Brew Out Front or Out Back?

[jlinz]

Hey Folks,

Just bought a house! Thinking about where to set up. I have a good backyard with a little patio of cement and a hose for the chiller. Door is off the living room and so will have to walk across living room to get to kitchen for sink to clean, get starting water, etc. I also have a good garage with a hose out front. The garage door into the house leads right into the kitchen. Not sure what the neighbors might think though when they see the massive runoff from the chiller

Anyway, just curious if you set up in the front of your house (garage, etc.) or backyard and why you like it.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

I brew behind my house, in front of my garage. The chiller runoff gets directed to either my rain barrels or my flower beds. The runoff is not that bad - probably less than washing your car.

I use my garden hose for all the non-critical cleaning (carboys and bottles get cleaned in the house, everything else in the garage with the hose).

 

[jlinz]

I kind of wish I had a garage in the back of the house. Best of both worlds.

 

[JonW]

I wanted to brew in my back yard because I have a nice patio there with natural gas hookup, pool, bbq, etc. However, I also have an ocean breeze that just totally messed with my burners. I now have all my brew gear in the garage and pull the rig out front on brew days. Works good with no wind, plus I get to socialize with some neighbors on occasion.

 

[seatazzz]

I brew in my garage, sometimes with the door wide open, but most times with it propped up just enough so I don't keel over from cO. I get my water directly from the water heater (also in the garage) so I only have to run in the house to pee or wash something in the sink. I've got an old recliner to sit in, an old dorm stereo for tunes, and a table for my laptop. Also the kegerator is out there, so once the boil is on...

 

[bigdawg86]

I brew in my garage. I found most days it's too breezy outside and my burner flame doesn't like it...

So I brew in my garage with the main door and side door open, there is enough cross breeze and open air to avoid any CO issues. I tapped into my water heater natural gas, no I do not have any demand issues when the burner and heater are on at the same time. I also tapped into the water supply and have a two spouts, one filtered for brew water. I also tapped into the drain line from the water heater which goes through the wall to the back lawn... I use the unfiltered tap water for cold in and the drain for hot out for my wort chiller. All on quick connects. Super slick. Sounds crazy but works beautifully. I can post pics later if anyone is interested in the layout.

I also have the keezer and computer in the garage for pandora.

 

[BigJoeBrew]

I am also a in the garage brewer. I do BIAB and have a hook in the ceiling to hoist the bag. Also, for chilling the water it just runs down the driveway, I know, shame on me, I should collect it next time for watering or cleaning or both. I find my running back and forth is easier and it gives me the whole garage to do things. In the winter the garage is a little bit warmer and at least out of the wind.

 

[Clef051]

Depends on the weather, If its nice i use the back yard. If its raining I go for the front in the garage.

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

I used to brew on a patio in the back, switched to out front last year when we put in a carport so i'm in the shade. I live in a small city and it's amazing how many cool people I've met and friends I've made just because they see me brewing, say something, we chat a bit, I invite them to have a pint.

If your the social type brew out front!

Oh and I can then send the chiller water out to the front lawn, which helps keep the grass green.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Back yard. I've got a little building out back that I keep all my brewing equipment and ingredients in. It has a small covered porch that's perfect for brewing on rain or shine. I installed a potable water hose hookup that runs to a utility sink inside that I use to draw my brewing water (through a carbon filter) and clean up at as I go along. I've got my fermentation chambers and beer fridge out there too, so the beer never has to leave there from brew day to chilling after carbonation. When I start kegging the kegs will all go out there as well.

 

[secondbase]

I brew out back. I have to bring everything through the house to the kitchen for cleaning, but I prefer the privacy.

 

[govner1]

My "Brewery" is set up in part of my garage. Doorway leads directly to laundry/mud room w/ half bath and to kitchen.
I'm lucky to have my own deep SS sink and table plus hot and cold water hose bibs next to the sink.
I only need to come into the house for the BR, etc.

 

[processhead]

Basement.
Weathers always fine, beers always cold. Incredibly close to the sink when its time to clean up.

 

[madscientist451]

I'd say you're better in your garage. You'll probably make more trips to the kitchen than you think, plus the chance someone will see you brewing and you can talk about/share a few beers. If it starts raining, you can pull the burner under the edge of the roof. My chiller runoff gets saved in a washtub and I use that water to clean my kettle and other things and/or water the lawn and garden when it cools.

 

[shoengine]

Back patio, thinking of inviting the neighbor for the next brew day. Use what area is convenient. I use the patio because it is outside, near accessible water, and has provisioning for a pulley.


I already give away nearly half of what I brew, so it'd be natural.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Kitchen... I brew in the kitchen. On nice days I might sit out back with a beer while the mash is mashing.

 

[pvpeacock]

If you have a copper immersion chiller, you may want to brew in the backyard, so your neighbors don't call the police to report you have an illegal still. Don't laugh.

 

[MapleGroveAleworks]

Garage. Stereo is out there.

 

[kh54s10]

It sounds to me that the OP would do better in the garage.

I have a back porch. I have plumbed water that comes from a spigot and RV hose to a utility sink. All the brewing and washing is done there. Then the fermenter is carried to my basement and the fermentation chamber. Waste water goes into a 55 gallon barrel then through a soaker hose to the yard.

 

[Jtk78]

I'm in the garage, but I've got a wash tub out there that my chiller gets hooked up to and I can use for cleaning.

 

[jcav]

Congrats on the new house. I brew out on my back lanai which has a covered roof. The rest is screened in for the pool. Chilling run off water goes right into the pool to fill it up as needed. Works good for me but I live in Florida, where I can brew outside even in the winter. It's way to hot to brew in my garage (most of the year). You could brew in your back yard in spring, summer and fall, but in the winter the garage may be better when those cold fronts start coming through and you have snow on the ground! Here is mine and where I brew.

 

[jlinz]

Looks like people have some awesome setups! I'm leaning towards the garage, even though I'm sort of a private type. Could be a good chance to come out of my shell and meet people. I do have a copper chiller! Hope the feds don't show up.

Thinking of running a hose out of the other side of my chiller with a sprinkler connected to it and watering the grass...

 

[jlinz]

Congrats on the new house. I brew out on my back lanai which has a covered roof. The rest is screened in for the pool. Chilling run off water goes right into the pool to fill it up as needed. Works good for me but I live in Florida, where I can brew outside even in the winter. It's way to hot to brew in my garage (most of the year). You could brew in your back yard in spring, summer and fall, but in the winter the garage may be better when those cold fronts start coming through and you have snow on the ground! Here is mine and where I brew.

Dang dude! Can I come over?

 

[jcav]

Dang dude! Can I come over?

Sure let me know when your in my neck of the woods and we can have a few pints! Or do a brew day!

John

 

[shadow160]

Congrats on the new house. I brew out on my back lanai which has a covered roof. The rest is screened in for the pool. Chilling run off water goes right into the pool to fill it up as needed. Works good for me but I live in Florida, where I can brew outside even in the winter. It's way to hot to brew in my garage (most of the year). You could brew in your back yard in spring, summer and fall, but in the winter the garage may be better when those cold fronts start coming through and you have snow on the ground! Here is mine and where I brew.

Nice looking setup, and you can jump in the pool to cool off.

 

[jlinz]

I brew in my garage. I found most days it's too breezy outside and my burner flame doesn't like it...

So I brew in my garage with the main door and side door open, there is enough cross breeze and open air to avoid any CO issues. I tapped into my water heater natural gas, no I do not have any demand issues when the burner and heater are on at the same time. I also tapped into the water supply and have a two spouts, one filtered for brew water. I also tapped into the drain line from the water heater which goes through the wall to the back lawn... I use the unfiltered tap water for cold in and the drain for hot out for my wort chiller. All on quick connects. Super slick. Sounds crazy but works beautifully. I can post pics later if anyone is interested in the layout.

I also have the keezer and computer in the garage for pandora.

I'd like to see pics.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Garage for me. It's where my equipment is stored, where my RO water is made, where my fermentation fridge is, and there's no good way to wheel my brew rig from the garage to the backyard. Plus, where I'm living now, my back patio is tiny anyway.

I'd love to brew in the backyard if it was convenient, but the garage is just too easily set up to justify trying to move the operation out back.

 

[bigdawg86]

Here is my current garage "Extract" setup... even when I make the move to all grain I still have what I need as far as water, gas, and electricity for my chugger pump for whirlpooling.

 

[csurowiec]

I brew on my driveway but I live in the woods and don't really have any neighbors within sight.
One Sunday though the guy delivering Amazon packages shows up while I'm in the middle of things, brew bag hanging under a step ladder, boil going, stuff out on the table like hops and water adjustment minerals, copper immersion chiller on the table. He looks at me with this wide eyed totally weirded out stare as he hands me the package and leaves without a word. I wish I had video of his face.

 

[MaryB]

Currently in my garage facing the main street in town. If it is warm I brew with the big door open and people have done some weird stares and I did have a deputy stop and accuse me of breaking the law, brewing is illegal... I finally got tired of arguing with him and told him to call his boss. Sheriff arrives, walks up and says "Nice brew rig! See you have it finished!". Deputy gets a strange look on his face and tries to walk off, the sheriff grabs him and asks what the problem was. He stammers about it being illegal etc and the sheriff broke out laughing at him and told him to go read the laws on it before looking foolish. If you haven't guessed, sheriff is a home brewer I met at the bar one night when I stopped to pick up food after a brew day. Told the bartender I was to tired to cook after 6 hours brewing and he started telling me about his brew stuff. Told him I was building a brew rig and almost had it finished, it was operational but I was doing a few tweaks to make it work the way I wanted and showed him a pic of it.

 

[jlinz]

So if I put my burner right at the front of the garage (towards garage door) but still a bit inside and have it opened all the way, I should be fine as far as CO goes, right? Ill probably get a CO detector and hang it on the ceiling, too.

 

[jlinz]

Here is my current garage "Extract" setup... even when I make the move to all grain I still have what I need as far as water, gas, and electricity for my chugger pump for whirlpooling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjm1Q7Sdy0w

Sophisticated setup!

 

[beernutz]

Backyard for me. I like keeping everything outside and out of the house/kitchen which makes the boss happy. I have a nice setup where I can roll my structure out from under a protected deck or if it is raining I can brew under the deck.

My natural gas hookup is even more reliable than electricity. I know because years ago I brewed there when the power was out and I had to run my pump off a 12v battery.

For about half the year the garage would be too hot here anyway.

 

[Sailingeric]

Back of house on my deck. I have a gravity stand so the burner is off the deck so no worries there. My water faucet is just to the side of the deck and I keep my stand, tun cooler, and ferm chamber in the the shed so it keeps moving stuff around to a minimum.

 

[shallywag]

Backyard!

 

[shallywag]

I brew in my backyard as well and would like to store my equipment outside but I am concerned about humidity, dirt and critters. Do you have any of these issues keeping everything outside? Do you keep carboys, bottling buckets etc outside as well? How do you store everything?

Backyard for me. I like keeping everything outside and out of the house/kitchen which makes the boss happy. I have a nice setup where I can roll my structure out from under a protected deck or if it is raining I can brew under the deck.

My natural gas hookup is even more reliable than electricity. I know because years ago I brewed there when the power was out and I had to run my pump off a 12v battery.

For about half the year the garage would be too hot here anyway.

 

[beernutz]

I brew in my backyard as well and would like to store my equipment outside but I am concerned about humidity, dirt and critters. Do you have any of these issues keeping everything outside? Do you keep carboys, bottling buckets etc outside as well? How do you store everything?

I keep my brew structure outside under my deck but it's really too big to keep anywhere else. I keep a big grill cover it when I'm not using it. It stays pretty dry but it's not indoors so humidity is an issue but in the 3 years I've used it I've seen little evidence of rust.

I keep everything else brewing-related in a storage room off my garage because of the same concerns you have.

 

[MilkStout]

I brew out-front. Open the garage door and move my brew stand to just outside the garage. We put a banner up that shows we are brewing today and set up a table with snacks. Neighbors usually stop by. Kind of gives the brew day a party atmosphere. That is until clean-up and everyone magically disappears.

 

[user 30639]

Question for garage brewers. Right now I'm just using the standard propane burner. If I have all the doors open, should I still be worried about carbon monoxide? I would like to move into the garage for brewing because, well, being out in the sun in the Texas summer can be brutal.

I was doing a club brewday over at a friends and we were brewing in his driveway. The police rolled by and gave us a loooooooooong look, until they decided we weren't making meth and moved on.

 

[MilkStout]

If you have all the doors open, you should be fine. I always open the garage door and have never had a problem. If you are still concerned turn on a fan to circulate the air. You could also get a CO monitor. They are fairly cheap for peace of mind.