Beer Shed Ideas

[Virginia_Ranger]

SO I currently have a shed that has been cleaned out and houses my keezer but I'm looking to turn it up a notch and see if I can turn it into a space I can actually brew in. It has electricity and the brewing vessel would be my RoboBrew.

Currently in the shed, the walls are unfinished and the the floor is plywood. Previous home owner moved there old kitchen cabinets out there and made a make shift counter top from ply wood to go over top of it.

Given its current state here are the things I'd like to address and have ideas on how to but can't decide on a best way:

Concerns:

Water or Splash proofing: Spills don't bother me too much in the kitchen because I just wipe stuff down but I've been racking my brain over the easiest to install vs. cost effective way to water seal the floors, walls, and countertop.

Moisture / Ventilation: Sure I could open the door when I am brewing but I am more concerned about whats steaming up and touching the ceiling and adding moisture to it.

Current Thoughts:

Slap a sheet of stainless steel on the countertop and call it a day (more expensive option) or can I reasonably polyurethane the crap out of the current wood top.

Same with the floors, seal the crap out of them or put down Vinyl?

For the walls, I have gone back and forth between sealed wood planks ship lapped together, stainless steel sheets, or tile board.



I appreciate any input from you handy folks!

 

[bobeer]

Sounds like an awesome project.

Without knowing what your budget is... The way I would go about it is price out your best case build-out. Then price out your cheapest way to get the job done build-out. Then go source what you need. We have a few habitat for humanity re-store's around here that you can get a lot of stuff at for cheap-- maybe you have one down in RVA. Or you can always look into local resale sites like facebook, craiglist, etc... From there you can pick and choose what you skimp on verse what you can buy cheap/used, verses what you just can't source for what your budget is.

For the floor, I hate Vinyl, personally, so I'd probably go the "seal the crap out of everything" route. Especially if moisture is of concern.
and, if I had the budget, I'd make the walls stainless steel but seal the counter.

As a side thought.... Since you're only 2 hours south of where I am, Loudoun Va, it might be worth it to make a trip up here to the Habitat re-store. They get a ton of new stuff from the model homes and new construction here. Builder grade stuff that people want ripped out before they buy/move in. There's lots of breweries here to check out too! You can definitely call them and ask what they have and put stuff on hold or pay for it over the phone.

 

[Shepington]

Sounds like an awesome project.

Without knowing what your budget is... The way I would go about it is price out your best case build-out. Then price out your cheapest way to get the job done build-out. Then go source what you need. We have a few habitat for humanity re-store's around here that you can get a lot of stuff at for cheap-- maybe you have one down in RVA. Or you can always look into local resale sites like facebook, craiglist, etc... From there you can pick and choose what you skimp on verse what you can buy cheap/used, verses what you just can't source for what your budget is.

For the floor, I hate Vinyl, personally, so I'd probably go the "seal the crap out of everything" route. Especially if moisture is of concern.
and, if I had the budget, I'd make the walls stainless steel but seal the counter.

As a side thought.... Since you're only 2 hours south of where I am, Loudoun Va, it might be worth it to make a trip up here to the Habitat re-store. They get a ton of new stuff from the model homes and new construction here. Builder grade stuff that people want ripped out before they buy/move in. There's lots of breweries here to check out too! You can definitely call them and ask what they have and put stuff on hold or pay for it over the phone.

There is also a Habitat RE-store down the street from me in Alexandria, I found an IKEA butcher block cabinet for 100 bucks and screwed some pegboard to it to hang all my hoses and light tools.
On another note you could epoxy the floor like they do garages. And for ventilation depending on how handy you are you could do something like a bathroom fan vent to help combat moisture.

 

[TechFanMD]

Are you going for looks, or just function? You could get a cheap range hood and install it over where the Robobrew would go, or a strong bathroom through-wall type and just pipe either out the side of the shed or at the soffit (not sure the shed style) if moisture from steam is a big worry.

I would get some porch paint (like battleship grey) and put 3 good coats down on the floor. Maybe throw a little of the grit (they have it in the paint section) to prevent slips when it gets a little damp in there.

For walls, luan is cheap and looks pretty good when stained and sealed.

 

[GHBWNY]

1. Don't know why you'd want to "waterproof" your walls. Maybe just a 12" high backsplash behind the counter? If you have so much moisture your walls are dripping wet, then your ventilation is inadequate.
2. For floor I would do vinyl. Cheap, seamless, easy to clean. Sealing even plywood will be time/$$ consuming and not as effective.
3. Check Craigslist for used countertops. I install new kitchens as a sub-contractor, and we are all the time cutting up and removing the old countertops and sending them to the dump. Run an ad to 'tear-out-for-the-taking'.
4. You definitely need venting to the outside. If you don't have a window, install at least a small one at the opposite end of the brew area. It's preferable to leaving your door slightly ajar and inviting critters in. Then plan on installing a good-quality, high-velocity range hood and/or wall-mount vent fan in the boil area. You need to mitigate the moisture build-up or you'll end up with mold.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[BrewInspector]

My brewshed is metal (hence the Metal Shed logo) so the walls were no issue. I treated the exposed wooden structure with a borate to prevent any mold growth.

I added a large kitchen range hood that I purchased from a ReStore for $25 over the kettles to aid in venting moisture.

I also have the wooden plywood floor. I considered paint or garage epoxy but instead went with tile. Well sort of... I had several large tiles left over from another project purchased at a ReStore. I simply placed them dry on the floor. No grout. The fit is tight enough that they do not move. It probably won't prevent liquid from a significant spill from reaching the wood below but it is tight enough to allow for smaller spills and sponge mopping after brew day.

 

[ITV]

Have you checked out the Jan/Feb Zymurgy issue of homebrew hacks. There was an interesting article (pg. 42) of someone repurposing a bike shed into a homebrew setup.

http://digitaleditions.walsworthprintgroup.com/publication/frame.php?i=551215&p=&pn=&ver=html5&pre=1

 

[Virginia_Ranger]

Thanks for all the great ideas! I have been looking at this stuff to do the floors and maybe the walls with. Its a little pricey but can easily roll it and 5 gallons should be enough. Anyone used it?

https://liquidrubberusa.com/products/cool-foot-coating?variant=26026160323