[cscade]

Update 12/20/2012: --- New photos of the space now that it's "worn in" a bit and I got comfy! new photos

Thread highlights;

- Floor plan drawing
- Process, and more process
- Panel cutting and test assembly
- Panel layout, thread tapping, & painting
- Panel internal wiring shots
- Making a hole where the steam gets out, stops my mind from wondering - where it will go ...
- First photos of completed work
- More recent photos, after some use and evolution
- BCS-460 driven conical temp control panel

Original first post;

Now that my gas system is officially sold, work has begun full bore on building the electric brewery! It's not exactly a race to the finish, but I will be very happy when I have something to brew on again!

The room is in my basement, and will require a whole lot of prep work. I'm going to build out a full blown Kal clone... after looking into all the great designs out there it just really suits my style the best.

So, without further ado, let's begin!

A few "before" shots, as the room began:













And today's progress:

The bricks are gone!







The concrete contractor will arrive this saturday AM, and we'll begin the slab phase.

[ScottSingleton]

very ambitious! Going to sub and see how this turns out!

I notice the level of the grade is about on par with the door threshold leading out. Are you going to excavate down enough so the slab comes back up to the threshold level?

[cscade]

Thanks!

Yes, and no. There will be a rim that runs around the perimeter at door threshold height, and also an area to the left at the same height, where my ferment control chamber will end up. However the "work area" will be ~6" step down, with a draining floor.

[BrothOfVigor]

That room gives me the heeby-jeebies I hope you don't dig up anything unpleasant :S

I have a creepy cellar room too, so I envy your ambition!

[cscade]

Originally Posted by BrothOfVigor

That room gives me the heeby-jeebies I hope you don't dig up anything unpleasant :S

I have a creepy cellar room too, so I envy your ambition!

OMG THERE'S BODIES EVERYWHERE!

It's actually a much more promising space than the photos can convey. I'll be making it very nice. Lots of work involved, but I spent a significant portion of my life making old buildings awesome. So this is just a matter of time and effort! Stay tuned, and I'll help cure you of your heeby-jeebies.

[cscade]

The destruction is now way, way worse than the photos above show. Turns out that the main sewer line where it leaves the house under the foundation wall is completely shattered, but the main beyond it seems good. So there are a few contractors and a whole slew of amish kids in the basement, yelling Pennsylvania dutch at each other!

As bad as it all may seem, I would way rather know about this and fix it properly NOW, before pouring a concrete floor over a whole bunch of broken.

I'll post photos once the room isn't crammed with people

[cscade]

Major progress!

The sewer lines were toast, now fully repaired, and the slab is poured!

















I have a few complaints, but mostly I'm happy. The floor doesn't drain quite the way I had hoped (water hangs around the edges 1/2" deep), and the stand pipe for the sink is in the wrong place by 3". I'm hoping it doesn't interfere with the sink leg. But, even with the significant amount of work they had to put into fixing the sewer pipe, which we had no idea about going in, they stuck to their quote and did all this for $2k.

Side note: We discovered through all this that we have a 6" sewer main, including all the interior piping under the basement floor. That's huge. I'm pretty sure I could flush a live groundhog, and that sucker would be GONE.

[ScottSingleton]

Originally Posted by cscade

Major progress!
Side note: We discovered through all this that we have a 6" sewer main, including all the interior piping under the basement floor. That's huge. I'm pretty sure I could flush a live groundhog, and that sucker would be GONE.

Pics if you do it! :P

[1KD1]

I wish I had the space/time/money to do this. I brew in the garage but the rest of the work goes happens on the second story of my house. I bet I have to make 20 trips up and down the steps on brew day.

Good news is, it healthier for me ;-) bad news is, I'm a lazy chubby guy!

I envy the OP (even if he did find dead bodies down there).

[Cruzn4aBrewzn]

Looks awesome! I can see the brewery already. I am so looking for a sweet basement to do this with when I finally buy a house...