I finally decided to take the plunge from extract brewing to all-grain. My procrastination until now was fueled by many reasons, real and imagined. The imagined were thoughts like “Wow I can really screw this up!” One of the real problems was the limited space in our old kitchen, designed in the 1950s for retirees to heat up a bowl of soup.

I got over the imagined problem by watching one of the first brews take form in a local microbrewery. The brewmaster let me have a carboy of wort, a wonderful dark brown ale, from his first batch to take home and have my way with. I boiled it, added a ton of hops, pitched my yeast, and had very nice results with the finished product. Okay, so I knew I could do it. Now all I needed was space.

My wife was opposed to enlarging the kitchen. My favorite tool is a hammer, and I figured a sledge would definitely open up some space. She thought not, so I opted for Plan B, which was to find some kind of stand to contain the bulkiest elements of the grain brewing process, namely the sparging bucket and mash-lauter vessel.

Once again I conferred with my friend the brewmaster for any suggestions. “I have just the thing, “ he said. He showed me the equipment in his garage where he develops his recipes for the brewery. I was impressed with the gravity-feed system, especially the stand holding the pots.

One of the most practical points of this stand was the fact it was mounted on casters. You could wheel it to the sink for water or move it to the boiling kettle. I liked the idea that you could roll it outside and hose it off for quick, painless cleanup. He had drawn up the plans for the stand and named it “The Brew Cactus.” I wanted one just like it, but his was made mostly of stainless steel and aluminum, and I had a limited budget. He suggested I contact Scott Henderson. Scott is a fellow homebrewer, a friend, and last but not least a carpenter.

Laying the Plans
Talk about a small world. As it turns out Scott used to help build stages and ticket booths for the “Beer and Steer,” a precursor to the Great American Beer Festival. I asked Scott if it was feasible for a man with limited tool experience (other than hammers) to build this stand inexpensively out of wood and with limited danger to himself and others. Scott took one look at the Brew Cactus, drew a few figures on a piece of paper and said, “No problem. We can build this.” I liked that phrase: No problem.

Over the course of the next week we retired to his workshop for a few hours at a time and, with the help of some homebrews, built the Brew Cactus for less than $100. The shelves can be cut to accommodate whatever equipment you choose for your system. And as you can see from the photographs of the original, you can add on anything that fits your needs, such as a heat exchanger and a hose rack. Another thing that makes this stand handy is how easily it can be taken apart and put back together. This is helpful for storage or if you’re moving.

The actual building of the stand was not difficult. If you know someone who’s handy in the workshop, definitely enlist some aid. A few homebrews can impart all the help you need. Don’t worry — if I can do this, anyone can.

Tools

• Jig saw with plywood blade
• Circular saw
• Hand drill and bits
• Socket wrench set or adjustable wrench

Parts    
Wood:
• One 3/4 in. thick by 4 ft. by 8 ft. BC grade or better Southern Pine or Douglas Fir plywood sheet cut to:
    A. 1 piece 36 in. by 36 in.
    B. 1 piece 18 in. by 24 in.
    C. 1 piece 18 in. by 18 in.
    D. 4 pieces 8 in. by 12 in.
    E. 2 pieces 2 in. by 9 3/4 in.
    F. 2 pieces 2 in. by 7 3/4 in.
• G. One 76-in. piece of 1 1/2 in. by 3 1/2 in. oak or 76-in. Southern Pine or Douglas Fir two-by-four, No. 2 grade or better. Oak is harder and can be stronger than the less expensive and easier to find Southern Pine or Douglas Fir. Any one of the three species will work.    
• 80-in. piece of Southern Pine or Douglas Fir two-by-two, No. 2 grade or better. Cut wood to size:
    H. 2 pieces 1 1/2 by 17 in.
    I. 2 pieces 1 1/2 by 17 1/2 in.
    J. 2 pieces 1 1/2 by  11 in.

Hardware:
• 4 each 2 in. casters (wheels)
• 2 each 5/16 in. by 5 1/2 in. hex-head machine bolt
• 6 each 5/16 in. by 4 in. hex-head machine bolt
• 16 each 3/16 in. by 1 1/2 in. hex-head machine bolt
• 16 each 5/16 in. washer
• 8 each 5/16 in. hex nut
• 32 each 3/16 in. washer
• 16 each 3/16 in. hex nut
• 50 each 1 1/2 in. No. 10 flat-head wood screws

Construction

1. From the parts list cut all wood pieces to the proper size. Match the letters of the parts with the letters in the drawings (page 40).
2. Cut the legs (D) off at an angle (see Side View drawing p. 42) and attach the pieces together (D, E, and F), making sure the main post fits in the middle (you can even temporarily assemble it with the beam) and predrilling holes.
3. Assemble the base making sure that you properly center the legs. We used a small piece of the two-by-four to act as a guide while we centered the legs. When you’re happy with the position, predrill your holes.
4. Using a jig saw, make the cutouts on the base. While these cutouts are not necessary, it does make the stand easier to store and use — you won’t knock your ankles on the base when you are using the buckets or hanging equipment. We made a template out of a 24-inch by six-inch board with six-inch radius arcs for two corners. (Photo p. 39, Top View drawing at left)
5. Assemble the shelves. Cut the center hole with a jigsaw to accommodate your particular pieces of equipment. We used a 12-inch circumference. Drill a hole in the area to be cut out to get your jigsaw blade started. Predrill your screw holes. We also rounded our shelves with six-inch radius cuts, but this is not necessary.
6. Predrill the holes in the main post (G) to attach to the legs on your base. Predrill holes for the shelves. Attach the main beam to the base. Attach the shelves.
7. Finally, attach the casters.

Time to Brew
Your brew cactus is now assembled. Have a beer and decide what kind of finish you want on the wood. You will be getting the stand wet, so it’s important that it’s sealed. We plan to stain it and use a polyurethane finish.

Thanks go to Michael Bryant of Dunedin Brewery for letting me work with his original plans and Scott Henderson for his coaching and
drawing expertise.