Buying a new home...

[paparker21]

So i'm buying a house and it lacks one distinctly important thing: a brew area. What it does have however, is a large, unfinished basement / garage. I already know part of it will become a man cave at some point, and I figure the other part would do very well as my brew area..and I'd still have space for a car and lawn mower.

So, what are some things you guys consider essential to your brew area? What things are nice to have but not needed? Right now i'm just extract brewing, but I figure this will move towards, at the very least, partial mashing.

Right now, i'm thinking the following as a starting point:

The house has natural gas, so NG burner is a no brainer
I'll also need to plumb in a nice deep sink to make cleaning of equipment easier. It will need hot and cold water so i can both get my beer water (This means i should definitely put a filter on it too!) and run my wort chiller through it.
And i'll need to finally get a pot that isn't 20 qts.
Fermentation chamber (Will likely be chilled with simple ice blocks + circulating fan and heated with fermwrap)

Down the line i'm thinking:
Cabinets for equipment / ingredient storage
raised floor with 1-2" lip + drain to make any spill cleanup better

What else would you guys think of for a home brew area build?

 

[Monster Mash]

A vent hood with fan and air return!!

 

[Clonefarmer]

Storage is a big thing. Equipment seems to always show up. Bottles and kegs take up a bit of room especially when building a pipeline.

 

[wrench]

a vent hood with fan and air return!!

+1

 

[TrainSafe]

A sink for cleanup and bottle washing.

 

[bruin_ale]

220V so you can ditch the NG and go electric

 

[oakbarn]

Outdoor building with concrete floor!

 

[bettyjmaar]

Cabinets for equipment / ingredient storage
raised floor with 1-2" lip is good option and also Sliding doors can provide your home a different appearance. It is perfect for patios because it permits you to enjoy the outside view.

 

[NewBrewB]

I have been in my house for a year and ever since I decided to go electeic (still in transition) I have been agonizing over where I should set up shop--basement vs garage.

The biggest challenge in my basement is that the drain is at head level. If I try to install a sink for cleanup, etc (ESSENTIAL), I will have to install some kind of pump to get the water from under the sink, up to the drain.

The biggest problem with the garage is installing electricity (220v for E-brewing), ventilation, and having storage space without bumping the wife's car out of its parking spot.

In my ideal setup, I would have a deep sink, hood with air ventilation, plenty of storage space, 220v, and a comfortable environment to spend 8+ hrs standing around.

Hope this brainstorming helps you with your decision.