Planning brewery upgrade--garage or basement?

[RadicalEd]

So, I've hit a snag.

It's finally time for me to look into upgrading my shady college brew setup, but I'm not sure where I should put it. I have two potential locations in my house to put a semi-permanent brew system/sculpture, but each has it's own distinct advantages/disadvantages. I'd appreciate your input, should you have run across any brilliant solutions to the posited problems, or any insights from your own experiences.

Garage:
+lots of ventilation
+easy to get rid of spent grain
+it's a garage, so cleanliness isn't absolutely paramount .
-no hard-plumbed water; hose connections are outside the garage and thus prone to freezing
-drain in the floor goes to dirt under the concrete
-limited electric
-no heat (important in the winter here!)


Basement:
+comfortable temperature all year round
+good access to electrical panel and natural gas, so those are possible power sources
+water from a nearby utility sink
-no ventilation (windows would need to be replaced, or a vent hood installed)
-below sewer grade; sump pump would be used for waste water, so it'd be hard to clean things like spent grain

Thanks in advance!

 

[NewBrewB]

This post looks almost identical to one I started.

In the end, I chose garage. Plumbing the basement would have been costly but I was mostly worried about moisture.

For water, I use a 20' mobile home drinking water hose to get water from the bathroom sink inside the house, to my stationary e-brewing rig.

I also bought an unvented kitchen range hood on craigslist for $15 which works perfectly and gives me light into my BK

 

[okiedog]

Sounds like kind of a toss up, but I'd opt for the basement myself. Year round even workable temps are quite an asset all the way around, including storage/cellaring. So are accessible utilities. If the ceiling / overhead space is sufficient, installing ventilation should not be too difficult. Below grade auto drain pump, check valve and windows - depends on sizes, length of run and access. Also consider ease or difficulty of periodically moving brew materials/ supplies into basement. Is there easy access (A dumb waiter would be nice)? Anyway, have fun deciding, and good luck with the setup!

 

[NewBrewB]

I will concede that I would have gone basement if $$ wasnt a factor

 

[okiedog]

Sometime I have grand plans of doing something, ,then opt for a simpler, easier plan. This is usually due to me remembering that I'm not as young and energetic as I used to be, or that I don't have the budget for it.

 

[RadicalEd]

Thanks for the responses so far .

okiedog--wouldn't a drain pump need some sort of reservoir to fill/empty so that it doesn't run all the time? And that would need to be below the brewery section...

I should mention that all of my fermenters, gear, and ingredients are currently stored in the basement, so as it is they all make the trip down when purchased, and all make the trip up for use! A big part of the reason for the upgrade is to have a more central location for all the gear, at least, which would dramatically help on setup/tear down.


Post 666! Dang, been around a while

 

[cupido76]

Brewing in my basement vs outside saves me a lot of time in getting all my equipment from where it's stored to where I brew.

 

[okiedog]

RadicalEd - A drain that has to be pumped up to reach the sewer system is usually activated by a water level float.

Check out this link: http://www.plumbingsquad.com/Sewagejectors.html

 

[AVLbrewing]

This is exactly the same situation I'm in right now. I have a non-walkout basement w/sump pump, laundry sink, electrical panel, etc.. and then there is the garage. I'm interested to see what you come up with! Right now I'm fermenting and storing everything in the basement, and brewing on a propane burner in the garage w/the door open. I seriously need to commit to one or the other!

 

[patthebrewer]

I vote garage for all the ease of acess.....hauling spent grains up a flight of stairs...IMHO negates all the positives of basment brewing

 

[alien]

I went in the garage because there is more space for my junk, and because my wife doesn't like the smell of malt.

It is less convenient in the garage for all sorts of reasons. Cold in the winter, mosquitos in the summer, tap and drain are 50' away, too damp for grain storage, greater likelihood of theft. The pluses are getting out of the way, simultaneous grilling, playing loud music, better ventilation and easy access to the spent grain recycling facility (chicken shack).

 

[Spartan1979]

I should mention that all of my fermenters, gear, and ingredients are currently stored in the basement, so as it is they all make the trip down when purchased, and all make the trip up for use! A big part of the reason for the upgrade is to have a more central location for all the gear, at least, which would dramatically help on setup/tear down.

This is the biggest reason I want to build my brewery in the basement. I don't have room in the garage to store my stuff so brew day consists of 40 trips up and down the stairs to get equipment, ingredients, the occasional glass of beer, etc.

It will be so much more convenient to have everything in one place. I want to go electric, but first I need to get my service upgraded to 200 amps.

 

[alien]

I want to go electric, but first I need to get my service upgraded to 200 amps.

You will feel the benefits on other ways too - it would need doing sooner or later.

I just spent $1500 on getting power out to the garage. It had to be done, and I got it done my way - 60A and 240V.

 

[HarkinBanks]

I would vote for the basement. I just moved to a new house last year and I had to upgrade my panel, install a utility sink, run new electric and water lines, punch holes through my foundation for ventilation and make-up air and it was all worth it. Pricey, but worth it. Brewing anytime of the year on a dedicated rig right next to all of my ingredients, my fermentation chamber, and my kegerator is awesome and very convenient.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Basement and electric no doubt in my mind. Likely basement is better for fermenting as well. A simple pump could be set up for waste water for not that much money.

 

[RadicalEd]

okiedog--I went to your link, but the point remains--either I need to put the pump down into the existing sump, or have some sort of chamber in which to put the pump, necessitating raising the floor :/

I do need to upgrade my electrical....100A just isn't sufficient these days. Especially when you buy toys like table saws and breweries . But getting that out to the garage would be another big expense :/.

Water/drains still are the biggest issue for me though. I don't really have a good point in the house near the garage to get water from (well, I did, but then my roommates installed one of those newfangled Pur filters on the kitchen sink...) and I have serious doubts about the capabilities of the floor drain in the garage floor. I think it's just a 'dry well', which does not bode well for capacity or the ability to deal with spent grain bits. Conceivably, I could set up a bucket/catchbasin under a sink out there, and just empty it out every 5 gallons, or maybe hook up a garden hose rolled out the back door to the lawn, but both of those seem like a pain.

HarkinBanks--you say that you 'installed a new utility sink'...how did you deal with drainage?

 

[alien]

Getting water into the garage is actually not that big a deal, I just got a potable water hose. Keeping the hose clean and dry is the hardest bit.

Waste coolant from the CFC gets recycled to the garden. At some point I'll rig up rain barrels for proper water storage and distribution.

Drainage from cleaning water is the bit I haven't solved. I have to drag stuff out to the driveway and wash it there so it will drain to the street.

No way can I rely on the drainage hole in the garage floor slab. The soil underneath is solid clay, the water just sits there.

Plumbing a sink in the garage is not an option due to the tax and planning regulations in my area.

 

[HarkinBanks]

okiedog--I went to your link, but the point remains--either I need to put the pump down into the existing sump, or have some sort of chamber in which to put the pump, necessitating raising the floor :/

I do need to upgrade my electrical....100A just isn't sufficient these days. Especially when you buy toys like table saws and breweries . But getting that out to the garage would be another big expense :/.

Water/drains still are the biggest issue for me though. I don't really have a good point in the house near the garage to get water from (well, I did, but then my roommates installed one of those newfangled Pur filters on the kitchen sink...) and I have serious doubts about the capabilities of the floor drain in the garage floor. I think it's just a 'dry well', which does not bode well for capacity or the ability to deal with spent grain bits. Conceivably, I could set up a bucket/catchbasin under a sink out there, and just empty it out every 5 gallons, or maybe hook up a garden hose rolled out the back door to the lawn, but both of those seem like a pain.

HarkinBanks--you say that you 'installed a new utility sink'...how did you deal with drainage?

I (well, my plumber actually) put the sink right next to my main drain from the upstairs and tied into it for draining. He had to elevate the sink on some 2x4s to get a proper draining slope. He stole hot and cold from existing lines. Do you have access to any water lines in your basement?

 

[RadicalEd]

I have two options for water in the basement--use the existing utility sink 15-20 ft away, or hook up to overhead water lines. That's probably the easiest part of using the basement . Drainage is the much larger concern; sounds like your sewer line is below your basement's level. Lucky....mine's quite a bit higher, so I'd need a pump.

alien--as mentioned, I don't really have a good hookup point for the water line, so that's a challenge for me :/. I mean, I do have a water spigot int he front of the house, and I could run a 30-40 ft potable hose to the brewery area, but then I'm dealing with those pesky outdoor temps, especially when it's well below freezing outside. And as you mention, keeping it clean/dry adds to the hassle factor.

 

[okiedog]

You could probably find more recent info, but here's an old article about installing a basement sink: http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/electrical-plumbing/1275616

I'd just put a good sump pump in a 5 - 6 gal. bucket with a lid and connect to that. that shouldn't be too difficult to rig up.

 

[Hopper77]

Garage here. Garage after brewing on a small back porch of an apartment for a couple years. That sucked. If it were me I would fill the basement with everything in the garage that doesn't get used more than once a week. I love brewing in my garage. I got a 220 outlet that I plug an oil heater into with a thermostat. Temp control is perfect in the winter. I have a tv and stereo system as well as my 4 tap keg fridge and plenty of space to ferment. You can always build a styrofoam ferment chamber as well. I have a sink in my garage I get my water from. The natural gas hook up is on the other side of the wall my 3 tier sits against. I can roll it around anywhere and brew while I now the lawn and smoke ribs. I have a buddy that was brewing in his basement and forgot all about ventilation. He eventually developed black mold all over his walls. Had to pay somebody to come clean it up. I know you said you'll be installing ventilation in the basement but if it were me I wouldn't even risk it. I personally like to multi task while brewing. Brewing in the garage makes it easier to play outside with my kids