Minecraft wiki entry for Brewing_Stand, associated text: Even when the brewing stand is not in use, there is still smoke coming out of the top of it.
In Java Edition, when a brewing stand is broken, particles from a bottle appear, even if no bottle is in the stand.
No matter what potion (including water bottles) is in the stand it always looks like a full red bottle.
Brewing stands always face east, no matter what direction they are placed.
According to Searge, blaze powder being used as fuel was added as a way to not destroy the game progression, as a brewing stand was added beneath the igloo, to prevent the player from using it before going to the Nether.[4]