1 bowl or 2 ?? That is the Question

Hey Guys & Gals

I am finally building my basement brewery – I know aren’t you all SHOCKED ! !!
A brewery in the Basement!!
Not like anyone else has EVER done that before 

And I have a conundrum.
For the Sink – 1 bowl or 2 ?

I have enough room for either – about 53 inches, to fit it in.
I can fit a 1 bowl with side drain board OR a 2 bowl with No drain board.
( 24x24 inch with 24 inch drain board ) or ( 2 – 24x24 bowls )
My Brew kettle is a EHERMS nightmare of 4 SS Vales sticking out, a sight glass & Thermometer – its big !

SO, to all of those who have gone before me, those of you Who have built yourself a Brewery already…

1 bowl or 2 ?

Do you have a Single, and really wish you had a Double ?
Or
Do you have a Double and really wish you had a Single bowl?
Is that Darin board really helpful??

I know, it’s not like we are curing cancer here, but this is a $$$$ Big investment in cash, and the sink is not something I can really Return after a few months of using it, and realizing I wish I had the other….

Thanks in Advance for your input!

Steve

I don't think I'd get much use out of 2 bowls for my brewing, but I'm ALWAYS putting something upside down to drip dry.

Of course, you left out an obvious 3rd choice, which would be to have 2 bowls and make or buy a cover for the second bowl that can act as a drain pan...

Homercidal said:

Of course, you left out an obvious 3rd choice, which would be to have 2 bowls and make or buy a cover for the second bowl that can act as a drain pan...

Click to expand...

There is always one of yous guys
Given a choice between A or B, you ask for C


I had thought of that, but I would like an answer to my First question First!
S

There is also the option of one bowl that is longer eg. 24X36 to give extra room for your nightmare e-herms kettle. You could always sad a drainboard that sits on top for when you are done cleaning.

TX_Brewing said:

There is also the option of one bowl that is longer eg. 24X36 to give extra room for your nightmare e-herms kettle. You could always sad a drainboard that sits on top for when you are done cleaning.

Click to expand...

TX

I can not find a Sink like you have described.
I am looking on ebay at these two.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221791996723?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

http://www.ebay.com/itm/391151539620?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Steve

Not as sexy as stainless but it's cheap and HUGE:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E82WV8K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

TimmyWit said:

Not as sexy as stainless but it's cheap and HUGE:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E82WV8K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Click to expand...

Thanks for the idea Timmy

But I SOLD a camera on Ebay so I could have money enough for a SS sink

Not gonna do it

If they made a SS steel sink like that, then yes, bigger is always better!

S

I would say go for the 2 bowl. If you decide you don't need both you can add a drain board. If you get the 1 bowl and decide you want 2, you are buying a new sink.

Just my 2 cents.

steveoatley said:

There is always one of yous guys
Given a choice between A or B, you ask for C


I had thought of that, but I would like an answer to my First question First!
S

Click to expand...

Well, I DID answer your question first, and then suggested an alternative. (Which I feel is the still the best option.)

The only reason why you'd need two bowls would be to fill one with soap and water for cleaning stuff. Do you envision yourself doing that? I have a one-bowl in my brewery and I appreciate the divider not being there so I can easily put the carboys in the sink for cleaning.

I picked 1 bowl, but I want to clarify:

1 bowl if it were going to be as large as possible (to easily fit the biggest piece of equipment that you will be washing).

If you are already set on 24"x24" bowl size (whether it is 1 basin or 2), then I would do what TX_Brewing mentioned above - go with 2 bowls and if you decide that you don't need the second bowl, add a drain board to it.

I brew in my kitchen with just a 5 gallon kettle and it is a pain to wash because we have a typical 2-basin stainless steel sink. One of these days I plan to tear it out and put in a single basin sink so it is easier to maneuver my equipment around while washing without making a huge wet mess. The second basin just houses a drying rack, which is mostly pointless since I end up using drying mats on the countertop because all of the equipment is too big to fit into the sink drying rack anyways.

Happy Hopper

here is a pic of the 10 gallon EHERMS pot
It is a monster! Not gonna fit in a kitchen sink !
Thermometer port
Sight Glass
Whirlpool port
2 - Herms ports
Out valve

I still have not added the Boil Coil or the Temp probe port
So two more holes to drill in this thing!

It needs a big sink to clean - 24x24 is just big enough
I can not find any sinks bigger 30x36 ?

Bigger are MOP sinks, and are Floor mounted

S

Thanks to EVERYONE for their input !

This is why I did a poll, and asked for opinions !

Design by committee right ! Start out trying for a Horse, and you get an Elephant.

I am torn, and need to make a decision soon..... shipping on this is like two weeks.

Homercidal - I was just pulling your leg - have you seen a drain board like you suggest ?


Steve

steveoatley said:

Happy Hopper

here is a pic of the 10 gallon EHERMS pot
It is a monster! Not gonna fit in a kitchen sink !
Thermometer port
Sight Glass
Whirlpool port
2 - Herms ports
Out valve

I still have not added the Boil Coil or the Temp probe port
So two more holes to drill in this thing!

It needs a big sink to clean - 24x24 is just big enough
I can not find any sinks bigger 30x36 ?

Bigger are MOP sinks, and are Floor mounted

S

Click to expand...

That's legit. Almost 2 legit.

If I were to build a dedicated brewing space, I might consider something like this: 100 Gallon Water Tank Sink

TheHappyHopper said:

If I were to build a dedicated brewing space, I might consider something like this: 100 Gallon Water Tank Sink

Click to expand...

That is a COOL sink, and I would go that route
If I were decorating like GROSSY- he has his keezer built in, that is more like a Bar build.....

The rest of my basement is going to go more Up North Cabin - Log Pine theme

But I want the brewery to "look" more like - Science **** happens here
FRP on the walls, floor will be poly sealed, drain in the floor

BUT we get off Topic.......

TWO sink or Not to SINK, that is the question..........

steveoatley said:

I can not find any sinks bigger 30x36 ?

Click to expand...

I would do that, or bigger if you can find it.

I also don't know if I would count out the floor mounted "deep" sink. If you don't like the look of it you could always make a cabinet front for it.

I have a 36 inch wide sink in the kitchen which has a low divider in it, so it serves as both a single wide sink or two smaller sinks depending on how you use it. Most of the time the right side serves as a recessed drain board, but if I need larger that works too. So my answer would have to be "C: All of the above."

Similar to this:

steveoatley said:

Homercidal - I was just pulling your leg - have you seen a drain board like you suggest ?


Steve

Click to expand...

Nope, I just thought about it in my head. We have an HDPE plastic cutting board that goes over one half of the sink in our RV. It was a thought based on that.

I think a drain board could be easily made with a piece of scrap SS, maybe a mesh of some sort.

It could also be made of plastic, for all that.

Okay, just looked at the two links to what your choices are. Sorry, somehow missed that earlier. I'm sticking with 2 sinks. The reasoning is you can balance your pot upside down on the divider with one hand (or rig a support for handless) and spray up into the pot with the other with all the water falling directly down into both sinks. Less splatter and faster draining/drying. Also, another way of looking at the two sinks is as a single sink with a recessed side board.

PlexVector,

I kinda like that idea.

And I'm thinking about longs soaks, in the 2nd bowl - that skunky old carboy - LandoLincoln mentioned that too

I just need some one to MAKE a removable 24x24 inch drain board.
Like What Homeridal is saying.

made out of the same SS as like a False Bottom, with the little holes or slots
And big enough to cover one side of my 24x24 sink


HMMMMmmmm who could make such a thing ?

Steve

steveoatley said:

PlexVector,

I kinda like that idea.

And I'm thinking about longs soaks, in the 2nd bowl - that skunky old carboy

I just need some one to MAKE a removable 24x24 inch drain board.
Like What Homeridal is saying.

made out of the same SS as like a False Bottom, with the little holes or slots
And big enough to cover one side of my 24x24 sink


HMMMMmmmm who could make such a thing ?

Steve

Click to expand...

Look for SS sink racks. Would it be okay if it sat in the sink? It provides a flat surface in the sink for items to drain through. probably doesn't have to be exact fit. http://www.us.kohler.com/us/Sink-Ra...94888069#id=filters&startIndex=20&scrollTop=0
The other place to look may be restaurant kitchen supply for something that may fit on top.

steveoatley said:

PlexVector,

I kinda like that idea.

And I'm thinking about longs soaks, in the 2nd bowl - that skunky old carboy

I just need some one to MAKE a removable 24x24 inch drain board.
Like What Homeridal is saying.

made out of the same SS as like a False Bottom, with the little holes or slots
And big enough to cover one side of my 24x24 sink


HMMMMmmmm who could make such a thing ?

Steve

Click to expand...

Bingo?

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/tru...oIV8kFgDEwJgQKUqyfU4nQAJ8WDzXhLWMrxoC6SXw_wcB

And this guy understands Homebrewers for sure:
http://arborfab.com/

I went with one large sink. It can easily hold anything I am cleaning..

http://www.homedepot.com/p/BigTub-U...rGITpk6X1Ym5YZLN4NDz9RoCOMfw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

PlexVector said:

Bingo?

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/tru...oIV8kFgDEwJgQKUqyfU4nQAJ8WDzXhLWMrxoC6SXw_wcB

Click to expand...

Great idea BUT

Its $205 bucks!!!

I am only paying $550 for the sink.....

S

steveoatley said:

Great idea BUT

Its $205 bucks!!!

I am only paying $550 for the sink.....

S

Click to expand...

Well, you didn't give us a budget...
The other end of the scale would be a large cookie sheet and drill your own holes.

I'm just planning for my new setup. I'm moving in a few weeks. I've been looking a CL SS restaurant sinks. Right now I use my basement utility sink, which is great.

Going forward, I'm planning on getting a double sink, as long as the sink is large enough to handle my 15 gallon pots. If not, I'll just go with a larger single unit.

I like the double for a few reasons:

• Easy to soak bottles and equipment in one side and still have another sink to use.
• When I do starters I usually use the sink for an ice bath to cool my starter. I have to use a lot of water to fill it high enough to cover my flasks. Again, I can do this while still having a sink.

Gee, I can often find a few SS sinks at the scrapyard. I don't really have a sink in my garage for brewing, but it might be worth it to install one. The sinks at the scrapyard are usually pretty small, but I bet they would work alright. I'm currently using the garden hose to rinse my equipment off in the yard. A drain rack of some sort would be nice. A sink with a sprayer would be even better.

b-boy said:

I like the double for a few reasons:

• Easy to soak bottles and equipment in one side and still have another sink to use.
• When I do starters I usually use the sink for an ice bath to cool my starter. I have to use a lot of water to fill it high enough to cover my flasks. Again, I can do this while still having a sink.

Click to expand...

Good points b-boy, I had not though about the chilling the starter flask

This is why I ask for opinions

I am currently brewing in a Garage, with only a garden hose for water.
I am currently building this Basement Brewery, I only have 2 walls up
If I had a chance to brew in this space a couple of times and find my "flow"
Work flow, I could probably make a good choice on my own
I am just trying to work out any bug before I drop serious dough on a sink...

Thanks to everyone for their input. I do appreciate it.

S

I use a single utility sink in a detached garage. I have a brass Tee with little valves that split the faucet output so one has the potable hose that runs to the front where I fill kettles and rinse, etc. the other side of the tee is so I can do things at the sink as needed. It would help if I had two sinks and two faucets, which would cut down on the back and forth sometimes. I use utility buckets as the extra sink, which is not ideal, since the sink has to stay clear for dumping. Even if I put a spigot under the sink for the hose, which I'll do one day; two sinks would still be my preference.

TX_Brewing said:

There is also the option of one bowl that is longer eg. 24X36 to give extra room for your nightmare e-herms kettle. You could always sad a drainboard that sits on top for when you are done cleaning.

Click to expand...

This for sure. Mine is 36" wide and LOVE it! I bought a dish drying rack that fits inside when I want to let something drip dry.

Can't tell you where it came from originally, I bought it used.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1433962435.306042.jpg

I did find bigger

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/reg...l-commercial-compartment-sink/600S13624B.html

this maybe the way to go.............

"This sink is not NSF Listed and should not be purchased for an area where an NSF sink is needed."

It's a "Utility Sink", aka = mop sink/slop sink
Not necessarily food safe, certainly not as "nice" looking as the other sinks I linked - nice rounded corners.
But defiantly BIG enough...


Steve

steveoatley said:

I did find bigger

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/reg...l-commercial-compartment-sink/600S13624B.html

this maybe the way to go.............

"This sink is not NSF Listed and should not be purchased for an area where an NSF sink is needed."

It's a "Utility Sink", aka = mop sink/slop sink
Not necessarily food safe, certainly not a "nice" looking as the other sinks I linked - nice rounded corners.
But defiantly BIG enough...


Steve

Click to expand...

One big sink or two little ones...I'd go with the big sink. If you think about it, You probably only need NSF for food prep, not clean up. Most basements and garages would not pass an NSF inspection. (If there is such a thing, but you get my drift.)

So, it looks like you went with "D: Non of the above", since this does not really fit option "A" or "B" or "C".



Oh Look! A detachable drain board option:

For a drain board I was thinking a piece of maple with routed edges. I would assume any moderately qualified carpenter could whip something like that up in a heartbeat.

PlexVector said:

Oh Look! A detachable drain board option:

Click to expand...

Sink is wedged between a wall , and a brew stand.
A detachable drain board would not have a place to attache

Steve

Votes are

12 to 5

Single w/drain board to Double


Anyone else want to chime in?

Thanks for all the input Guys & Gals

S

steveoatley said:

Votes are

12 to 5

Single w/drain board to Double


Anyone else want to chime in?

Thanks for all the input Guys & Gals

S

Click to expand...

Good luck and enjoy your new brew space!

Thanks PlexVector

The decision is not an easy one.
I have the walls roughed in, framed.
I have the brew table sitting there, with Mash Tun & Kettle in place
and a couple of Saw horses where the sink would go....

I stand there and "imagine" myself doing a brew
1- fill HLT with water - where is that water coming from, how long of a hose?
2- turn on Element with control panel - where will that hang on the wall?
3- milling grain while water heats - where to do that, where to store that?

So, it's a lot of me standing in one corner of my basement, talking to myself
and miming where to put things, how far I will have to walk.....etc
My son comes downstairs and thinks I'm crazy.

But, I can't get the Plumber to put in the water lines or the sewage ejector pump until I figure out where the damn sink goes.....

So, to take some stress off, I think I am going to by myself a Monster Mill 2
And play with that for a week, before making the final decision on the sink.

I assume the NSF piece is because they used galvanized steel legs instead of SS.

heckels said:

I assume the NSF piece is because they used galvanized steel legs instead of SS.

Click to expand...

Heckels,

From what I read the NSF Listing is kind of like "UL Listing" for electronics
The NSF Listing means it has been "tested", and "meets specs" for that piece of equipment.

From what I could find, seems like for Sinks, it has to do with the Fit & Finish
How pretty the welds are - is another way of saying, can bacteria hide in those?
Or the highly filled in Welds, with a pretty buffed finish are more bacteria resistant ?
And the Kind of Stainless Steel used - 16gage vs 18 gage.....

Harder SS is more resistant ? right

S

Still have not pulled the trigger................

this

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/reg...l-commercial-compartment-sink/600S13624B.html


or this

https://www.abrestaurantequipment.c...ess-Steel-1-One-Compartment-Sink-50.5-x-30-a/

Does anyone have good or bad option on Websturant.com?

Thanks
Steve