Why not set it on a brick?  I have installed a couple and set it on a concret block and fill around the base with rock for the drain.  Never had any problems.  I always use the brass barbed 90 made specifically for screwing into the bottom of a hydrant with a flat area to rest on.  What happened to your brick setup?  I've always heard 48" depth, so always put mine it a 54-60" for extra insurance.  Always use a minimum of the 160 psi polypipe, I've been getting 200psi polypip from a pump suppy warehouse and using all brass compression couplings.  The 200psi seems like a much better product, but got thousands of feet of the 160psi from lowes, "silverline" or something like that, and never any problems.  Never have liked much of what Menard's has for stuff I need to rely on, especially underground.  They seem to be the "HarborFreight" of hardware stores.  Lowes and HomeDepot seem to have a higher quality of materials and hardware.  Prefer getting professional/contractor grade stuff from distributors though, as it is usually a couple notches above the homeowner stuff.

Eddie