Tips for building my room

[Fingers]

So I bought a complete electric brewing system and now I'm building my basement room to suit. It's a commercial all stainless system with a 15 gallon conical. I'm quite handy so I"m starting with a 10' x 14' bare concrete room and I'll insulate and plumb it to fit.

So I have some ideas, from running my water through the ceiling over the boil kettle and the sink, to placing removable carpet tiles that can be picked up and washed, but I"m looking for other tips and ideas you've either incorporated into your room or wish you had. Whatcha got?

 

[Rhumbline]

I've never designed a brew house, but I've been involved in the design of many labs. Here are a few things to consider.

Excellent ventilation, you'll be creating a lot of steam.
Rather than carpeting, I'd suggest something like an epoxy floor. Tough as nails and easy to clean. It won't hold moisture. You'll need something like a rubber pad to stand on to prevent fatigue.
Walls and ceiling also easy to clean and moisture resistant. The FRP panels might be ugly, but they are a good choice, otherwise use materials and finishes made for bathrooms or high moisture environs.
Big sink, and one of those spray hose contraptions that you see over sinks in restaurants.
When you think you have a design that you like, tape it off on the floor and go through a typical brew day routine imagining doing the process from start to finish.
A telephone if your cell doesn't work down there.
Are you going to be storing bulk grain? How do you get it in there?
Fridge for yeast?
Does your wireless work down there? If not, do you need network connection or a WAP?
If brewing in the cellar, how do you get the beer upstairs? Some type of a hoist contraption might be helpful.

 

[applescrap]

So I bought a complete electric brewing system and now I'm building my basement room to suit. It's a commercial all stainless system with a 15 gallon conical. I'm quite handy so I"m starting with a 10' x 14' bare concrete room and I'll insulate and plumb it to fit.

So I have some ideas, from running my water through the ceiling over the boil kettle and the sink, to placing removable carpet tiles that can be picked up and washed, but I"m looking for other tips and ideas you've either incorporated into your room or wish you had. Whatcha got?

I have no idea at all whatsoever but here in Denver where there are lots of breweries / taprooms that are popping up everywhere with decent food I've seen some Brewery spaces.... they have awesome slick drainage systems, concrete floors, waterproof walls, hoses and spigots everywhere right? im thinking flat screens tv, stereo , lighting worthwhile.... tough stools sorry i even said something really as i dont know but I want to be outside in my backyard for reasons of no problem making big messes in case I get serious and start brewing 15 gallons

 

[Fingers]

We think alike, Rhumbline. I'll be doing the room in white bathroom tiles, and over the years I've been collecting equipment for the brew room 'one day'. That day is here. I have a huge industrial kitchen sink that is perfect for cleaning large pieces of equipment. I don't have a pull down sprayer yet, but I"m keeping my eyes open.

I also have a large stainless hood that was left behind in one of my old rental houses by a tenant. I think the guy wanted to use it as a light hood to grow marijuana but was too lazy to modify it. Good for me. It is pretty big, though, and I'm concerned I may not have the clearance to install it and still be able to work over the pot. I have a panel that measures heat and humidity and switches an AC circuit for the fan. I can just leave it on at the end of a brew day to evacuate the last of the humidity.

I guess I wasn't clear on the carpet panels, but they're removable to clean because I don't want a permanent floor, as you suggest. They will be my anti fatigue mats and to keep the floor a little bit warmer than bare concrete.

I won't need to carry my beer upstairs. I"m planning on running lines from my keezer up into my bar. I"ll insulate them and use a lift pump to circulate cold water around the lines if necessary.

I have a small electric pressure washer I was thinking of using for cleaning. Do you think that's overkill or too messy? My gas washer outside is way too powerful for most cleaning jobs, but I recall being disappointed at the pressure developed by the electric models. It might be perfect for this application. I guess I can test it and see.

I like your idea of taping things off. I may do that before I start the walls since filling the room up with equipment and then taking it out again in order to get a feel for it is a lot of work. Also, I have a sump pit in an awkward spot in the room, and my sewage pump is in there too. I am going to move the pump to a better location and I was thinking of making a table over the sump pit to make use of what would be wasted area. Hang on, I'll take a picture of the room and post it up.

 

[Fingers]

Here's the room all torn apart....

 

[Fingers]

I have no idea at all whatsoever but here in Denver where there are lots of breweries / taprooms that are popping up everywhere with decent food I've seen some Brewery spaces.... they have awesome slick drainage systems, concrete floors, waterproof walls, hoses and spigots everywhere right? im thinking flat screens tv, stereo , lighting worthwhile.... tough stools sorry i even said something really as i dont know but I want to be outside in my backyard for reasons of no problem making big messes in case I get serious and start brewing 15 gallons

I live in Manitoba, so my brewing is limited to the months where the air isn't trying to kill you. The problem is the warmer months is my busy time. I needed more convenience in my brewing so that I can do it when it's raining, snowing, etc. Backyard brewing is nice in the summer, but it takes time to set up, clean everything, haul it all in the house, and tear down.

I'll have a stereo and TV in the room. I had some speakers that I've since realized are too big so I've taken the Bose 301s out of the garage and they're going downstairs. Since the room is under the bedroom, I'll insulate the ceiling so my wife doesn't begin to resent the brew room and/or the tunes.

 

[iijakii]

I have a small electric pressure washer I was thinking of using for cleaning. Do you think that's overkill or too messy? My gas washer outside is way too powerful for most cleaning jobs, but I recall being disappointed at the pressure developed by the electric models. It might be perfect for this application. I guess I can test it and see.

I'd be insanely jealous of a washdown brew room with floor drain.

 

[applescrap]

This sounds really really well thought out. I don't say things well that is exactly what I was thinking a long angled drain in floor going across floor to drain so you could squeegee or mop fluid in from anywhere along with water proof walls you could get crazy cleaning. I don't think pressure washers going too far I like my s*** clean so if you think it will work great. I like idea of cutting down sink I'm getting older lower seems like it would be a little better to get in pots and stuff. I have been building s*** lately with a Craig jig a storage bench with hidden storage? Built ins? Wainscoting? I wish I could think of things like taping off the room and practice running and also how you are going to get the beer upstairs. Your guys brilliance i enjoy.

 

[applescrap]

Angle pan?

View attachment 1446787080633.jpg

 

[kal]

While it's long, take a lot at my basement build thread for all the things I considered and went through in building my brewery (see my sig below) - There are hundreds of pictures, considerations, etc. If nothing else, it'll minimize the chance of you having any "oh - I didn't think about that" moments.

Good luck!

Kal

 

[Vesteroid]

Did my cleaning run on kals system in my garage yesterday. Left one valve open as I was filling a pot and gallons went onto the floor before I saw it. All I can say is I am glad I have an epoxy floor. I would have hated having carpet tiles to lift up and dry out. I took a broom and swept it to the garage door, then a quick mop and was dry in about ten minutes.

I painted all the Sheetrock with an exterior elastomeric paint and am realitvely sure I have a good seal.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Did my cleaning run on kals system in my garage yesterday. Left one valve open as I was filling a pot and gallons went onto the floor before I saw it. All I can say is I am glad I have an epoxy floor. I would have hated having carpet tiles to lift up and dry out. I took a broom and swept it to the garage door, then a quick mop and was dry in about ten minutes.

I painted all the Sheetrock with an exterior elastomeric paint and am realitvely sure I have a good seal.

With a nice epoxy floor are you using a mat anywhere?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003U1SHRE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I bought something like this for my garage in front of my brew table..so spills and tiny bits that come out when exchanging hoses dont make the floor slippery and dangerous.

 

[singybrue]

I think carpet in a brewery is about the worst idea ever-easily removable or not.
Spills, drips and all out floods are inevitable.
After an evening spent in my basement brewery last night, a urinal is #1 on my wish list!

 

[Fingers]

While it's long, take a lot at my basement build thread for all the things I considered and went through in building my brewery (see my sig below) - There are hundreds of pictures, considerations, etc. If nothing else, it'll minimize the chance of you having any "oh - I didn't think about that" moments.

Good luck!

Kal

I haven't gotten all the way through your thread yet, kal, but I showed the first few pictures to my wife and we agree that the room will have a windown like yours in the front. I had originally planned on building an enclosed room but I like the look of that.

 

[Fingers]

It looks like it will be an expoxy floor, too.

 

[Fingers]

Framing under way with my buddy, Bryan.

 

[Fingers]

Framing complete.

 

[Fingers]

Ready for tiling.

 

[Fingers]

Lots of power in the room. I have a dedicated outlet for my sewage pump, another for one of the sump pumps, the other sump pump shares with just one other outlet right next to it, four outlets on thier own circuit the west wall about a foot above where the stainless counter will go, and three on the west wall above where the brewery will go that share a circuit with three others on another wall in the basement. Main brewery power is a six gauge cable on a 60 amp breaker.

 

[eelgerg]

Former Victoria Beach regular and regular at the Pine Falls Golf Course, and recent convert to homebrewing - now living in Kamloops, BC (but I'm still a winnipeger at heart). I'm subscribing to your thread partly because of our Manitoban link, and also because if I can buy a house with a dedicated basement room, I'd like to do something like this as well.

Good luck!

 

[Fingers]

Thanks for your interest, eelgerg.As you can imagine, in this climate brewing is a seasonal sport unless it can be done indoors. I guess the rain in BC limits you a fair amount as well.

It's slow going because work is really only happening on the weekends. I have yet to make a batch with the brewery I bought in the fall. The inaugural brew will likely be quite celebratory.

 

[Joshham84]

woah

 

[AkBrew907]

Following. Curious to see how this turns out!

 

[Fingers]

I have french doors for the entrance, but I'm not going to put them on until closer to the end so they don't get in the way. I'm looking for a deal on a couple of windows for either side of the door. I need a couple that are approximately 2' x 3'. If I don't find any by the time I have to install, I'll just buy some glass and make my own frames.

The tile will be 8" x 11" subway tiles, with a band in the middle of 3" x 6" subway tiles framed by black 2" square tiles on each side. As you can see by the picture, the tiles won't go all the way to the floor. I'm in the country and we've had a few 'events' that resulted in 4" of water in the basement. I want to be able to dry things out without having to tear all the walls out.... again. I'll finish the bottom 15" in plastic laminate flooring.

 

[Fingers]

I haven't updated for a while. Most of the tiling is done. Things keep getting in the way so it's not going as fast as I like, but it hasn't stalled.

The halogen light I have on when I work washes out the photo, and the little ceiling light is too dark. Anyway, it's all ceramic tiles. The little ones take FOREVER to appky, but they sure look good.

 

[Fingers]

The tiles are all on the walls now, except the south wall where the door is. That's because I still need a couple of windows before I can finish framing it, but between the French doors and the windows, there won't be much tiling. I still have to grout, but the bulk of the work is done. I've had enough tiling for a while now. After the grout, I enclose that ugly cold air return vent in pine T & G panelling.