BEER, a Trellis for Hops, a Support for Growing Them in Your Backyard.

My son-in-law makes his own beer. A couple of years ago he started growing his own Hops, but they needed a support for the plants that grow like vines.

I made a frame that rope is attached to and the other end of the rope attached to their shed. From the elevated rope lines are dropped down to the individual plants to grow up, see pictures.

My daughter asked me to build a couple of more supports because her husband had planted some more and different variety of Hops and she wanted to give him this for a birthday present.

Some information on Hops,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hops

Step 1: Material Used Per Stand (Tripod)

6 - 2 x 4 x 10 foot long Pressure Treated

4 - 2 x 6 x 4 foot spruce

2 - 2 x 6 x 16 inches spruce

1 - large tube construction adhesive and a caulking gun for it.

1 - box 3 inch # 8 deck screws (300) this is enough for two tripods.

1 - 12 inch long x 3/8 inch diameter bolt with two washers and two nuts.

1 - 8 inch long x 5/16 inch eye bolt and a washer and two nuts.

Approximately 150 feet of weather and sun resistant rope, I used para cord since I had lots of it. Something to cut it with and a Bic lighter to melt the cut ends.

Note: In Canada and the US, when a dimension states " 2 x 4" it means 2 inches by 4 inches then the next number is the length in feet or sometimes inches which is usually stated in a material list.

Step 2: Construction Step One

I laminated the 2x4's using construction adhesive and deck screws. These are the legs of the tripod each one is made up of two 2 x 4's.

Then I drilled a 7/16's of an inch, hole 3 inches from the end of each tripod leg. This step is only done at one end of the legs.

Take the 12 inch bolt and put one of the washers on it. Then stack the three legs together and put the 12 inch bolt through all of them. Another washer and two of the nuts tighten together near the end of the bolt. This may appear strange, but it needs to be this way so that the legs will be-able to spread out to form the tripod. You can see this in the photo.

On the middle leg drill though one of the 2 x 4's a 7/16" hole and put the eye bolt through it. Install it so that the eye is facing away from the middle leg when it is angled back ( see photo ). Put the washer and two nuts on and tighten the two nuts together to lock them in place.

Step 3: Costruction Step Two

Stand the three legs up, ( this is easier and safer to do if you have a helper), tilt the middle leg out about 3 feet out, then the two outside legs about 3 feet apart so you have the shape of a tripod. This is a lot more stable. Take two of the 2 x 6 x 4 foot stack on edge and put against the two outside legs, I left 5 1/2 inches over lap on each side.

Screw the top board using four screws per leg. The lower board is not fastened it was only there to hold the top board in place.

Take the two 2 x 6 x 16 inches boards stack them on the edge and lay them against the middle leg, attach the top board with four screws.

Now take two of the 2 x 4 x 4 foot and lay across (edge) the outside of the middle leg and the inside of the outside legs. These boards are on top of the outside legs and inside leg that you did in the previous steps. They are attached with three screws per leg end and one screw ( toe nailed ) into the cross piece.

Step 4: Construction Step Three

Now you have a basic tripod.

Now to add cross pieces to add structural support.

The last 2 x 4 x 4 foot is put on the inside of the tripod between the two out side legs, it is fasten in place with three screws per side.

The last 2 x 4 x 16 inches is placed against the inside of the the middle leg it is fasten in place with three screws per side.

You may be wondering why I have numbers or letters on my pieces, I made them at home, dis-assembled them and

took them out to my daughter's house, where her husband and I re- assembled them, where the Hops where planted.

Step 5: Final Construction Step

We assembled the tripods at each end of planted Hops, Kevin ( my son-in law ) tied one end of the rope to one of the eye bolts then strung the rope across the Hops. Then he tied stringers on this main rope, one for each Hop plant using a slip knot so the stringers could be spaced properly. We left about 12 feet of the main rope longer than we needed, this was passed through the other eye bolt, this makes the rope be easily raised or lowered as the season dictates. The rope was then raised up. I put two screws in one leg so that the excess rope could be tied off.

Kevin then wound the vine like Hop plants around their individual stringer ropes.

Birthday present completed.