Electric 10G Basement brewery build. "sorta"

[Jako]

Currently building a house. I decided to buy an acre of land for a small orchard, Hops and lots of entertainment space. i am not super handy so i am having the builder finish a room in the basement for a brew space. 2 years in the heat and the cold and snow... i am over it!

the house has a huge cold storage room so i decided to tie the brewery into the space by moving the entry door into the brewery for more storage space for grain or making part of it a fermenting room haven't fully decided. the system will be a 2 vessel RIMS system a direct rip of Mongoose33's system (thank you for all the help!).

the brew space will have tile floors and a mop stink for easy clean up with tile back splash to keep the wall safe from most messes. i will have a "pot filler" that is hooked to a RO system i purchased from Buckeye Hydro. for a hood vent i had no idea what the correct set up would be so i decided for over kill and bought the 4x4 condensation vent from Fast Kitchen Hoods.

Going to add in some pictures, i might just add in a Photo album and if you guys have questions feel free to ask away. I am farrrr from finished just trying to kill time now since i cant brew...


https://photos.app.goo.gl/qiVQydJip2uuVxo8A

 

[Jako]

Added some more pictures, last night i ordered a bunch of parts. I also finished the main control panel i can taste the end. I have one more big order left... and a table to go.

one thing i am struggling to figure out is how i will whirlpool and chill. i thought about batch chilling the wort and recirculate it all. or i might have to ditch my idea of a counter-flow and go with a SS immersion chiller. i also haven't decided on how i will filter hops and trub. open for any ideas.


10/03 I will have some time to check out the house this weekend i hope to get better pictures, i am less than a month out now. i hope we can install the RO and hood vent soon but i think some drywall work will need to be done first. Parts for my system will show up Wednesday.

 

[Jako]

10/14 house is set to finish this month. I set up everything I have for the brew system on the floor to see if I am missing anything from my list. I plan to order every "last" pice tonight. Starting to work on a recipe I received from Wicked Barley in Jacksonville FL.

Added a few pictures. One of an awesome sunset near my new house getting excited now.

 

[Jako]

last night i had the idea of running my pressure transfer cap for my SS brew tech fermenter. I would attach a line to a empty sanitary keg and let the fermenter off gas into the keg. once the keg is filled with CO2 at 2PSI the fermenter would just bleed off the extra gas with the pressure release valve. allowing me to ferment at 2PSI and keep some hop / malt aroma. when its time to cold crash/pressure transfer i use my trapped CO2 to push it to a keg also no suck back issues.

https://www.ssbrewtech.com/collections/accessories/products/1-5-tc-pressurized-transfer-fitting


I feel like genius, but i am sure i missed something important.

 

[Jako]

builder yanking my chain at this point..... "final walk through" is tomorrow and the house is not even finished. my gear is collecting dust and my hood vent is not even installed.

One day i will be able to brew.

 

[Jako]

Update once more.

I haven't brewed yet. My hood vent is still on floor and I am talking to a lawyer about all the problems in my house. Shame you spend so much money just to be taken advantage of. Always do your research.... extensively.

But yesterday my neighbor and his wife stopped by to see if they could help hang the vent. And we made lots of good progress. I knocked down some drywall and put some brackets up. Hopefully I can hang it this weekend then figure out venting and the fan and keep moving forward. I added some pictures to my album of how it sits right now including the huge mess!

I have also put a lot of this aside while I deal with some major back issues, chronic pain will consume you I guess we all have a breaking point and I hit mine all at once. But it made me realize brewing is more than beer, it's a mental escape for me from pain and keeping my mind busy. It's a huge source of happiness for me so not being able to brew has really put me down.

So far I made a cider and I started a mead yesterday just to get something moving I figured best time to make a long fermenting beverage is when I cant brew so let's do it.

One thing I have learned from this whole experience is it's not as easy as it looks.... and I definitely wouldn't be at this point without everyone's help in the fourms or buckeye hydro for helping me fix my damaged and improperly installed RO system.

Who knows maybe this post is too much personal information but its part of the process.

 

[Genuine]

Glad to hear that you have some progress made! I can't wait to see what you've accomplished so far! Keep up the good work.

 

[Jako]

Glad to hear that you have some progress made! I can't wait to see what you've accomplished so far! Keep up the good work.

Thank you very much! I appreciate the words of encouragement definitely helps.

 

[Jako]

Added some more pictures. Sitting on my ladder trying to figure out how I want to move a HVAC vent and can light.

As I get older I wonder how some figure out how to do things in life....


it's by the awful curve balls life throws at them..... I have a lot of respect for friends and acquaintances in life who knew a lot of everything. Life must have kicked them a few times for them to have the knowledge I dont have.

Feeling super optimistic, to be honest its nice to have my own hands on Fixing/building this. Gives me an appreciation of what I have and an understanding of how its built. Once I have the first beer brewed in this room I'm going to have a real appreciation of how much effort went into this. And money but that's besides the point now.

For anyone reading this or thinking of building a brewery grind it out and dont give up!

2 years ago if I was told I would be building a new house and a brewery in my basement I would say you are absolutely nuts!! But now I sit in my new basement brewery finishing up the final pices. It hasn't been easy for me or my body. But I'm almost done and I can't believe what I have accomplished. This form is unreal, so supportive and so much information shared with 0 biased. Even if the question was asked 1000000 times.

Hopefully I once this project is finished I can share what I have learned or pass on my passion to friends or strangers. Brewing has become more than alcohol to me. It's an escape from chronic pain and anxiety I deal with daily. My first award I won in life was from brewery. Most importantly its something i can use to teach my 3 year old daughter about measurements or the importance of how to treat alcohol at any age. (I'm utah feel this will be so important)

Anyways to And my slightly not sober rant. I'm happy with my progress. Good luck to everyone starting a project

 

[Genuine]

Great shots dude! Holy cow! What do you use for a camera?

 

[Jako]

Great shots dude! Holy cow! What do you use for a camera?

My galaxy S10.

The wide angle is pretty rad. It was struggling taking the picture of the bug last night.

 

[NewJersey]

Looks like a great house and brew space.
I'm kinda left wondering why you went with weldless fittings and that element over the SS brewtech round element with temp probe.
Also why use the diy box over the SS 2V or 3V?

 

[Jako]

Looks like a great house and brew space.
I'm kinda left wondering why you went with weldless fittings and that element over the SS brewtech round element with temp probe.
Also why use the diy box over the SS 2V or 3V?

Price. I can easily make adjustments or add welded fittings. I probably saved $4000 by doing it myself. Probably less. But who knows after buying all the small bits one less pump etc

After talking with other members who helped me build the system I decided 2v made more sense for me. Cost, space and less steps needed. I never planned on having a 10 gallons system. But money I saved I put into bigger kettles.



House is nice if I can get past all the problems I am having but that's another story.

 

[Jako]

Not a whole lot has changed. But i cleaned my cold/fermenting room and organized my gear. last night i took my control panel to work and finished up the last few things and made the cords so i could test it. This afternoon i spent 3 hours chasing one wrong wire.... tired 100000 different things fixed wires that looked lose etc. But it works and i tested the boil kettle and temperature probe. To see it work and light up was such an epic feeling. tomorrow i plan to make the brackets for my hood vent then start to tackle finishing up the venting. Then drywall and paint and i am ready to start brewing.

I set a personal goal that once my cider is done fermenting my brewery needs to be finished. i started it 6 days ago and plan for 3-4 weeks in the fermenter. so if all goes well i can be done by or around the 26th we will see.

i thought about not fixing the hole in the wall with drywall and making something more serviceable but i am afraid it will look awful. added a picture to the album i am open to ideas.

 

[Jako]

Hood vent is up. Ironically the vent had 3/9 on the side of it from the manufacturer. And well I finally managed to get it up! So stoked my wife helped me lift and held it up while I locked it in place.

 

[Jako]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qiVQydJip2uuVxo8A

Finally, its, finished. Brewed my first batch.

I made a English IPA I plan on splitting the batch 5 gallons get imperial house, and the other gets imperial cable car.

I might dry hop the house batch.

 

[Jako]

Also a few things to tweak I had hose issues. And I need a cleaning process. Also it was my first time using a pump and k made rookie mistakes.

I do need to work on water conservation In any way possible. I need to figure out what to do with waste water besides dumping it. I want to collect some of it into a old cooler mash tun and use a second pump to move ice water into my counter flow chiller.

 

[Brewers Hardware]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qiVQydJip2uuVxo8A

Finally, its, finished. Brewed my first batch.

I made a English IPA I plan on splitting the batch 5 gallons get imperial house, and the other gets imperial cable car.

I might dry hop the house batch.

Beautiful house and a beautiful setup. Thanks for sharing! Looks very well thought out and a clean build. Hope the English IPA turns out fantastic!

 

[Jako]

Thank you! I bought a ton of fittings from you guys. I appreciate you staying open during all this virus outbreak. I wouldn't have been able to finish the project this past week if it wasn't for you and the quick shipping.

Pretty proud of myself and the fact I built it myself, saved tons learned new skills from drywall to assembling a control panel. It definitely took lots of planning and imagination to have it come together as smoothly as it did in the end.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Geez... very nice. Gives a whole meaning from the ground up.

Now, if I was doing brand new, from the ground up, the brewery, bar, water recycling, water treatment would occupy the majority of the lot. Only, very, very small bedrooms are needed, similar to a cruise ship, as whom goes to the room other than to sleep? Need a nice size kitchen and family room. Medium size bathrooms. Also, a nice size yard is helpful. Just my input...

 

[Jako]

Definitely from the ground up. Fun to see the pictures from a year ago to now.

We wanted a large master so we turned a room into a sitting room. Kitchen and entertainment space is large but I dont have a lot of friends or family. I enjoy to cook and it's nice to have the space.

We have an acre of land. Still trying to plan that out. Thinking of some ideas like small greenhouse or other ways to live off our land. Especially brew off it!

I want solar energy but I would want a battery system, it makes no sense to own one If I cant use it for emergencies or to be "off grid".

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Oh, yeah, don't forget the underground fortress.

 

[wiav8or]

This is a great build, thanks for documenting and posting it. I too started with a new, blank slate (eight years ago).... but I got very busy with work and life so I bought a Grainfather and the project is still in the design phase. LOL. We’ve seen lots of innovation in the last few years though as your project shows. I’m about a year out from getting back to the project and in the meantime have been thinking about some things you mention here (flow during the brew process, water conservation, etc).

Cool post - and a beautiful house BTW.

 

[Jako]

Thank you very much, we started landscaping now its a ton of work!

I am torn on 2V system as of now. I feel like it's BIAB with more steps right now. I am still trying to nail down all my numbers. Last time I brewed I finally hit my OG but missed my volume.

I also wish I had tri clap valves as cleaning is a massive pain. But I have figured out ways to clean as I brew i have a 15 foot hose and a spray the deck down and mop as I go.

Don't get me wrong in so happy with it and would do it again. Just some thoughts I have had after 3 batches.

 

[Biggz1313]

Thank you very much, we started landscaping now its a ton of work!

I am torn on 2V system as of now. I feel like it's BIAB with more steps right now. I am still trying to nail down all my numbers. Last time I brewed I finally hit my OG but missed my volume.

I also wish I had tri clap valves as cleaning is a massive pain. But I have figured out ways to clean as I brew i have a 15 foot hose and a spray the deck down and mop as I go.

Don't get me wrong in so happy with it and would do it again. Just some thoughts I have had after 3 batches.

So it's roughly a year since your last post and I'm jus finding this thread as I too recently built a new home, and am in the process of finishing my basement and my brew space. Your journey and photos awesome, thank you for documenting all that. I have a Spike Solo+ 15g electric all in one system with steam condenser lid. Now that it's been a year, would have done anything differently? Anything that would be a MUST if you had to build another? Do you like the mop sink verses a large utility sink (i'm looking at a 36"x24" sink, but have often considered a mop sink as well).

 

[Jako]

I really need to update this as my system has completely changed.

the Mop sink is awful. its nice for Moping the room or cleaning some things. i plan on adding a sink soon. trying to finish up a few projects right now. i am building a ferm chamber/ work bench.

 

[Jako]

Hydro seed goes down next week. Then it's time to service my tractor. Added some other pictures of what I am working with currently. Pictures are old.

I really think you are on a better track than I was. My new focus is easier faster brew so I can focus on recipe and brewing more. My hood vent is over kill but it's nice as I don't have to worry about mold.

My biggest regret is just the whole sink deal. In the perfect world I would have a sink and a trench drain that my builder wouldn't do for me.

Utah is having a insane labor shortage housing market is unbelievable now my house is easily 200k more in a year. Labor a year ago was bad and now it's worse. I am fixing lots of issues and unfortunately it'd slowed me down a lot.

For me up next after my work bench ferm chamber I am upgrading the cold storage. Adding bulk storage options for grain and other brew supplies. Also making space for honey and apples once the orchard takes off.

A buddy of mine uses a old tub for a sink. He bought rubber mats for it. I can't tell you how perfect that thing is.

 

[Biggz1313]

Hydro seed goes down next week. Then it's time to service my tractor. Added some other pictures of what I am working with currently. Pictures are old.

I really think you are on a better track than I was. My new focus is easier faster brew so I can focus on recipe and brewing more. My hood vent is over kill but it's nice as I don't have to worry about mold.

My biggest regret is just the whole sink deal. In the perfect world I would have a sink and a trench drain that my builder wouldn't do for me.

Utah is having a insane labor shortage housing market is unbelievable now my house is easily 200k more in a year. Labor a year ago was bad and now it's worse. I am fixing lots of issues and unfortunately it'd slowed me down a lot.

For me up next after my work bench ferm chamber I am upgrading the cold storage. Adding bulk storage options for grain and other brew supplies. Also making space for honey and apples once the orchard takes off.

A buddy of mine uses a old tub for a sink. He bought rubber mats for it. I can't tell you how perfect that thing is.

Thanks for the update. House is looking great! Housing in Columbus is insane as well. Since we signed on our new construction home in Feb 2020 (moved in July 2020) the base price of our home went up 70k. Absolutely insane.

I think I'm going to go the utility sink route. I'm torn on whether to go cheap with the plastic sink, or drop crazy money on stainless steel. Just not sure stainless is worth it at this point for the sink and the money I save can be spent on RO system and what not.

Hopefully getting my basement framed in the next month or two, then plumbed, wired, and drywalled. Then the fun begins! Can't wait to have everything in one area and not having to lug 40+ gallons of water down to the basement on brewdays. Cheers man, brew room looks great!

 

[Jako]

tell me about it, having everything in once place make a huge difference. If anything it allows you to brew and come back to it little by little without the wife saying something.

that's crazy about the housing market. everyone wants out of big cities or looking for new work. plus all the annoying shortages. I assume we are all dealing with it one way or another. knowing you have equity in a house gives a sense of security happy for you.

this is what i think as sink goes. plastic all the way. its softer on kettles or other gear. cheaper as you said. but if the sink and brewery will be tied into a Bar i would invest in a stainless unit.

RO system is something i wish i did differently. i would have moved my RO unit closer to my kettle and not ran plumbing up higher. on the topic of water, i am able to use a hose and this has been amazing in lots of ways. i have built my new configuration to be 100% hooked together and CIP. i use a 15 foot hose to spray down the kettle for a pre rinse. i will also spray the floor while brewing to clean spills and use my mop stink.

the Floor is tile but thinking about it now a water prof rubber baseboard and sealed concrete would have been a wiser choice as you end up with a flat floor that makes for easier movement of anything on wheels and more sanitary. Charcoal grout is not the easiest to keep looking clean.

I am interested to see what you end up doing who knows you might give me some ideas. make a Tread if you haven't already.

 

[Biggz1313]

tell me about it, having everything in once place make a huge difference. If anything it allows you to brew and come back to it little by little without the wife saying something.

that's crazy about the housing market. everyone wants out of big cities or looking for new work. plus all the annoying shortages. I assume we are all dealing with it one way or another. knowing you have equity in a house gives a sense of security happy for you.

this is what i think as sink goes. plastic all the way. its softer on kettles or other gear. cheaper as you said. but if the sink and brewery will be tied into a Bar i would invest in a stainless unit.

RO system is something i wish i did differently. i would have moved my RO unit closer to my kettle and not ran plumbing up higher. on the topic of water, i am able to use a hose and this has been amazing in lots of ways. i have built my new configuration to be 100% hooked together and CIP. i use a 15 foot hose to spray down the kettle for a pre rinse. i will also spray the floor while brewing to clean spills and use my mop stink.

the Floor is tile but thinking about it now a water prof rubber baseboard and sealed concrete would have been a wiser choice as you end up with a flat floor that makes for easier movement of anything on wheels and more sanitary. Charcoal grout is not the easiest to keep looking clean.

I am interested to see what you end up doing who knows you might give me some ideas. make a Tread if you haven't already.

I'll definitely document the process. The amount of help and insight I've gotten from other people documenting their brewery build process, it'd only be right for me to do the same for others who may be in a similar situation.

I definitely agree on the plastic sink (it's not part of a bar) as less scratches on my fancy spike kettle was a thought I had as well. Floor is currently concrete, and the brew area I'm walling off I'm thinking I'll epoxy it to seal it for easier cleanup. It's amazing how quickly concrete soaks up liquid.

I too already use a 5ft hose in the utility sink upstairs in the laundry room with this spray nozzle for cleanup (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MLYGS90/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

My equipment will be clean in place as well. I pump as much trub (cold break/Hops) as I can into a bucket to empty in the back yard, what the pump/diptube wasn't able to reach I quickly suck out with a little. 1.5 gallon shopvac, then refill the kettle with some of my warm CFC water, add PBW, and turn on my clean in place ball for 20 minutes. biggest gripe right now is no plumbing in the basement, so can't wait for the running water/sink/RO system and I'll be set!

 

[Jako]

that spay nozzle is bank! sell me on it. haha

i want that spring looking sprayer so i can let go and not have it fall in the way.

that cleaning process sounds really good. i might have to try that. As of now i have a big tub that i dump my grain and hops into. i plan to compost soon so i will have a good use for it all. once i finish my transfer i spay the kettle down while running the pump into the mop sink. (one of the few good use's for it) once the water is clear i will add PBW and use the CIP ball.

i would love to find a way to reuse my RO waste water and the CFC water. i might invest in a cheap pump and use the RO waste and ice bottles to flash chill wort. I am starting to ramble.

i like the idea of Epoxy for easy clean up. like you said concrete turns into a sponge. my cold storage needs cleaning and some work to make it a proper cold storage.

You are on the right track. asking and reading up on other builds is a great idea. I did some but i wish i took some advice and knew what i did now. i wanted my brewery to look amazing and should have put more thought into how hard is it to clean and functional space.

last thought, if you can. make an access panel in the wall this way you can add water or electric to other parts of the room. this way you are not stuck to one lay out.

 

[Biggz1313]

that spay nozzle is bank! sell me on it. haha

i want that spring looking sprayer so i can let go and not have it fall in the way.

that cleaning process sounds really good. i might have to try that. As of now i have a big tub that i dump my grain and hops into. i plan to compost soon so i will have a good use for it all. once i finish my transfer i spay the kettle down while running the pump into the mop sink. (one of the few good use's for it) once the water is clear i will add PBW and use the CIP ball.

i would love to find a way to reuse my RO waste water and the CFC water. i might invest in a cheap pump and use the RO waste and ice bottles to flash chill wort. I am starting to ramble.

i like the idea of Epoxy for easy clean up. like you said concrete turns into a sponge. my cold storage needs cleaning and some work to make it a proper cold storage.

You are on the right track. asking and reading up on other builds is a great idea. I did some but i wish i took some advice and knew what i did now. i wanted my brewery to look amazing and should have put more thought into how hard is it to clean and functional space.

last thought, if you can. make an access panel in the wall this way you can add water or electric to other parts of the room. this way you are not stuck to one lay out.

haha yeah, that spray nozzel is pricey but it's actually one of the cheaper ones. I saw other very similar ones for like $180 and it better do way more than just spray water haha. I figured since I'm going to just buy a cheap faucet to hook a short hose up to, I could justify the cost. The spring looking sprayers that I saw were almost twice as expensive as that and it's pretty much tethered to the sink, where with this nozzle, I can use it with however long of a hose I buy. It's nice because a soft squeeze give you a nice wide cone of water for washing sidewalls down, but a hard squeeze gives you a nice hard jet of water for anything stubborn. I figured once I have some framing/walls up I'll just buy a small hook and hang the hose from the tap over the hood so this nozzle hangs down like the spray nozzle you're referring to, but if I ever need more length, just take the hose off the hook. So far it's been well worth the investment.

I just found out about all the waste water with the RO systems yesterday on a Brulosophy podcast and I immediately started to try and think how I can save some of it for cleanup and what not. If I can't think of a good way, I may just try and find a good place around town that I can fill bottles of RO and go that route. I've heard you can find it pretty cheap, the podcast said sometimes as low as like $0.24 per gallon, just a hassle to have to go pickup water whenever you want to brew.

Right now because no running water in the basement, I've been using a small $20 sump pump in a 7 gallon bucket that I fill with ice (sometimes ice packs I have a shitton of them) and pump the ice water through the CFC and then back into the same bucket. When that water gets too warm, I put the return hose into another empty bucket and refill the bucket with more cold water. The warm return water is typically what I'll use for cleaning so I don't have to heat cold tap water as much.

Access panel is a pretty good idea. I'll have to ask our guy helping on the basement if I can't work that in somehow.

 

[Jako]

extension of my brewer. also added another apple tree, i now have 8 trees. This tree is a gaffed with Cider verities Goldrush, Kingston black, Ashmeads Kernel and another one but i cant remember at this time. also have a current bush as well as a honeyberry bush i plan to play around with.

I hope to have Bee's next year just depends how carried away i end up getting with my side projects. the first week with the green house ended with the north wall giving in and me chasing panels all over. The worst part is i had the materials to make sure it didn't happen just not the time. I needed to add 3 valves in the front for grass before the hydro seed was sprayed. [ i might have said that but don't remember anymore}

 

[Jako]

haha yeah, that spray nozzel is pricey but it's actually one of the cheaper ones. I saw other very similar ones for like $180 and it better do way more than just spray water haha. I figured since I'm going to just buy a cheap faucet to hook a short hose up to, I could justify the cost. The spring looking sprayers that I saw were almost twice as expensive as that and it's pretty much tethered to the sink, where with this nozzle, I can use it with however long of a hose I buy. It's nice because a soft squeeze give you a nice wide cone of water for washing sidewalls down, but a hard squeeze gives you a nice hard jet of water for anything stubborn. I figured once I have some framing/walls up I'll just buy a small hook and hang the hose from the tap over the hood so this nozzle hangs down like the spray nozzle you're referring to, but if I ever need more length, just take the hose off the hook. So far it's been well worth the investment.

I just found out about all the waste water with the RO systems yesterday on a Brulosophy podcast and I immediately started to try and think how I can save some of it for cleanup and what not. If I can't think of a good way, I may just try and find a good place around town that I can fill bottles of RO and go that route. I've heard you can find it pretty cheap, the podcast said sometimes as low as like $0.24 per gallon, just a hassle to have to go pickup water whenever you want to brew.

Right now because no running water in the basement, I've been using a small $20 sump pump in a 7 gallon bucket that I fill with ice (sometimes ice packs I have a shitton of them) and pump the ice water through the CFC and then back into the same bucket. When that water gets too warm, I put the return hose into another empty bucket and refill the bucket with more cold water. The warm return water is typically what I'll use for cleaning so I don't have to heat cold tap water as much.

Access panel is a pretty good idea. I'll have to ask our guy helping on the basement if I can't work that in somehow.

I try to use the waste water to clean, chill my fermenter for now with frozen bottles in water using a old cooler. in the perfect world i could run the line up and out of the house into a storage tank used for plants or garden.