fitup basement for brewing

[william_shakes_beer]

OK: I'm buying a house with an unfinished basement. Want to finish out one area to dedicate to brewing. Any suggestions on where to prioritize? Would like to be able to boil indoors if I can do it safely (read ventilation fans to outside) but can boil outside as well. Any dos/donts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I'd recommend an electric rig for indoors with proper exhaust. You'll want a 30-50 Amp GFCI breaker dedicated, hot and cold water, a large sink, and a cold room for fermenting

*edit*
A floor drain is a great idea. tile or linoleum on floor and walls. Being able to hose the whole place out would be great

 

[bighoss]

Guess I was a bit too late with this.............

Well I've not began brewing but I can think of a few dos and don'ts. One is to not use any type of gas without proper ventilation, which of course you already knew. Second is to make sure that you will have enough room around your brew station, as well as above it for good air movement, and so that nothing is able to get close to open flames. Another would be to make sure there is good drainage in case of a major spill. I'm sure there are more, but at the moment I'm drawing a blank. Another option for you instead of using gas would be to do an all electric system. You still may need some sort of ventilation for the evaporated water, but you will have less of a chance of carbon monoxide build up. Well that's probably all the advice I can give at the moment. Hopefully a more experienced brewer can help you out.

 

[Hammy71]

Going electric is probably the best indoor option. A laundry tub is another nice addition.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Going electric is probably the best indoor option. A laundry tub is another nice addition.

I have both in my unfinished basement, and love it. I highly recommend it.

TB

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Things to consider in a basement brewery:

1. Floor drain
2. Washable wall material
3. Adequate lighting
4. Utility sink
5. Hot/cold water supply
6. Ventilation
7. Use electricity instead of propane, if you can

Beyond those, there are some additional luxuries, but these will be the basics of a good brewing setup in the basement.

TB

 

[the_bird]

What about space for a cold room? Is there a spot that you wall in, insulate, and install an AC unit?

 

[Cranapple]

A related question, which should hopefully also help answer the OP... If I use natural gas for my kitchen stove, shouldn't I be able to use the same natural gas safely in a basement (with the proper burner and with the hookup done by a licensed professional)?

 

[RM-MN]

Carbon dioxide is heavier than air and I think carbon monoxide is too. When you are using the gas burner in your kitchen and open the door to go get the morning paper, the carbon dioxide rushes out too. In a basement without proper ventilation, the carbon dioxide just sits there getting more concentrated and deeper from the floor. If you pass out from it, you end up on the floor, the worst possible place.

 

[Cranapple]

Carbon dioxide is heavier than air and I think carbon monoxide is too. When you are using the gas burner in your kitchen and open the door to go get the morning paper, the carbon dioxide rushes out too. In a basement without proper ventilation, the carbon dioxide just sits there getting more concentrated and deeper from the floor. If you pass out from it, you end up on the floor, the worst possible place.

I'm not trying to be a jerk and argue with you (and further hijack Mr. Shakes-Beer's thread) since I did ask the question. I thought the answer had merit... so I checked the relative molecular weights.

CO2 = 44.01
CO = 28.01
average molecular weight of all air components: 28.97

That makes CO slightly lighter than air, so I'm not sure if it would sink much, probably mix in, which might be why it's so dangerous. I don't really know.

 

[BWN]

A natural gas stove puts out a lot less than a burner you would use for brewing does.

 

[BierMuncher]

Fan in.
Fan out.
Double basin shop sink.
Near floor drain is good but not imperative.
Two dedicated 110 circuits if your going gas. (I like lots of light, TV and I have two kegerators going.)
Cable TV connection.
Near a walk out door if you have it.
Heavy shelving for bottle storage, fermenters, etc...

 

[Cranapple]

Thanks, and sorry for the hijack!

 

[NWMOBrewer]

Get a few air purifiers, and have a wok style stove built in your basement. Wok style stoves should have enough heat to do a 10 gallon boil. Also, install a CO detector that sounds the alarm throughout your entire house, they are relatively easy to install. Also, a good range hood for a home kitchen should be enough, just make sure its really powerful

 

[smmcdermott]

I don't have any experience in making a brewcave, however, jsut like a kitchen, I like a lot of counter space for my brew area. If it were mer, I would definitely make sure I have a lot of counterspace. I also like the washable walls someone mentioned. Electric brewing is cheaper than burner brewing too, so I would stick with that, then you won't need to worry about the heavy duty ventilation (will still need some ventilation though).

 

[NWMOBrewer]

restaurant style counters would work very well because they are power-washable

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...309D193945C19127DA8&first=1&FORM=IDFRIR&qpvt=

that style I would put there with the sink and sprayer

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Fan in.
Fan out.
Double basin shop sink.
Near floor drain is good but not imperative.
Two dedicated 110 circuits if your going gas. (I like lots of light, TV and I have two kegerators going.)
Cable TV connection.
Near a walk out door if you have it.
Heavy shelving for bottle storage, fermenters, etc...

You just described my basement (though electric, not gas).

TB

 

[the_bird]

restaurant style counters would work very well because they are power-washable

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...309D193945C19127DA8&first=1&FORM=IDFRIR&qpvt=

that style I would put there with the sink and sprayer

You see a lot of restaurants that have failed selling their stuff quickly and cheaply on Craigslist. If I had more room to play with, I would *love* to install one of those huge, three-bay stainless steel sinks and some SS countertops (I know I've seen the sinks for sale locally, just haven't pulled the plug).

I had an electrician buddy install outlets all over my basement a few years ago, too. Didn't cost me much money at all, he was charging me the "under the table" rate but even with all the materials and doing everything proper and to code, it was maybe $500. Helps a lot both for brewing (being able to put fridges wherever you want) and for hooking up TVs, doing stuff in the shop, etc.

 

[RM-MN]

I'm not trying to be a jerk and argue with you (and further hijack Mr. Shakes-Beer's thread) since I did ask the question. I thought the answer had merit... so I checked the relative molecular weights.

CO2 = 44.01
CO = 28.01
average molecular weight of all air components: 28.97

That makes CO slightly lighter than air, so I'm not sure if it would sink much, probably mix in, which might be why it's so dangerous. I don't really know.

Thanks for correcting me on the CO. I do know that it absorbs into the bloodstream better than oxygen in the air which is part of why it is so dangerous.

 

[WorldHistoryBrewers]

I bought a home with a basement just for that purpose. I bought natural gas burners and hooked in to my furnace plumbing. For the exhaust problem a friend of mine built me a hood range and I bought a hi velocity exhaust fan on line. I have brewed about for times since construction and it works great. I have a Carbon Monoxide detector and it has never gone off. You can see some of my pics on my profile.