Brewing Supplies Storage

[Hwk-I-St8]

I'm finding that I have accumulated a ton of equipment, partial ingredients, etc that are starting to annoy my wife. I have multiple ferm/bottling buckets. multiple carboys, brew kettle, burner, cooler mash tun, cooler HLT, hoses, Assorted keg hardware, NPT hose fittings, hose clamps, racking canes, auto siphon, wine thief, hoses, kegs, extra CO2 tank, refractometer, hydrometer. I'm hoping to acquire soon a stir plate, flask, and PH meter.

I have some hops in the freezer, some leftover Crystal and Carapils and, I want to start creating oversized starters and saving off yeast before I pitch.

I'm curious if anyone has tips for storage, organization, etc. Any advice on how to store ingredients? Cool containers for the small stuff (like keg fittings, hose clamps, etc.? Great ways to store things compactly?

I'm just interested in any useful/clever solutions people have found to deal with all the stuff necessary to brew beer.

 

[MirImage]

I use a larger plastic container with lid that can hold my wort chiller, cleaning supplies and addatives (salts/irish moss). It is handy as I can just grab that container on Brew Day. For smaller stuff that isn't needed as much I have a plastic drawer that holds extra kegging supplies, caps, etc. It is one of those container from a box store that's maybe 3 feet high and has 4 smaller drawers and a deep one on the bottom.

For larger things I lucked out with storage under the basement stairs and cabinet in the basement.

 

[Homercidal]

My favorite storage device is a Stanley organizer with flip out sides that are parts bins, and 3 drawers on the ends that slide out.

Unfortunately I don't they make it anymore.

I really want to find a great way to store long items, especially hoses that tend to want to stay coiled from storing rolled up.

 

[brewcat]

I have a closet with two shelves for all equipment. It is one of those garage type shelves. I have it in two parts so I don't have to reach overhead for things. The loose stuff goes in a big plastic container. Hoses and wort chiller go in the mash tun or HLT. A small tackle box for keg stuff. The only thing I don't keep there are ingredients and hydrometer.

I now have enough hops in the freezer that I'll probably throw them in a plastic container so they aren't loose. Specialty grains have there own cupboard in the kitchen. Base grains get used quickly, so they go in a pantry cupboard.

Your main goal should be to get equipment in one place.

 

[beernutz]

I'm lucky enough to have complete operational control over our 10'x10' storage room which is accessed through our garage. The happy wife, happy life principle dictates that I keep all brewing gear and supplies in there and out of the big house. Most everything brewing-related stays in the storage room except my rolling single tier brew structure which is outside under a covered deck.

The storage room inventory includes all my grains which are stored in 2 vittle vaults (highly recommended) and also a big tool chest that I take into the back yard when I brew. I roll my HERMS control tower and chugger pump out there as well.

In the storage room I put up lots of those white rubbermaid shelves to hold buckets, chiller, carboys, etc. The grain mill stays on top of a spare fridge located in the garage next to my keezer. For stuff you accumulate but don't use that frequently those cheap plastic storage bins that are available in every hardware store are great.

 

[Murphys_Law]

I have a small closet in my basement that has 2 free standing shelves bought from HD and a few wall shelves. I use small(er) Tupperware containers to keep things organized. One container has everything I use around my kettle: BIAB bag, hop bag, measurement tools, hop bag, etc. Another has my small pump and all hoses. Another has my hyrdos and test jars, and yet another has things I use when I'm done brewing (air pump, 3 piece wine thief, etc).

I also keep a Tupperware for chemicals: Gypsum, Calcium, Gelatin, etc.

I keep grain in food grade buckets and these are stacked in the same closet. My other buckets (fermenters, water buckets) are also stacked in the closet.

I also find room to stack all the bottles (I rarely bottle so I have about six cases stacked high!) and enough space to age what few bottled beer I do have on hand.

I even have room to keep at least 2 full fermenters in there.

All-in-all its a well organized closet and I really have maximized space in there.

I keep my kettle, IC and burner in a corner in the garage.

I also built a BIAB stand out of 1/2 black pipe which can be taken down and stored behind my grill on the patio (out of sight until needed!).

The only thing in the open is my keggerator and a small mini-fridge I use for temp control (and even that is somewhat hidden in a small corner of my finished basement)

 

[PADave]

I have a small kitchen/laundry room in the basement which acts as my brew space for what gets done indoors. You just got to have your space, and get her to keep her distance. Equipment is going to take up space, not really an easy way to make it not.

 

[alexnova]

I have a brew-day box and a keg parts box, with several smaller boxes and organizers for the small bits (washers, hose clamps, eyedroppers, QDs, etc). The ingredients are a bit more haphazard, but I repurposed some steel popcorn tins for the larger bags. Quart mason jars with a vacuum sealer are great. I'm a fan of Lock & Lock containers: airtight and many of them use the same size lid. It's all I can do to not steal them from the kitchen.

We're about to start on a home renovation that will turn a basement room into a brew kitchen. I'm already thinking about putting up plastic pegboard over the sink for hose storage.

 

[Jtk78]

I am still fine tuning my organization as well, but I do separate boxes by task. Starter box has flasks and stir plates. Bottling box has caps, bottle filler, capper, etc. I have a cabinet that I keep things I use in multiple stages, i.e. hot pads, scale, yeast, gallon pitcher.

All of my brew gear also stays in the garage. I have a small closet under a set of stairs out there. Also where I ferment.

 

[Stillraining]

Tell her to quit complaining.

 

[brick_haus]

My garage is pretty much all brewing stuff...so thats my answer...
The truck stays outside.

 

[MaryB]

Storage tubs for gear, 5 gallon buckets for grain, hops live in the deep freeze. 1 5 gallon pail that I use to carry brew gear to the garage and back(stuff that I also use in the kitchen, weighed out water additions, weighed out hops...)

 

[smurfjuice]

All my glassware is down in the cellar, keggles and burners are in the garage. mash tuns and assorted buckets are upstairs in the garage ... :beard:

 

[Soulshine2]

I'm finding that I have accumulated a ton of equipment, partial ingredients, etc that are starting to annoy my wife. I have multiple ferm/bottling buckets. multiple carboys, brew kettle, burner, cooler mash tun, cooler HLT, hoses, Assorted keg hardware, NPT hose fittings, hose clamps, racking canes, auto siphon, wine thief, hoses, kegs, extra CO2 tank, refractometer, hydrometer. I'm hoping to acquire soon a stir plate, flask, and PH meter.

I have some hops in the freezer, some leftover Crystal and Carapils and, I want to start creating oversized starters and saving off yeast before I pitch.

I'm curious if anyone has tips for storage, organization, etc. Any advice on how to store ingredients? Cool containers for the small stuff (like keg fittings, hose clamps, etc.? Great ways to store things compactly?

I'm just interested in any useful/clever solutions people have found to deal with all the stuff necessary to brew beer.

Since I have yet to build a proper brew cart ,you may want to disregard what I say in the following words...
BUT, I'm a carpenter and am quite handy to figure out what to build for whatever purpose I need...be it storage, some sort of tool or mechanization.
I grow and process my own tobacco and one of the items I had to build in order to process is a kiln box 2x2x4 ft. Its on roller casters . It is foam lined and has a controller similar to the inkbirds I see everyone using for their brew systems. We're planning on moving so at first I was planning on just leaving my kiln box and build a new one when we get to the new place. The winters there are much shorter and milder than IL so I really don't need it for the originally intended purpose anymore. Then it hit me. I can shove all of my brewing equipment inside it and simply roll it into the moving container (PODS)Once we get to the new place ,I'm going to salvage the carcass and build my brewcart . I bought a wine cooler that I was going to convert to a "Coolerdor" (big humidor )to store my cigars. It still functions as a working temperature controlled cooler. I can use that to store my yeast starters and hops. All of my buckets I keep separate by color, white buckets are food grade and stay clean , orange "Homer buckets" are for storage and ice water running the IC. If the orange ones get dirty its not a huge deal . I'll have a dedicated brewing area at the new place so I will be able to keep everything within reach overhead, on the countertop or under a closed cabinet on brew day.

 

[Homercidal]

Tell her to quit complaining.

Thank you for making me feel a little bit better about myself today.

 

[Stillraining]

Thank you for making me feel a little bit better about myself today.

LOL.... Your welcome Brother! It gets organized about once per year..but other the that its ordered chaos. Typical self employment choose your battles dont sweat the little stuff win the war thing.

 

[Shepbrew]

Built a 7x7 room in unused part of the basement. Has a couple free standing shelves and a few on the walls and also this is where my ferm chamber that doubles as a mini workbench lives. Was built as a compromise as I moved to buying all grain ingredients in bulk and starting kegging and was leaving equipment and supplies everywhere. There was a lot of accepting of the mess early on but the organization has really helped everyone's enjoyment of the hobby.

 

[mj1angier]

I have most of the basement to do my "hobby" stuff in- brewing, woodwork, ham radio, hunting...
But I still try to make things easier to move around so I can swap out for the hobby of the day, lol

I have been looking at this cart. I wish I could see it in real life to see how strong it is. I think it would hold to carboys and some other bits and pieces.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NCO56YX/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Soulshine2]

those casters wont last long with any real weight on it (full carboys and mash tuns.)I'd be more inclined to find one of the knock together steel rack/shelf kits that rate about 300 lbs per shelf and put some 4 inch casters under it. In fact I just saw one at Home Depot the other day and I had to ponder its use as a brew stand. About the same price and would definitely serve better.