Building a Home Brew & Pub Setup

[cfrazier77]

Wow, beyond words, well done!

 

[Calfj60]

Great job!

 

[bobeer]

amazing what can be done with an unfinished basement. Looks awesome! My wife and I are going to build a bar in half of the garage. Thanks for some inspiration!

 

[BeerBaron1985]

amazing what can be done with an unfinished basement. Looks awesome! My wife and I are going to build a bar in half of the garage. Thanks for some inspiration!

You are very welcome! Much of my inspiration has come from this forum and the pinside forum. I've seen basement spaces with hidden secret doors, full bars, arcades, batting cages, mini golf greens, movie theater, and one crazy dude built a laser tag setup. Granted he converted an entire section of his house to that, but goes to show you how crazy people will go for their man caves/entertainment space.

 

[BeerBaron1985]

Hey all!

Latest update is a small one. I have upgraded my rinse sink from a 5 gallon fresh/gray tank capacity to 14 gallons of fresh/gray. Part of the reason for doing so is I scored a small countertop dish washer for $65 bucks! Practically new, just needed a pump cleanout from sitting so long. It actually heats the water up too! Also relocated the pump on the cement floor so it is less noisy than from when it was inside the cabinet.

I'm debating if I should get a 2.5gal on demand hot water tank so I have hot water for the dishwasher and sink. Hmmm...


Also got a bead on a stainless sink with washboard for the brewery area. That sink I know I will need to plumb to the house. Thankfully the waste stack is right there where the brewery is. Just will need some creative plumbing parts to adapt it up.


Its late in the year, and today may be the last 70 degree day till the spring, but I scored a snowcone machine cart for $100 bucks new! It shaves ice well. Not like Hawaiian ice thin, but better than the fridge.

Got some room divider thermal curtains to section off the brewery/storage area from the bar area. Nice dark red.

Update for next time is my brewery controller. Upgraded the box and wall mounted it. I scored a double pole 30A GFCI for $55. And the controller while wired for 120VAC now, can be converted to 240VAC with minimal effort.

Recently, I brewed a blueberry honey amber ale at 5.8%. Can't wait to try it this week!

Till next time!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Snow cones. I want one!

 

[Ragman]

That is insane!!!! Excellent work... Post a pic when you have a party - would love to see all your guests enjoying your Bar!

 

[BeerBaron1985]

That is insane!!!! Excellent work... Post a pic when you have a party - would love to see all your guests enjoying your Bar!

Most def! My wife's birthday we are celebrating this weekend, but only a few people over to keep within the restrictions.

When we eventually have another sizeable party...we got two 20x20 party tents that we got for free with the side window kits, two grills, one which is dedicated for meat smoking, and still have that massive PA System I can't seem to sell to really get the tunes thumping! Just tell everyone its a pot luck, plenty of beer to drink, and plenty of available taps for other home brewers to bring their brews, guest taps if you will!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

I realize I should have had BeerBaron1985 review/critique my bar plans before actual building. Live and learn.

 

[BeerBaron1985]

Welp, I'm not sure I got a deal or not, but I picked up this sink yesterday. Was inside a shed for awhile. Guy runs a gas station, had it installed, but the health inspection flagged him for the single bay sink citing he needed to install a 3 bay per state health guidelines. As a result this sink was useless to him.

It comes with the faucet setup, supply lines, and drain assembly. I paid $100 bucks cash....

Online this model# goes for about $456 bucks shipped in 4-8 weeks. Another site showed $399 plus $207 freight to my door. These are costs without the supply lines or faucet setups!

I'd say I scored big time! It will be a while before I can hook it up properly. I'll need a drain pump, and various plumbing pieces for the supply/waste lines.

I think this may be the biggest upgrade to the brewery space, and often the most costly besides running electrical lines. A sink is super critical tool for any brewery. Once this is installed I will no longer have to travel upstairs to the kitchen with boiling wort to cool it off!

Till the next update!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Nice sink is definitely a helpful addition.

 

[BeerBaron1985]

Nice sink is definitely a helpful addition.

Thank you! Yeah though it will be some time before I can hook it up properly. House plumbing is where I draw the line with DIY. Still need to get the drain pump and a plumber to fit to the main supply lines. I can likely do the drain piping since the cleanout plug is right there. Some adapters to splice in the pump doesnt seem that difficult. The other stuff, to do it right, need a pro.

Plus I wound up getting the final dual food machine I really wanted for the pub area. Money went there instead of hooking up plumbing for now. More pictures to follow on that after I have repaired and cleaned it up.

 

[BlutoA10C]

Thank you! Yeah though it will be some time before I can hook it up properly. House plumbing is where I draw the line with DIY. Still need to get the drain pump and a plumber to fit to the main supply lines. I can likely do the drain piping since the cleanout plug is right there. Some adapters to splice in the pump doesnt seem that difficult. The other stuff, to do it right, need a pro.

Plus I wound up getting the final dual food machine I really wanted for the pub area. Money went there instead of hooking up plumbing for now. More pictures to follow on that after I have repaired and cleaned it up.

BeerBaron, don't sell yourself short. Anyone who can put together a beer rig can do basic plumbing. My rule of thumb is: "how much stuff can I break for what a plumber, electrician, etc. costs?" Certainly, if you're not comfortable and have the cash, hire it out. I simply make the point, I've completely renovated entire homes with the help of a few good books, the internet, and on occasion, a pro, it's worked out pretty well. Make sure you completely understand the job, the local/national code (all on the internet), and a plan B if it get's too complicated. My 2 cents - Cheers!

 

[BeerBaron1985]

BeerBaron, don't sell yourself short. Anyone who can put together a beer rig can do basic plumbing. My rule of thumb is: "how much stuff can I break for what a plumber, electrician, etc. costs?" Certainly, if you're not comfortable and have the cash, hire it out. I simply make the point, I've completely renovated entire homes with the help of a few good books, the internet, and on occasion, a pro, it's worked out pretty well. Make sure you completely understand the job, the local/national code (all on the internet), and a plan B if it get's too complicated. My 2 cents - Cheers!

Thank you for the vote of confidence. The supply lines I can definity do. To clarify, I am not comfy with sweating pipes. There is a better technology anyway. Weldless fittings, like shark bites, but better. Shark bite fittings to me are an emergency type of fix, I dont trust them over the long term.

Weldless fittings does require a Milwaukee M12/M18 Press tool. That tool is crazy mad money. It applies tons of force to crimp the copper pipe around the oring inside. Highly reliable and FAST install. Best feature is it will work even if there is a bit of water in the system still. I happen to have an HVAC/plumber friend with said tool who cleans my furnace yearly. I'll do all the rough in plumbing, then all he needs to do is cut the main pipes, install the Tee fittings off the main lines, check for leaks, and presto, all finished. I'll pay him a few bucks for the parts and his time, and have my wife cook him a fish dinner since he is a pescatarian.

I'm willing to wait till he has time. I'll feel a lot better with him here doing it and me testing the sink. If something does go bad, I have a pro to help me out haha!

 

[BlutoA10C]

Completely understand the "joint sweating" concern. It did take me some practice to get good at it - there is a bit of art. That said, I used Pro-PEX on my last project. Yes, the expansion tool was approximately $350 if I remember correctly and the fittings are not cheap, but then again neither are copper fittings. I agree with you on the Sharkbite fittings, I'm ok with using them where you can easily replace if they fail. I also don't care for the original "metal ring" compression PEX fittings.

At the end of the day, if you can feed your friend a few beverages and some fish - likely the cheapest and safest plan!!

 

[BeerBaron1985]

Completely understand the "joint sweating" concern. It did take me some practice to get good at it - there is a bit of art. That said, I used Pro-PEX on my last project. Yes, the expansion tool was approximately $350 if I remember correctly and the fittings are not cheap, but then again neither are copper fittings. I agree with you on the Sharkbite fittings, I'm ok with using them where you can easily replace if they fail. I also don't care for the original "metal ring" compression PEX fittings.

At the end of the day, if you can feed your friend a few beverages and some fish - likely the cheapest and safest plan!!

Yessir! That is the plan!


Till the next update and addition to the pub area! Hint: What goes symbiotically with beer consumption that everyone should partake in?

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Thank you! Yeah though it will be some time before I can hook it up properly. House plumbing is where I draw the line with DIY. Still need to get the drain pump and a plumber to fit to the main supply lines. I can likely do the drain piping since the cleanout plug is right there. Some adapters to splice in the pump doesnt seem that difficult. The other stuff, to do it right, need a pro.

Plus I wound up getting the final dual food machine I really wanted for the pub area. Money went there instead of hooking up plumbing for now. More pictures to follow on that after I have repaired and cleaned it up.

Now days plumbing is easy. For the most part no more sweating the pipes. Keep us up-to-date with your progress.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

BeerBaron, don't sell yourself short. Anyone who can put together a beer rig can do basic plumbing.

Worst I ever heard from a pro plumber or pro electrician was "Oh, sh*t" or "D*mn". After the "D*mn" I expected sparks to fly or water to spray in the attic. My point is there are always unknown/unique/rarely encountered situations even to the pros. Just think about how many unexpected issues we deal with on brew day, but still make much requested/demanded brew!

 

[robert.balsinger]

I have had success with Sharkbite products. There is a variety of opinions on them but have had nothing but success using them.

 

[BeerBaron1985]

Hey everyone!

Quick update and hope everyone had a great holiday.

To cover on the previous comments I did have the thought of using SharkBite fittings but a good friend of mine who is a plumber and HVAC guy said that he personally hates them and the industry tends to shun them for any long-term permanent solution. He did however go on to say that they are great in a pinch to fix a problem when necessary.


So the latest and likely last edition to the bar area is a combination Pizza warmer and pretzel warmer. Grabbed it in Rhode island before the holidays for $200 from a food truck that went out of business. It was not working. The cord was frayed,missing the legs on the bottom and one of the glass panels was completely blown out. to add to the pile the inside was completely messy filled with old crusty grease.

A new glass panel shipped was 25 bucks and the problem with the heating element was a frayed wire. Bought some replacement legs for about $15 shipped. I really wanted to have the soft pretzel fork attachment and everywhere I looked was over $140. Found one on eBay and offered less than half of that cost and the person accepted the offer. I'd like to think that I got a good deal considering how much a machine of this size and features goes for brand new. It is fitting that it is a pizza warmer because the restaurant booths that we got downstairs are ironically from a local pizza place here in town. I figure I'm going to use it more for soft pretzels. I have the four tier 18-in Pizza rack platter and that is certainly helpful if we are having that served would probably just leave it in there for the intended purpose of keeping Pizza warm in between drinking beer.

I wasn't going to pay $30 a banner label from the manufacturer needing three of them to change it from Pizza to pretzel. Cut up some scrap paneling from the basement stuck some chalkboard paper on it and got some pretzel stickers all in all only cost me about $5 a banner. Had some leftover rare earth magnets that you put on the refrigerator to stick it to the metal glue those in place and presto.

I did wind up getting a few other small ancillary things more for decoration that I will update everyone on soon. After all the Christmas stuff comes down and stored back downstairs I'll be doing a massive cleanup of the storage area and the brewery area in anticipation of installing the sink in the upcoming months.

Thanks again for reading and hope everyone is staying safe during this covid crap.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Hmm... (as Homer Simpson) warm pretzels...

 

[BeerBaron1985]

Hmm... (as Homer Simpson) warm pretzels...

Seriously cant wait to use it. Even after scrubbing and cleaning the crap out of it, soon as you turn it on it smells like a pizza place downstairs. Really gives the basement space some authenticity haha!

 

[BeerBaron1985]

Hey everyone,

Finally had a chance to post a new video of the brewery area. More pictures of some recent mods to folow. I rebuilt my brewery controller. Basically put it in a larger enclosure box, added some more fans for cooling, and added a switch for the pump outlet to control that.

 

[BeerBaron1985]

Welp, I'm not sure I got a deal or not, but I picked up this sink yesterday. .....................

I think this may be the biggest upgrade to the brewery space, and often the most costly besides running electrical lines. A sink is super critical tool for any brewery. Once this is installed I will no longer have to travel upstairs to the kitchen with boiling wort to cool it off!

Hey guys. Welp going to finally tackle this project now that the electrical stuff is all done. I ordered a Simer 2935B utility pump used off ebay. It comes with the screen, shut off valve, and the check valve so the drain water does not back wash into the sink. It was used but still in good condition. $114 delivered. They normally go for over $200.

Went and picked up the various waste line plumbing adapters/pipes to fit the pump's 1-1/4" output to connect to the waste stack where there is a 4" cleanout threaded plug. I'm making sure all the adapters can be removed should I need to access the cleanout port.

For the supply side I will be doing Pro-Press fittings from the house plumbing to ball valves. Unfortunately unless you are a plumber/HVAC guy you cant buy these fittings locally around here. Instead going to order from https://www.supplyhouse.com/ the various pro-press Tees, ball valves and Pro-Press to PEX adapters. After the ball valves I will be doing PEX to save on overall cost. This way if the PEX has an issue I can shut it off.

Once I get all my components needed I'll take some pictures. I'm no plumber, but after overanalyzing the instruction manual of the pump (they give you a diagram and list of parts to get) and applying some common sense to make the plumbing "serviceable" for repairs later if needed, Its like putting together Lincoln Logs or an Erector Set...except more frustrating due to gathering individual parts individually and not opening a "kit" with everything you need.

Cheers

 

[YeastFeast]

That is absolutely incredible! Wow. I've never seen anything like it!

 

[BeerBaron1985]

That is absolutely incredible! Wow. I've never seen anything like it!

Which part exactly? I have seen some very impressive setups that blow mine clear out of the water for sure. Much of the ideas I got for my setup came from HBT and Pinside forums!

 

[YeastFeast]

I was just trying to say the whole theme is cool. What a great place to hang out. When I started looking at the pictures, I thought you were setting up a commercial restaurant. The collection of restaurant booths, signs, hardware, etc. is impressive. Great job.

 

[BeerBaron1985]

I was just trying to say the whole theme is cool. What a great place to hang out. When I started looking at the pictures, I thought you were setting up a commercial restaurant. The collection of restaurant booths, signs, hardware, etc. is impressive. Great job.

Thank you so much! Yea def a great place to hang. Now if only COVID would end so the wife and I can have a big get together again

 

[Garfield43]

Wow.
You are truly living the dream.
I love that your wife has the diner angle to keep her intrested.
It all looks amazing and it makes me hungry.
Well done!
It looks like it would be my favortite place in town if it was a "real" bar in my area.
Also I thought I was good at finding deals, I am not in your league.

 

[BeerBaron1985]

Wow.
You are truly living the dream.
I love that your wife has the diner angle to keep her intrested.
It all looks amazing and it makes me hungry.
Well done!
It looks like it would be my favortite place in town if it was a "real" bar in my area.
Also I thought I was good at finding deals, I am not in your league.

Its not easy. What I think are deals its harder to convince the wife sometimes. I hope to do a proper video tour soon and post here. All the major work is done and doing little things in terms of decor. The sink will be hooked up in the next month or two. I need to get brewing for a home brew festival in a few months in July sooo....yeah