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Thread: Building an outdoor kichen/brew shed

  1. #1
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    MaryB's Avatar
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    Building an outdoor kichen/brew shed

    This shed off my deck used to be my only storage and has turned into a catch all the last 2 years since the garage was finished. Started cleaning last week(trailer load of scrap lumber moved out) but a lot to go. It is the same floor height as my deck making access easy. Plan is to replace the roll up door with a standard insulated 36" entry door with a window. Fully insulate everything, use steel liner on the ceiling and walls for easy wash down. I will be able to do my canning in there, beer brewing, the Traeger BBQ will fit through the standard door easy and I plan on interior counter space from prep and serving areas. The rear left corner is going to get a 4'x4' temp controlled cold room(I need it 62 degrees) with 6" of R board insulation in the walls to make it energy efficient. Right of that will be a large utility sink(double basin) for cleanup. Plus I will have my cooling water tank back along that wall or on the left wall so I can chill the beer wort down to 65 degrees before adding the yeast.

    View from ground level, house it to the left off that step up 8x14 deck section. Right deck section is 14x12 where the shed is located. Yes it has a pile of snow, supposed to be in the 50's this weekend, the stuff can melt!



    What a mess as I dig out what I want to save



    Lot of work ahead of me this spring. I hope to have it done by July... the space is 12x16 s decent sized area. Right side under the window will be cabinets with counter space for bottling beer etc. I used to use it as my wood shop and could barely turn around in it!

  2. #2
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    2 1/2 hours work with the help of 2 friends who made $20 each plus I gave one of them one of the two folding tables like the one you see in the pic. I had the tables for when I was catering BBQ, now I only need 1 for BBQ's as a prep station by the BBQ pit and most I could have got selling it is $15. He and his wife have big holiday gatherings and used to borrow one all the time so why not let him have one as a thanks.



    I need to get a dumpster brought in and then move another pickup load of tools and stuff that belong in the workshop in the garage then construction can start! I had enough leftover white steel siding to do the ceiling and maybe one wall. So that will help he non-existent budget!

    You know you have good friends when they wade into 20+ years of mouse droppings! I need to find where they are entering and get that sealed. Have an idea because we had a live mouse head down the eave in the back left corner.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

    rancher1913's Avatar
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    instead of metal on the walls you might try some frp(fiberglass reinforced panels) they are food grade, don't rust and easily cleaned. thats code for commercial kitchens around here, I know you are private but you never know what you may end up doing down the road and setting it up to commercial code could enable you to go retail and make some money in the future.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    Nice purging of junk. I need a good purge as well.

    Ive brewed beer, I'm not fussy enough to brew good enough beer to serve to others though.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master


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    I'll seconf FRP.

  6. #6
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    FRP is double the cost of steel and I will never go commercial. Plus it will need drywall backing... Did my time catering BBQ and it is a ton of work! I am done with 20 hour work days. Steel will outlast me so that is what I am going with! Designed the hood for over the burners to pull CO out and steam out, going to be tricky with ceiling height because the brew rig is 6'4" tall and might hit 7' when I upgrade kettles this year.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master zymguy's Avatar
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    whatcha doing for venting and drain ? I brew for a living and am always willing to 'talk shop'

  8. #8
    In Remembrance


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    FRP exceeds $50 a sheet now. I can relate to going cheaper.

  9. #9
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    Building a custom 140CFM vent hood from aluminum, drain will be out the wall into the garden! Plan is a small barrel to catch the drain water then a drip irrigation line to drain it across 20' of garden. I only brew twice to three times a month so not a lot of water used. Cooling water is going to be recycled and I will chill it with frozen gallon jugs of water starting the night before. 55 gallon drum f water 2/3 full then as much ice in jugs as it will hold. Since I use an immersion chiller the water will stay mostly clean, maybe swap it once in awhile.

    I do 11 gallon batches and depending on how much friends end up needing I can go through a lot!

  10. #10
    Boolit Master zymguy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MaryB View Post
    Building a custom 140CFM vent hood from aluminum, drain will be out the wall into the garden! Plan is a small barrel to catch the drain water then a drip irrigation line to drain it across 20' of garden. I only brew twice to three times a month so not a lot of water used. Cooling water is going to be recycled and I will chill it with frozen gallon jugs of water starting the night before. 55 gallon drum f water 2/3 full then as much ice in jugs as it will hold. Since I use an immersion chiller the water will stay mostly clean, maybe swap it once in awhile.

    I do 11 gallon batches and depending on how much friends end up needing I can go through a lot!
    added benifit of re using the water is you drive the chlorine out. Cheers from northeastern Mn. (ely)

  11. #11
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    Which brewery do you work for? Racking my brain to think of who is up that way... I am just a lover of good ale and I can't get that around here. Best I can get locally is Fat Tire. My house ale everyone loves including the BudMillerCoors drinkers is a simple all grain ale

    16 pounds Golden Promise
    3 1/2 pounds of Victory
    .75 pounds of Extra dark crystal(160l)

    1.5 pounds per quart mash water

    60 minute mash at 153

    8 gallons sparge

    2 ounces Perle at 60 minutes(pellets)
    2 ounces Hallertau at 5 minutes(pellets)

    60 minute boil, cool to 65, yeast is just Nottingham Ale

    simple recipe that pleases most who have tried it.

    I don't remember the water additions off the top of my head, brew sheet is out in the garage! I use RO water and add back...
    Last edited by MaryB; 03-31-2017 at 10:39 PM.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master zymguy's Avatar
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    im at the boathouse brewpub. That looks like a beer id drink!

  13. #13
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    Feel free to use and tweak it! If you come up with a good tweak let me know! It is a sweeter low hop ale that the budmillercoors types will drink but complex enough to make me happy as a house ale. And one I always have in the pipeline, have 11 gallons to bottle this week. I need to get a 5 gallon batch of a citrus IPA made, with warmer weather coming on it is more refreshing.

    The ale is Named Echo Ale for the town I live in

    These are the water additions

    Mash:
    Gypsum 3.8 grams
    NaCl(canning salt) .8 grams
    Calcium Chloride 3.8 grams

    Sparge:
    Gypsum 4.3 grams
    Canning salt .9 grams
    Calcium Chloride 4.3 grams
    acidify as needed...

  14. #14
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    Not part of the brew shed but bottling is a major pain in the rear so I am going to kegs. Moved this fridge to the pantry today(that was a chore, it was as wide as the door! Actually wider until I pulled off the ice maker solenoid! And that was without the doors/hinges on it.) then got the door drilled. Mounted 2 taps and have a spot for a third when I order it next month. Taps are the new forward seal Intertap's that are supposed to drip less and not need cleaning as often. Yes that is rust on the door(and dirt, it was living in the front porch and got splattered when I came in this winter) that I need to clean up and then paint. Since it is buried back in the pantry nobody will see it but me anyway. Friends are buying growlers with a CO2 charger setup and a picnic tap to take beer home in too so less bottling there. Only thing I will bottle now are specialty beers that need longer aging.

    Last edited by MaryB; 04-04-2017 at 11:54 PM.

  15. #15
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    Woke up with a massive back ache so no work on the shed. I could sit on a short stool and work on the beer fridge so I drilled 2 holes in the side for the CO2 lines, assembled them with fittings, assembled the beer lines and got them mounted on the taps. I need to get the CO2 tank filled then leak test for a week to make sure it all holds pressure like it is supposed to. Next batch of beer I brew will be going in kegs!

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy LaPoint's Avatar
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    You won't regret your decision to keg your beer instead of bottling it. I'm an infrequent brewer but I have always kegged mine. I am building a keezer (keg cooler from a freezer) that will eventually have room for 7 5 gal Cornelius kegs. I will be using a P.I.D. controller to maintain temperatures. I enjoy seeing and reading about your progress. Keep us posted Mary.
    LaPoint

  17. #17
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    I use a PID in this fridge to maintain fermenting temps, but with a dedicated fermenting spot(I have a line on a commercial stainless fridge with a leak in one of the coils. Since I was going to use a small window AC unit no biggie, I only need 62 degrees) coming I decided it would work well for the beer fridge.

    Push to start kegging was getting pin lock kegs for $35 each with a free set of O-rings and a free set of disconnects making the kegs only $25 in price.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master

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    You sound like the perfect woman and neighbor! I
    wish I had half your motivation.

    My brother brews occaisionally but he's a hop head and
    I'm not. I like ales and wheat beers. It sounds like yours is a good
    brew!


    I Figured one day inwould brew but my house basement isn't all that cool
    being a walk out.

  19. #19
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    On the wall away from the walkout make a beer cave with 2 inch R board, use 2 layers. Only has to cover the fermenters and of you have a bare concrete wall on that side it will be ground temp or close to it. Here that means 56 degrees year round and the guys use fans to pull in warmer air for ale fermenting.

    I like hops but not a steady diet of them. An IPA a day is plenty for me! I usually have 2 beers with supper then 1 more before bed. Getting to old to be getting hangovers from drinking a 6 pack+ a day! I grew up drinking beer, German grandparents who served it with every meal but breakfast. Once past 10 years old the kids all had a beer with the adults then we went back to work...

  20. #20
    Boolit Master

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    Hmm. Might be workable. It's somewhat cool until about mid
    July. I guess it depends how many weeks needed.

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