Building a brew room

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Harry482

Harry482

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My wife and I bought a house here in Maryland last January. I've been brewing in an unfinished basement storage room since then. It has been a great upgrade from the Baltimore rowhouse basement that I brewed in prior, but I decided it was time to build my dream brewery. Once everything is in place, I figure that I can shave at least an hour off of a typical brew day by not having to move things around so much during the session. Here are two pics of the room when I began to frame out the unframed and uninsulated (big problem in winter) areas:View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478348742.550929.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478348767.440007.jpg

The new wall is up with insulation and I can already feel a huge difference in temp. in the room. I ran hot and cold cpvc water lines just over top of where the hot liquor tank will sit. I'll install stainless hose bibs eventually. I found that the brass hose bibs at the big box stores have very clear labeling warning they are not for potable water. I ended up having to pay 20 a piece to special order them online. I didn't want to go the plastic route. Here you can see where I finished getting the wall up, insulated, and wired with standard outlets and a 4 prong plug, which will be ran to a gfci breaker in the main panel. The quick disconnect sticking straight out of the bottom of the wall close to the floor is a natural gas line that I ran. I'm running a hybrid gas/electric system currently. Natural gas fires the herms coil and the electric gets larger volumes to a boil than the gas can handle. I also was able to throw up the frame for the range hoods that will be going in.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478349638.833375.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478349665.514824.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478349689.114475.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478349708.804993.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478349721.319666.jpg

I ran a USB extension cable from where my computer workstation will be to where the herms controller will be located. This will enable me to perform custom mash programs without tripping over a cable. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478349936.077888.jpg

I'll post more as I progress. I hope everyone enjoys looking. I know I enjoy watching OTHER people work!
 
I was able to get a little more done yesterday even though I had to hit HD first to pick up more materials. Just getting materials seems like 1/4 of the work. First, I had to tack up new studs so there is something to attach the drywall ends to. Whoever installed them initially wouldn't recognize a 16" center if they tripped over it. Then I ran a few more outlets. The outlet up high on the wall is for the LCD monitor displaying BeerSmith and the blichmann mash software. Under this is where my computer workstation will be. The orange hollow single gang boxes are for running the USB and hdmi cables through the wall. After all that, I was able to get the drywall hung. That was it for yesterday. Next, I'll be removing the old utility tub and installing new plumbing for the stainless tub and pre-rinse faucet. The corner to the right of the sink is where I will have a walk in cooler/heater just large enough to wheel two conicals in and out of. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478440306.928305.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478440326.858004.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478440346.193380.jpgHere are a few pics:
 
I had the day off for Election Day, so I was able to get some more work done. Before and after pictures of today's progress are posted below. First, I took out the old tub. I thought that would be the easiest part, but I discovered the tub legs were anchored to the concrete with a ram set! It took me a while to grind down the anchors and get it free. I ran new plumbing and capped everything. I won't be hooking up the valves and trap until after the tile is in.

The wall has a few drain pipes that didn't sit flush with the existing 2x4 framing, so I tacked up 2x3's to give me the clearance I needed to seal up the wall. I also framed out a small door on the lower left corner for storage under the steps. The main drain exits the house in the middle of the storage area, but it is still great space for empty kegs and CO2 tanks.

The last thing I did was change out the single gang outlet box on the left with a double gang, then added a switch and line for a LED sconce over the sink.

Hopefully, I can get more done this weekend and post more.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478650351.170692.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478650397.356524.jpg
 
wow, you're really moving fast on this build. looking forward to seeing how it all comes together!
 
This is the new stainless sink that is going in. It's a gridmann 30" ordered off amazon for just over $200, which is a great deal. It has a dent in the back left corner of the sink due to very poor packaging, but I can live with it. The backsplash also was bent, but I was able to straighten it out with a towel and channel locks without scratching it. The manufacturer warns that their products are for industrial use and almost always have some sort of blemish or defect. The faucet is a pre rinse faucet from the webstaurant store. I'm really looking forward to not having to wash my large pots in the shower!View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478651680.523416.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478651704.552854.jpg
 
I didn't have much time around the holidays to work on the brewery, but house guests managed to make a good dent in my brew on hand so it's time to get moving on this again. My 30g boil kettle will be run off electric. I decided to go the gfci circuit breaker route and was able to purchase a eaton 30A 240V breaker made for my cutler hammer panel for $100.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1484587272.115538.jpg

It was pretty easy to install. Note the paint overspray inside the panel. This was a gift from whatever jerk painted the garage. The line is 6AWG wire from the panel to the dryer outlet to be used (it's quite a long run). This line used to power our electric stove, but I switched the stove to natural gas.

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The next challenge was getting the 6" vent through the side of the house. I needed to drill through the side of the house and the outdoor deck ledger board without hitting any of the deck joists. I drilled a tiny pilot hole first with a super long 1/4" bit to make sure I was in the right area before breaking out the hole saw. After a bit of trial and error, I found a good spot to drill, but without much wiggle room since the deck joists were installed alternate to the ones inside the house.

The big box stores only sell up to 6" hole saws, but you need a 6 1/4" saw to pass a 6" vent through. I ordered this Lenox 6 1/4" hole saw and also had to purchase an arbor long enough to get it started.

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Here is the finished hole. You can see that there isn't much room to spare.

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I installed a vent cover on the outside that has a damper and a screen to keep the critters out.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1485003882.692013.jpg

Originally, I framed out a hanger to accept two residential kitchen hoods, but later realized that there is no way that 300 cfm is going to cut venting a 30g kettle. I tore all that down and purchased this 836 cfm blower motor from fantech and will be hanging it soon.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1485004502.111970.jpg

I decided to go with a 7' commercial style condensate hood from fast kitchen (the one Kal advertises and uses), which appears to be the best for the application. I'm not going to order it until I get the fan hung and see exactly where I need the vent hole to be punched.

On another note, I finished framing out the other side of the room and can finish hanging the drywall.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1485004710.772990.jpg

Once the drywall is finished and sanded, I'll throw up the drop ceiling and some recessed lighting.
 
deprecated said:
Looks great, Harry. I'm very happy with the Valspar etching stain I used. While not a great picture you can get an idea of how it turned out here.
Click to expand...


Your floor and total project is a slam dunk. I'm going for the same color pattern in the floor, but want black/grays to match my tile. Maybe I can dilute some black valspar etching stain and play with the application pattern a bit. I know that the clear sealer will darken the concrete quite a bit and I don't want a pitch black floor.
 
Holy Crude...Did you wear the teeth off the Hole Saw? This a a wood hole saw...See the Teeth.
38020747_1.jpg

If Not, you know that is not designed to drill through wood?
How long did it take you to drill through the Wood...You derserve a Homebrew for you dedication :)


How long
 
John Paul Stoddard said:
Holy Crude...Did you wear the teeth off the Hole Saw? This a a wood hole saw...See the Teeth.
38020747_1.jpg

If Not, you know that is not designed to drill through wood?
How long did it take you to drill through the Wood...You derserve a Homebrew for you dedication :)


How long
Click to expand...


Haha! It's a single tooth hole saw. Definitely a rougher cut, but chewed through two 2x12's in about 60 seconds. It was my first time seeing one too....
 
Carbide single tooth saws are more for Laminates and solid surfaces than wood...
a Minute ain't to bad...good thing you didn't hit nails..that would have slowed ya down a lot :)
Brew ON ! !
 

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I finished the brew rig wall today, but not without frustration.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1486429130.352134.jpg

The 2nd level of outlets/switches fall in the middle of tiles and require plunge cuts. I didn't think anything of that since I've done it before with no problems. So I break out the angle grinder w/ diamond blade and proceed to crack tile after tile! I ended up having to use a diamond hole saw to drill out each corner of this tile below, then use the angle grinder to very carefully connect the dots. I went through 3 tiles trying to get this one. Cheap Lowe's porcelain... I have worked with travertine less brittle than this stuff.

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I finished setting all of the tile and getting that mess cleaned up.

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I also chiseled up the linoleum stick tiles from the floor. There is quite a bit of residual adhesive left behind that will need to be wet sanded off before the acid stain goes down.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1487337198.336433.jpg
 
The tile is finally finished, but grouting the walls was a pain. Just as much grout ends up on the floor as in the joints. I was reminded how quickly the cement in grout can eat your skin off. So glad that's done!

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The trim flanges for the plumbing turned out nice. Pictured is my natural gas quick connect.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1488240724.647716.jpg

I was going to hang my 830 cfm fan and run the duct last Sunday, but I realized that I forgot to order a damper. I used the time to stay constructive and glued up a door for the storage area.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1488240985.763684.jpg

My next step will be hanging the fan after the damper gets here. Once that is hung and I know exactly where the intake ends up, I'll be able to order the 7' condensate hood with a custom placed vent hole.
 
I finished painting and hanging the door for the storage area this week.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1488631141.815600.jpg

I also anchored the boil controller to the wall. It's basically just a dimmer switch with a heat sink made by stir-plate. I'll be boiling with natural gas for up to 12g batches, but will use the boil controller with a 30g blichmann boilcoil for larger batches.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1488631462.553562.jpg

The agenda for this weekend is to get the water supply lines tied into the house and to hang the fan.
 
 
I'm trying to convince my wife that we should build one more house. Guess what I'm hoping to include? :)

Curious about one thing: my water is terrible for brewing unless I want to do a stout (which i don't, I don't care for them). So I use RO water with perhaps a gallon or so of tap water.

You have your hose bibs over where the HLT will go. Is your water particularly good for brewing that you can do this? If so, I'm very jealous. If we build, we'll need a well which will have very hard water.
 
mongoose33 said:
I'm trying to convince my wife that we should build one more house. Guess what I'm hoping to include? :)

Curious about one thing: my water is terrible for brewing unless I want to do a stout (which i don't, I don't care for them). So I use RO water with perhaps a gallon or so of tap water.

You have your hose bibs over where the HLT will go. Is your water particularly good for brewing that you can do this? If so, I'm very jealous. If we build, we'll need a well which will have very hard water.
Click to expand...


I'm very lucky that the municipal water in my area is great for brewing. The only thing I normally do is remove chloramine with a campden tablet. I debated installing a wall mounted carbon filter, but decided against it since my water is a non issue.
 
Subbed, while feeling an awesome mix of jealousy and motivation for the future.
 

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