ISO Garage Brew House ideas

[gratefulbrewer]

First off I have only been brewing for about a year now and have only done extract kits. I have always used the kitchen for my brewing, but now the SWMBO has told me no more! This actually makes me quite happy. She has told me that I can have half the garage to use for my brewing and equipment. I would like to know how many of you guys brew in your garages and see kinds of set ups you all have in your garages. I will be purchasing equipment in the very near future to start brewing all grain. I look forward to seeing everyones garage pics and reading any suggestion you al may have. Thanks guys!!!

 

[Seabee John]

I ran into the same situation a few years ago when I was officially "banned from the Galley" Turned out it was one of the best things that could happen. First, a few things to ponder:

Question: Is your garage attached or separate from the house?
Why: If the garage is separate, you should invest in some good food safe grade water hoses to get water into the garage... a good place to look is an RV parts sales store. Conversely, if the garage is attached and heated, consider adding plumbing and a deep sink.

Question: Do you have proper ventilation in your garage?
Why: Most commercially available turkey fryers or LP burners used to heat your kettle or MLT can produce a significant amount of CO gasses. Just cracking the garage door open a bit may not be adequate to keep you safe.

Question: Is "your half" of the garage going to be used for parking a vehicle when not brewing?
Why: Good clean and organized storage of your equipment IMHO is a must. A place for everything and everything in it's place will only make your brewday go more smooth.

Question: Is your garage heated?
Why: I keep my garage at about 45 deg F. during the winter. At that temperature, I found I can still ferment ales with a little ingenuity and a trip to the hardware store. see the bare-bones-fermentation-cabinet. Also, if the garage is heated, you may have the opportunity to design your brew rig for use with natural gas... check out Nicksteck's Rig for ideas.

Some items that have made a big difference on brewdays:

Kegerator (Gotta have home brew handy)
Squeegee - the floor is going to get wet at some point... having a good squeegee is nice for quick clean up.
Water Filter - I've got one conveniently mounted inside the door ( I use hoses to get water to the garage) I just hook up the hose and filter the water as it comes in.
Hammock, blankets and a pillow - let's face it, she kicked you out of the kitchen, now you wont be spending time with her in the house.... could be a few rough nights ahead.... but she'll get used to it and it will get better! Besides, it's always nice to have a quick fix for an intoxicated friend who came over for a brewday... a night in the hammock is better than a night in the clink.

Take your time and plan well..... then build slowly as things will change.

good luck!

 

[DarkSide]

I am just starting to build my garage brewery as well. First off, you are in the right place if it is information you seek. The group of brewers here are great and all are willing to help. It is a wonderful community. Since I have been here, about a month, I have built my Mashtun and a Counter Flow wort Chiller (CFC). In the next week or two I am going to build my brew stand, get my burners and order some equipment. For brew kettles I am going to convert 2 Kegs to kettles. Anyhow, I am soon going to start posting everything I have done and what I am doing, in my own thread. Welcome aboard.

 

[Battery_BreweryNJ]

Here's the most recent pic i have of my setup, not completely done but i feel that your never "done" when it comes to brewing equipment. Since this pic i have added a 10gallon cooler mlt as well as many other odds and ends.

 

[Skrimpy]

LMAO. You want to have your garage ISO certified? You are someone that is serious about QC! Start selling your beer and I'll buy it! I think it costs around 10 grand or something like that for the certification. I could be wrong, check here...I couldn't find anything about certifying a brewery.

http://www.iso.org/iso/home.htm

 

[Seabee John]

LMAO. You want to have your garage ISO certified? You are someone that is serious about QC! Start selling your beer and I'll buy it! I think it costs around 10 grand or something like that for the certification. I could be wrong, check here...I couldn't find anything about certifying a brewery.

ISO - International Organization for Standardization

ISO stands for "In search of"

 

[gratefulbrewer]

Thanks guys for your great advice! I'm excited about getting started on the garage very soon. Thank you John for clarifying the ISO.

 

[mr_goodwrench]

ISO stands for "In search of"

Leonard Nimoy would be proud...


Seriously though, I too will be moving operations to the garage. I haven't had much time to brew lately due to my work schedule and the fact that it has been too cold to brew on my deck(I know, a real man would be out there in sub-zero temps). My first step is to clear out all the clutter & junk that has accumulated out there in the past few years!

I really like the idea of mounting a water filter inside the garage door. I will definitely be using that one.