Ever use a shipping container for brew shed??

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Jester

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I am currently in grad school for Master's of Architecture and have been working with a design/build studio where we are using shipping containers to build a structure for a local non-profit. Shipping containers seem to be the fad for the past five years, but they are popular for a reason. The benefits of shipping containers are that they are extremely water tight and structural beasts. I has already made up my mind that I am going to get 2 of them to play with once I get out of school. I was wondering if anyone else has ever had this idea or actual done it?!?!
 
I have never even heard of that. How much do they cost and how difficult are they to get? It seems like a cool idea, but probably a lot more difficult to work with than traditional building supplies. You'd have to be able to cut holes for windows/vents. I don't know how difficult that is.
 
I have seen a guy who used them to grill out in... It was pretty cool it was like his man cave outside. That being said i know he had some skilled metal people working for a solid month so im not sure how expensive it would be.
 
I would imagine a good angle grinder could get holes cut in, then I'd just frame with wood like usual, but that's cause I'm a wood guy not a metal guy :)
 
Would be something to consider if they were just sitting around, I can't imagine comanies let them go for cheap, then theres transportation.

I would figure I can go to Home Depot or any building place for less money and say I want that shed delivered.
 
I've been looking at that for a piece of property I would like to move to, not sure of all the minor logistics though (insulating, finishing, electrical, ect)
 
Would be something to consider if they were just sitting around, I can't imagine comanies let them go for cheap, then theres transportation.

I would figure I can go to Home Depot or any building place for less money and say I want that shed delivered.

I remember seeing on a tv show somewhere that over seas companies don't want them back after the shipment is done. Seems it is cheaper for them to purchase new ones then have the crates shipped back.
 
You can normally find a used shipping container for a little over $1,000. No sure how that price compares to a typical wood framed structure. The easiest way to cut holes is with an angle grinder on the horizontals and a sawzall for the verticals.

See the pictures below... One thing that is cool, you can weld to the container and rely on it for the structural needs of the building. The roof, floor, etc are all supported from the containers.

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IMG_4419.jpg
 
I have seen shows on tv where they take 4-6 of them and make a house out of them. Quite a bit of engineering but it looked really nice when assembled.

I would think with some searching you could find one that would have a reasonable cost. Remember a shipping container will be maybe twice the size as a shed from HD. And have you priced those lately??
 
I think it's a great idea, as long as you have solid metal working skills, and tools. I would think a plasma cutter would be the ticket.

Any idea how much it costs to get one delivered, then positioned with a crane?
 
Ok, i'm officially interested. The price isn't too bad at all, and it seems they are much bigger than I recalled.
 
Ok, i'm officially interested. The price isn't too bad at all, and it seems they are much bigger than I recalled.

There a few different sizes too... You can get 20' long or 40' long. You can also get standard height with is approximately 7'-8" high or a tall-boy which is about 8'-8" high. You can also stack them and lock them together with "knuckles"... Check out the photo I posted earlier and you can see the double stacked side of my building. A two-story brew house and hangout spot would be great!!!! you could even build a deck ontop as the roof for a little outdoor space.
 
I just spent the last six months or so living in one of these. The military has been doing it for quite awhile in forward deployed areas. Definitely cheap and easily modified. FML if I have to live in one again though.
 
I saw a house made from, I think 4 of these, on some HGTV show a couple years ago. It was a super awesome house and ended up being ridiculously cheap even after the poured concrete floors throughout.
 
Several people I know use them for a hunting camp. Winch a 20' onto a 16' lowboy, get a 1 day permit to get it to the site. You lock them up, and they are nearly impossible to get into.
 
I have been thinking about this very same idea! We are about to finish building our house (ourselves) and I will need a place for my tools as well as more room for an all grain setup would be ideal. The shipping containers seem like they would serve both purposes with a little bit of partition work, windows and maybe an added door or two!

Sadly however I can only find the containers in the ~2,400 range and thats without any shipping. I'll be trying to track them down further!

Have you put any thought into possibly having a fold-out brewing unit rather than deal with all that heat/water vapor inside such an inclosed space? Given that I will have things fermenting in the same room I would hate to have to fight keeping the temps down insulation or not. I may use some of my landscape architecture training to combine an indoor/outdoor space to maximize the effect.

Please let us know how this goes!
 
I like the celar video... now if i just had all that equipment i could do that too! Talk about a great fermentation room!
 
The cellar one is a death trap waiting to happen. The walls are not strong enough to take lateral loads. As soon as the hole collapses around the container it will be crushed.

Go to the main youtube page for the video and he even admits its a death trap waiting to happen if the sump pump fails!
 
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