Organization tips, AKA how to get SWMBO off my case!

[kshuler]

So I am pretty new to this. Only have 3 batches so far since starting brewing in march. I do all brewing outside, so have to haul all my stuff up from the basement.

Unfortunately, i am currently relegated to a small dank area with a beam that is 6'2" high (I am 6'5"), spider infested, and with a 1/16" inch of dust everywhere. As a result it is a bit of a pain to go down there. What's worse, my stuff is all arranged in multiple plastic boxes that fill up a large portion of the available counter space. To me the buckets are organized (one for bottling, one for cleaners, one for additives and ingredients, etc), but I do have to say it looks very messy with all the hoses sticking out and various odd sized and shaped objects protruding from these containers.

SWMBO wants it "cleaned up." I think I convinced her that if I can move all the stuff to a more open area, not in the dank dark pit of despair, I can make things look much better.

But truth be told, I am not sure how to do it. I am planning on moving it to an area that has a pegboard wall, and I figure there must be some good ideas out there of how to make a decent looking and functional space, and hopefully avoid having to scoop spiders out of my mash tun every time I am going to brew.

Does anyone have pictures of their very well organized brewing areas so I can get some ideas of the best way to organize things?

Klaus

 

[homebrewer_99]

Since you like using plastic containers go to Wally World for the Christmas wrapping paper container for your raking canes and tubing.

 

[conpewter]

I'd look on craigslist for one of the nicer wood entertainment centers that have doors that close. You can fig two big tubs where the TV goes, and also have room below on some to fit other tubs/buckets. We used to use one as our "gift cabinet" where we'd store gifts and gift making supplies (we shop way ahead)

 

[whatsleftofyou]

Here's what I did after SWMBO got on my case about organizing my brewing stuff. I got all of the shelving at Menard's for $17 a piece I think

http://www.baydenocbrewers.org/random/joshbrew1.jpg
http://www.baydenocbrewers.org/random/joshbrew2.jpg
http://www.baydenocbrewers.org/random/joshbrew3.jpg

 

[Freezestat]

Here is what I did.

I too have a SWMBO on my case about all the "stuff". What I did is made a beer that she enjoys. Personally I hate the brew she likes, but it keeps her off my rear. I brew her beer every now and then and she seems to tolerate all the "stuff".

If she's not a beer drinker, well then you know what to do......

 

[fugazzi]

Here is what I did.

I too have a SWMBO on my case about all the "stuff". What I did is made a beer that she enjoys. Personally I hate the brew she likes, but it keeps her off my rear. I brew her beer every now and then and she seems to tolerate all the "stuff".

If she's not a beer drinker, well then you know what to do......

+1 I started making dry cider cause she loves it. Since it's literally pouring apple juice in a carboy with yeast, I just make a batch every time I brew.

I do use shelves in the garage, but most of my stuff is all over the place. I'm still working on a system myself.

 

[JetSmooth]

I've got even less space than you, my friend. ALL of my stuff needs to fit in the space under the basement stairs.

Now, I don't have quite as much stuff as whatsleftofyou. Everything stacks wthin each otherin 5 gallons buckets except racking canes and autosiphons. My hoses coil up in a 5 gallon Lowes bucket, which seats inside my Mash Tun (igloo beverage cooler). Pump and switchbox goes into another 5 gallon Lowes bucket, which sits in the brewkettle. Other Misc stuff goes in a third 5 gallon bucket. Bottling bucket (with all my bottling paraphrenalia) sits on top.

Planning on making a "long thing" storage case out of PVC pipe with caps on either end.

The only thing that doesn't fit under the stairs is my empty bottles, which sit in an old (non-working) 1950's fridge. once I get my chest keezer and kegs going, those will be placed under the stairs as well where the corny kegs are.

Will try to get pics of what oyu can fit in a small space.

 

[homebrewer_99]

JetSmooth: FYI...it's not a good idea to stack your buckets inside each other because the outside of one bucket scratches the inside of the other.

I have it better than most of you guys since I have my own brewing kitchen in the basement with counter space and 2 hospital-type stainless medicine cabinets plus a storage room (and shelving) for my gear. Basically about a 1/3 of the basement. I have a kegerator and beer fridge in the kitchen area, an upright freezer is in the storage room, and keezer is in the garage (where the extra 12 carboys are stored).

 

[brewser09]

Before we moved my dad and i kept all of our stuff under his basement steps. My dad being handy built a 2x10 cart on wheels we kept everything on it and come brew day we just pulled the whole cart out. It was much easier than climbing back there to get bottles etc.

 

[JetSmooth]

These aren't butkcet I use for fermenting. Just storage. Not too worried about scratching the inside of the mash tun (pre-boil) or the kettle (plastic's not going to scratch the stainless steel). But thanks for mentioning that. I definitely don't want to stack anything inside the bottling bucket.

 

[BellTap]

Same problem here. All my stuff is currently in the laundry room. Stuff is stacked on the dryer, on shelves next to the soap and dryer sheets. I have a makeshift shelf intruding on the clothes hanging area for the fermenters. I have to keep an inch between the shelf and the appliances or my brews get shook up during the spin cycle. Plus I make a huge mess in the kitchen whenever I brew. So my plan is to rearrange that room with a new shelving system and add a mop sink for cleanup.

 

[deflagratio]

If you can get pegboard and some sort of shelving or cabinet you should be in good shape. The pegboard can hold all the hoses and anything long like racking canes or paddles while the cabinet and shelving hold bottles, fermenters, brew kettles, etc. Look restaurants going out of business and you can get some very nice shelving for super cheap.

 

[kshuler]

Thanks everyone. Especially thanks for posting the pictures. Does anyone use pegboard for their brewing organization system? I have a good amount of it in the basement that I almost threw out yesterday. How can one hang the long racking canes, autosiphon, etc and all of the hose from these things without making it look disorganized and messy?

Klaus

 

[azscoob]

I use a turkey fryer pot for heating mash and sparge water, I boil in a keggle, and chill with an immersion chiller. the chiller fits in the fryer pot, along with mash paddle and pond pump for chiller use, the pot fits inside of the keggle, this sits on top of my mash tun cooler, inside the tun is the extension chord and any other misc bits., the fryer burner goes under my gas grill in the cabinet area, the cooler I use for chiller ice water sits in the garage on a shelf. aside from the carboys I can shove all of my brewgear into the cooler and the keggle, small footprint for storage.
I was wondering why SWMBO would be pinging about your "mess" if its in a basement, in a spider infested dusty corner? its not like you have it next to the dining room table.

My wife says nothing about my brew stuff, she gets most all of the house to decorate, and fuss over (that I end up doing the painting, hanging, repairing or improving), I have my bar room, and a closet with my brew gear stacked in it, she has no place in my bar, nor the brew closet. She understands "my space, my stuff, stay out", nuff said.

 

[Hoppus_Poppatopolis]

Moral of the story: brew some beer for your dear to get her off your rear.

Okay, that was bad. You could do what I did and encourage your wife to have a hobby that involves lots of...stuff. My wife's into beading/jewelry making and making kefir and kombucha. She takes up at least as much room as me. Problem solved.

 

[tvtoms]

Thanks everyone. Especially thanks for posting the pictures. Does anyone use pegboard for their brewing organization system? I have a good amount of it in the basement that I almost threw out yesterday. How can one hang the long racking canes, autosiphon, etc and all of the hose from these things without making it look disorganized and messy?

Klaus

Do they sell a cabinet system made for pegboard?
Or maybe use one of those long wallpaper trays for your spoons, siphons, hydrometers.. rest it on some pegs higher than your wives eye level maybe?

Good luck

 

[HorribleCatfish]

Become a HWMBO.

 

[Jewrican]

Become a HWMBO.

:rockin:

 

[bovineblitz]

In my case I live in a small apartment with SWMBO. My AG stuff takes up way too much space and I have a ton of bottles. I've taken to putting hooks in the closet on the wall and ceiling and hang everything I can, put 22oz bottles in milk crates, then I just got a super cheap shelving unit from Home Depot and store everything else on there. I built 3-sided 'fermentation cabinet' out of one sheet of cheap plywood and ferment in the bedroom behind that. Carboys can be kind of a problem but I'm lucky enough to have a 5gallon pyrex glass carboy, the mouth of a better bottle can fit into the mouth of that upside-down so that saves a little space.

It's still a mess, but it helps a lot to get stuff off the floor. It's a challenge... can't wait til I have a legit brewing space, it's tough working with the space I've got, gets kind of frustrating.

 

[xoltri]

It was my wife's idea to start making wine, and the Brewhouse kits I'm using use the same equipment so I've got it easier than the rest of you. Also I just personally finished my basement this year and I built myself a work room with a bench and shelving for storage. So I have everything in there for this hobby on an old kitchen table.

Best suggestion I have in general is to go vertical with your storage. Costco sells some really nice metal/MDF shelving here in Canada, I'm sure they have it in the US also. We bought 4 of them and have one in my work room and 3 in the garage...it really helps you stay organized. Also I put a few sheets of plywood in the rafters of the garage to store stuff which doesn't get used often giving me more room in the work room.