As you can see the frame is made of red wood with Formica tops except for the bottom “pump” level which is stainless steel. I pondered for a long time between a one, two or three tier system. Each has its advantage and disadvantages and I settled on what you see. The HLT is the only gravity feed tank (except for the grant) in the system. There is no doubt I designed and built my brewery with looks in mind but it is also functional. I thought my first brew would be a Chinese fire drill but, in fact, the brew went very smooth. All of the problems were head space on my part, and best of all the beer turned out excellent. Even the clean up went well, which was of great concern because I cannot remove any of the tanks to empty and clean.