New Basement Brewery Build

Bensiff said:

Looking good so far...so what is your time split? I'm guessing 50-50 between actually working and stumbling around Lowes looking for and then deciding on what to get .

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Oh not too much... Every few days... But i have quite a bit of supplies from other projects..

I does help to have a pretty good plan of the end result before you get started.... It has been a pretty fun process though.. Never would have thought a year ago i would be were i am now... But I'll take it!!

Holy peat smoked malt! That is awesome.

so far so good man! Keep up the great work!

Thanks guys... Going to try and lay some tile tonight after work.

I have been accused by a poster... *G-Spot*... of having some day laborers work in the basement while I am at work... He may be removed from the guest list!!! LOL

highland_brewer said:

Thanks guys... Going to try and lay some tile tonight after work.

I have been accused by a poster... *G-Spot*... of having some day laborers work in the basement while I am at work... He may be removed from the guest list!!! LOL

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Well, you did admit to hitting up the big box store every few days...they do have a ready source of day labor .

Seriously though, I believe you, projects can be funny, it has taken me 6 months to dry wall my garage but this summer I ripped off the siding on the front face of my house and then my neighbor and I resided it with Hardi...took two days to include a bunch of cedar shingle work. A little experience, the correct tools, and planning before you ever pick up a hammer can make things go pretty quick.

This is an awesome build! I am also in C-Bus and brewing in my garage in February es no bueno. I have been eyeing our basement laundry room for two years looking to do exactly what you have done.

What are you doing about return air for the exhaust hood? I'm a little nervous about CO in my basement since I'll be near the furnace and hot water heater.

Regardless, fantastic work. Truly top notch.

Badclown... no C02... all electric :cross: If you notice from the photos there is a basement window in the same space... it has a small 6"x12" window that opens.. voila makeup air.. could not have been in a better spot.. well maybe a little farther way. My hood will cover a little of the window.

Bensiff... I swear no illegal immigrant labor was used in this project. Only me
planning is key and the ability to adapt to your plan NOT going according to plan!!

highland_brewer said:

the ability to adapt to your plan NOT going according to plan!!

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I think that is the first plan of every project...Murphy is lurking and the only way to beat him is multiple unplanned trips to Lowes.

bensiff said:

i think that is the first plan of every project...murphy is lurking and the only way to beat him is multiple unplanned trips to lowes.

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amen!!!

As a person wil a great deal of skills in construction... you sir have done an AMAZING job! You spent a great deal of time planning this, and the execution is brilliant. If your brew is only half as good as your brewery, you'll be winning awards and the love, respect and admiration of your friends and some strangers. WELL DONE! ... oh and SUBSCRIBED!

Thanks Sardoth... LOTS of work but it will be worth it in the end!!

Ok before I go any further....

NEW ADDITION TO THE EQUIPMENT LIST!!!



New Mash Tun... 20 gal w/false bottom. (no I did not put any effects on the photo...lol that is how it came out!!)





And I thought the 15 gallon pots were big... that thing is a monster!!

Ok enough on that on to progress.

Got everything all squared up ready to lay tile.



Thought I would try a brick layer style trick..
Eyelet at both ends of the space and use a line level to put a slight slope to the tile as I laid them.







Slightly off bubble... kinda like me!!

(worked ok... not my best idea ever but it worked.)

So this is what I accomplished today... had I realized the spacing on the tile I would have moved my curb about a 1/2 inch out then I would have been able to use full tiles. As it is I need to trim about a 1/2 inch off the back row.. MEH... that's what wet saws are for!!

subbed

Well not anything stellar tonight... but got the rest of the tile for the floor cut and laid out.

So here is where I made it to last night. I guess it is the "Artsy F-er" in me but I did not like just a blank wall of tile. Soooo I had to go and find something to break it up a little. After about an hour of searching in home depot I finally settled on a glass tile insert to break it up. Then of course where to put it. I got to thinking if I am going to go to the trouble and expense to do it, I should put it high enough you can see it when the kettles are in the space. so that is why it is as high as it is.

Tell me what you think??

Looks awesome! Subscribed!

Great build! subscribed! As for the HVAC issue you probably can skate with an open window near or in the same room as exhaust fan. But if you were to build in a furnace room or laundry room i would run a dedicated outside air return to the floor of that area. This is of coarse assuming your house is newer or energy efficient (tight). Anytime you displace air volume outside the house you create a Negative P in the house, which will eventually draw air down your stack(s), making it hard to remove combustion from other appliances, ultimately resulting in CO2 back draft. (for me it was down through the hot water heater stack) balance is more then just something needed to stand on a tightrope

Hot water is electric and HVAC is high efficiency....with its own fresh air inlet nothing to draw down...i do have a second window on the other aside of the brewery if necessary

Well I did get some things done on Friday. (The rest of the weekend was spent on my a$$ with a severe sinus infection.. YUCK) One more wall almost completed and and a TON of cutting tile for the other wall(s). I hope to have the tile work done by the end of this coming weekend... I NEED TO BREW it is killing me!!





Starting to look like something..

My wife came down and said it looked nice and thought she might turn it into a shower... NOPE!!

As long as she doesn't mind monitoring the mash temp while showering and wont splash, I'd be cool with it!

My wife built a shower in the basement...I turned it into a fermentation room. It has plumbing...maybe I could repurpose it further. Great job on the build. Look forward to seeing more.

So now I have to ask, as SWMBO came in a looked over my shoulder as I was reading through this thread, and said that she wanted one like it. Where did you get the faucet and sink, she loves it and wants one, (which I will repurpose for my uses)!!

Great job on the build so far look forward to seeing more

Wow. Subbed.

Topdawg2881 said:

So now I have to ask, as SWMBO came in a looked over my shoulder as I was reading through this thread, and said that she wanted one like it. Where did you get the faucet and sink, she loves it and wants one, (which I will repurpose for my uses)!!

Great job on the build so far look forward to seeing more

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got them off of Ebay from http://stores.ebay.com/abrestaurantequipment

Some of the best pricing with free shipping..

You're Killing Me Smalls!

I feel completely inadequate. And poor.

high5apparatus said:

You're Killing Me Smalls!

I feel completely inadequate. And poor.

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lol

Highland_brewer,

Do you have a wiring diagram for your control panel? I really like the simplicity of your design and would like to construct something similar.

I can try to whip something out... I did not do one initially just wired "from the hip". I did learn alot from my first control panel that was a mess...lol

Anyone know if PJ uses software to do his? I suppose you could just use an image program..

Sidetrack a little from the room itself...

A friend of mine is an extremely talented carpenter and he is constructing the hood for me. It is going to be made of wood, sealed then painted and a stainless shell installed around 3 sides of the hood.

Here is where he is so far.



2 sheets 3/4" cabinet grade plywood.



Dado cuts in the side panels to receive the top panel.



Top and sides assembled



Call it a box...



Hood essentially completed, cleats installed on top for mounting to the roof, now all thats left is to seal and paint it. Then install it.

Got 98% of the tile work done over the last couple of days.. (sorry no pics yet) try to finish the tiling of the curb tonight, then HOPEFULLY grout tomorrow and *fingers crossed* brew on Sunday.. lots to do between now and then!!

highland, great work. i have to give you big props. very interested in seeing how this turns out.

one day i'll get mine....

Finally got the tile work done... tomorrow... grout and install sink and seal hood for painting

My basement brewery is going to look like a total piece of crap next to this one. I'm not even going to post the pictures of it from embarrassment.

Lando, I get carried away sometimes... If it works for you and makes beer who cares.

Got the grout work done today. Thanks to SWMBO for helping me from the brink of insanity... I will NOT be doing any dark grout work anytime in the near future... Looks great but MAN WHAT A PITA... had to sponge, rinse, repeat about 50 billion times... but got it done. Little caulking around the seams and I will be ready to install the sink, brew bench, and swivel tv mount for the control panel. Hood is on site has to be sealed and painted (this week) then install.



Curb came out nice, just like I wanted.



Sink in its place.



(one thing to note, if you are wondering about the black spot on the sink, I put some sound deadening mat on 3 sides. It was like a giant steel bass drum when I got it. It is extremely quiet after installing the sound mat.)

Finally have some real progress!!



Got a swivel mount off of Amazon for the control panel.









There it is with the brew bench in place.



And from the other angle.



This photo is a bit blurry but posted it anyway.

I will be posting a video of my first brew day from this weekend. All thats left is to finish up and mount the hood and I will be ready to rock!!

I thought you were putting a 23-37 inch TV in your brewery. I thought that was a great idea...you should do that too..

Nice work.

All that pretty, shiny stainless. This is a really great brewery! Good work!