Can I make this a Brew Hut?

[EvilGnome6]

The Gnomes are buying a new house and it has a 20' x 14' finished, detached building in the back yard. It currently has electricity but no plumbing. It sits about 20 feet from the laundry room of the main house and is on the same side as the electrical panel. Would this make a good Brew Hut? How hard would it be to run plumbing and 220 service to build an all electric brewery?

 

[Layne]

That would be awesome!
Tieing into the house for water and 220 would not be a problem. Good luck on this project, and post pics!

 

[JOHN51277]

Ummmmmm, yeah I see a Loooong thread on the conversion in our near future!!

 

[TeufelBrew]

Hmmm. Some hate heading your way. Hope you told swmbo it's not for storage or kids playhouse!

What's with the grass? Thought most places in AZ didn't do grass much, if at all.

While you wait for the electrical and plumbing hookups to your new brew hut, you can still store there and brew on the nice gravel area! Don't forget to post pics as work on it!

 

[camiller]

Once you get running water out there, live in it and use that larger building out front for the brewery.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

Adding plumbing is always going to be fun. Depending upon where your connection to the main sewer line is (providing you're not on septic), you'll likely have a huge trenching project on your hands.

I looked into legally plumbing my garage and since it's about 75 feet from the main sewer out line of the house, it would be impossible to maintain the required slope of the line to tie in to the main.

Anyway, that's an awesome little brewhouse you lucked into there. Looking forward to see what you do with it!

 

[gunner65]

I dont think you are asking I think you are bragging! Shame on you.

 

[Layne]

Adding plumbing is always going to be fun. Depending upon where your connection to the main sewer line is (providing you're not on septic), you'll likely have a huge trenching project on your hands.

I looked into legally plumbing my garage and since it's about 75 feet from the main sewer out line of the house, it would be impossible to maintain the required slope of the line to tie in to the main.

Anyway, that's an awesome little brewhouse you lucked into there. Looking forward to see what you do with it!

I have a 'lift station' for my backyard brewpub. It's basically a sump pump that pumps to my sewer system. It has something like a garbage disposal, where it 'chews up' the solid waste, and pumps it out with the water, all submerged.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

I have a 'lift station' for my backyard brewpub. It's basically a sump pump that pumps to my sewer system. It has something like a garbage disposal, where it 'chews up' the solid waste, and pumps it out with the water, all submerged.

I hadn't thought of that. With the distance I need to cover, I was looking at a minimum of an 18 inch slope, which would probably need to be 24 inches to keep the inspectors happy. If I started out over a foot down at the front of the garage, I was getting too far down to tie in to the line at the back of the house, which is just over 3' down. Tying in at the front of the house (5' down) isn't an option. If I had the pump in the front corner, I could feasibly send the waste out at 12" and tie in perfectly to the back of the house. Unless sewer lines are subject to the same frost-depth restrictions that water lines are subject to...

A patio and some large tree roots are the next biggest obstacle, but those have known solutions.

Sorry for the threadjack, but Layne sparked some ideas off in my head that make the possibility of a brewshed a possibility for me now...well, not now, but when I actually have some money saved up...

 

[Sawdustguy]

I hadn't thought of that. With the distance I need to cover, I was looking at a minimum of an 18 inch slope, which would probably need to be 24 inches to keep the inspectors happy. If I started out over a foot down at the front of the garage, I was getting too far down to tie in to the line at the back of the house, which is just over 3' down. Tying in at the front of the house (5' down) isn't an option. If I had the pump in the front corner, I could feasibly send the waste out at 12" and tie in perfectly to the back of the house. Unless sewer lines are subject to the same frost-depth restrictions that water lines are subject to...

A patio and some large tree roots are the next biggest obstacle, but those have known solutions.

Sorry for the threadjack, but Layne sparked some ideas off in my head that make the possibility of a brewshed a possibility for me now...well, not now, but when I actually have some money saved up...

To picture it in your mind, it is the landlubber version of a mascerator pump on a boat.

 

[bonsai4tim]

Like others have done, you could do the electric first, and run a hose out there for cold water to brew with. Use one from the RV store that is approved for drinking water.

t

 

[EvilGnome6]

Ummmmmm, yeah I see a Loooong thread on the conversion in our near future!!

I'll definitely make regular updates and ask lots and lots of questions along the way.

 

[EvilGnome6]

Hmmm. Some hate heading your way. Hope you told swmbo it's not for storage or kids playhouse!

As soon as we saw the shed I said, "BREW HUT!" She smiled and agreed. She's very supportive of my obsession.

What's with the grass? Thought most places in AZ didn't do grass much, if at all.

Grass is actually pretty common out here. We're undecided about converting it to desert landscaping.

While you wait for the electrical and plumbing hookups to your new brew hut, you can still store there and brew on the nice gravel area! Don't forget to post pics as work on it!

Until the hut is ready, I get to take over the whole dining area for brewing gear. The back patio runs the length of the house with plenty of room for brewing, too.

 

[EvilGnome6]

Adding plumbing is always going to be fun. Depending upon where your connection to the main sewer line is (providing you're not on septic), you'll likely have a huge trenching project on your hands.

Ahhh... So it's the distance to the main sewer line I need to worry about? I thought I could feed it into where the washer drain is... Not an option?

 

[EvilGnome6]

I dont think you are asking I think you are bragging! Shame on you.

OK, you called it.

 

[EvilGnome6]

Sorry for the threadjack, but Layne sparked some ideas off in my head that make the possibility of a brewshed a possibility for me now...well, not now, but when I actually have some money saved up...

No problem. That's the kind of stuff I need to know about before I tackle this project.

 

[EvilGnome6]

Like others have done, you could do the electric first, and run a hose out there for cold water to brew with. Use one from the RV store that is approved for drinking water.

That's a good call. I'm guessing that plumbing will be the most difficult and expensive upgrade. Doing that will get the brew hut operational faster.

 

[wildwest450]

Ahhh... So it's the distance to the main sewer line I need to worry about? I thought I could feed it into where the washer drain is... Not an option?

Depends on what you are doing. If you want a toilet, no. For just a brew sink, you could tie it in. Of course I don't know Arizona plumbing codes, buy who has to know?

 

[pen25]

wonder wot would happen if you took the grey water(no actual human waste) and sent it to a tank to be used for watering the plants? trench in the water like you would normally do but put a faucet on the outside and then run a hose inside. easier then cutting that slab. electric should be simple. you shouldn't need a permit for that. call an electrician for the electrics

 

[EvilGnome6]

wonder wot would happen if you took the grey water(no actual human waste) and sent it to a tank to be used for watering the plants?

I've thought about that. Water used for chilling and rinsing out brew gear would be perfectly safe for plants. What about sanitizer solution?

 

[JOHN51277]

I've thought about that. Water used for chilling and rinsing out brew gear would be perfectly safe for plants. What about sanitizer solution?

I dump properly mixed starsan on my grass all the time and it has not messed with it at all. I dump bleach water, starsan, yeast, hops, and sometimes recycled beer all in one spot and it has not killed the grass, or yellowed it. Just make it like a fish cleaning station with a drain through the wall and out to the ground, oh, and plant some hops out there to suck up all the H20

 

[Optimal]

Looks like I'm not the only one that going to have a new brew hut, SWMBO and I just put an offer in on our first house. What sold me was the 12'x24'x9' workshop in the backyard, plumbed with 220 already run to it. Plus the acre of land the house is on, gives Eskie (our dog) enough room to run, and SWMBO enough space for a garden. Another bonus was the location, it's in the heart of Ontario wine country, vineyard right across the street, will be no issues growing hops!