Island-style brew sculpture

[vballdrummer]

Has anyone contemplated an efficient layout for an island style brew rig?

I got the go-ahead to convert a 12x14 room in our basement into my eBrewery (ala, Kal's Electric) and yesterday I scored two brand new Arietta Lazio 36 In. stainless range hoods - I mean SCORED. I initially thought of mounting them side-side ... but what about suspending them back-back in the middle of the room over a island rig?

 

[Layne]

I like that idea!
Brewing in the round!

 

[Yooper]

Island style brewing makes me think of Tiki Huts! But now I understand what it is, and that sounds good too. I still like the idea of brewing in a Tiki Hut, though.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Go with a 240V, 15G pot sized version of Jkarps design then just center the one kettle under the hood on the counter. He brews on his kitchen counter.

 

[ScubaSteve]

You'll want your vessels side by side so you're not going around the island. I think back to back would look best, though, so you could do that but have the vessels go "sideways". Make sure you get a beefy enough fan and ducting to take advantage of the hoods. If you ever sell your house, the island could become a downstairs kitchen/entertaining area.

 

[ChshreCat]

Island style brewing makes me think of Tiki Huts! But now I understand what it is, and that sounds good too. I still like the idea of brewing in a Tiki Hut, though.

+1 I was picturing a rig made out of bamboo and coconuts like something from Gilligan's Island.

 

[vballdrummer]

As a tribute to Neil Peart it would rotate so I don't have to walk around it. Seriously listening to see if we come up with an efficient design,

 

[EarthBound]

If it's a three vessel system, you could make it triangular.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Yup, triangular. But have either your BK up high with MLT and HLT low, or vice versa, with HLT and MLT up high with BK low. Then use 1 pump and gravity to move fluids. And put 'er on a Lazy Susan if you're into that type of thing. Quick disconnect silicone tubing all the way around.....camlocks are great.

But both hoods bolted and sealed back to back (maybe with inner "median" cut out?) centered over the rig would work quite well.

 

[WPStrassburg]

Unless there's a hut over it go linear along a wall. How much of a pita would it be if you had to walk from your range around the fridge, to get to the sink on the other side of the kitchen. You work inside the triangle in the efficient kitchens, not around them. Commercial island hood/range assemblies require much more exhaust than wall based equipment and hoods. 12'x14' isn't that big when you put a 4'x4' or so rig in the middle of the room then some 2' counters along the walls and a walk in cooler at the end and then have to walk between it all. lay it out on paper, then tape it out in real life and see how it works if you really want to see how it works. I'd have a 12' brew wall, 6' fermentation wall on the 14' side and then a 3'-4' walk in on the opposite 12' wall. Think of the room as an assembly line and how the brew needs to move through the space from the prep, to the brew, to the fermentation, and the cleanup from each step.
also have to consider man-cave accessories such as the lay-z-boy and flat screen in the space planning too....

 

[vballdrummer]

@WPStrassburg - I think you nailed it -- Henry Ford did too when he set up the assembly line.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Yeah, WPStrassburg makes a good point. Using the wall might be the way to go. You could do a coffin box style keezer and use it as a small island style bar....