew day.

Mash brew 1 in the BM and transfer to the keggle for the boil. Then start mashing brew 2 in the BM whilst brew 1 is boiling.

The small boiler on the left is just right for sparge/make up water for the BM.

This is my answer the 3V V's BM argument. Both....................... h34r:


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## SimoB (10/8/14)

I used the rack it castors .. I think maybe 25bucks for 2.


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## lael (14/8/14)

Heads up - searched high and low for the castors... Finally found some and couldn't buy them... Turns out they are on recall. Everyone is coy on why - refining the product. They said they will have new ones out mid sept.


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## spog (15/8/14)

Shopping trolley wheels perhaps ? .


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## Adr_0 (15/8/14)

I have used 25x25 galv angle from Bunnings. I have these set up as cross rails lined up with the base legs of the burner. Works an absolute treat. I will chuck in a photo this arvo. 

Don't use aluminium... Its strength at propane burning temperatures is like plastic.


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## Adr_0 (15/8/14)

Whoops, didn't see this last page. 

SimoB, the wood looks awesome! Good job.


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## SimoB (15/8/14)

Adr_0 said:


> Whoops, didn't see this last page.
> 
> SimoB, the wood looks awesome! Good job.


Thanks man! Had a few brews on it now, looking a little weathered now haha... Still work great. I'm in the process of relocating my Pumps and chiller... ahhhh the joys of a brew rig.


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## chopdog (12/9/14)

G'day fellas, has anyone mounted burners to these stands? I currently run a gravity feed 3v with gas burners under the hlt and kettle. Would the mesh hold up to the burner blasting away underneath? Is there away of adding support for the kegs and not have the mesh?


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## zeggie (12/11/14)

lael said:


> Heads up - searched high and low for the castors... Finally found some and couldn't buy them... Turns out they are on recall. Everyone is coy on why - refining the product. They said they will have new ones out mid sept.


Well it's november now and I was planning on building the same stand as mjad and yep, can't find the castors anywhere.... anyone found an alternative?

edit: found a mob selling these: http://castorsolutions.com.au/21-e21enrs.html

any chance anyone can measure the plate on their rack it castors? cheers


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## lmyers (31/3/15)

zeggie said:


> Well it's november now and I was planning on building the same stand as mjad and yep, can't find the castors anywhere.... anyone found an alternative?
> 
> edit: found a mob selling these: http://castorsolutions.com.au/21-e21enrs.html
> 
> any chance anyone can measure the plate on their rack it castors? cheers


I've been keeping in contact with the Rack It company and have been told that the revised castors will be in stores next month. I hope so....hanging out to build my brew stand!!


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## zeggie (12/4/15)

lmyers said:


> I've been keeping in contact with the Rack It company and have been told that the revised castors will be in stores next month. I hope so....hanging out to build my brew stand!!


Finally! Finding suitable castors has been a PITA


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## sponge (12/5/15)

Has there been any further news on the rack it castors? Hoping to grab some for my setup ASAP


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## sponge (13/5/15)

For those of you who are interested, I just popped into the big green shed today and they have the rack it castors in stock.


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