Building Cold Room

[GlacierBrewing]

If you could build the perfect cold room, what would it include?
(note: this is for a 10bbl micro entering into bottling but including kegging)

LET 'EM RIP!!!!:D

[kugeman]

Lots of floor drains!!!!!! Also, Hot & Cold water supply. Multiple pass through pipes to the brewhouse. Lots of space for keg storage (empty and full). A keg hoist to make stacking easier. Space for your bottling operation to store full cases. Definitely want to consider building it in such a way that you would be able to get more brite tanks into the cold room in the future without having to rip the place apart.

[GlacierBrewing]

Thanks, Hutch. Good points.

[MikeJordan]

Is your cold room just for packaged beer or will it include storage tanks as well?

[Mr.hops]

Good drainage and evaporation fans to keep the air circulated and dry.

[GlacierBrewing]

Our cold room will house kegged beer and bottled beer only. No tanks, they're all on glycol.

[tarmadilo]

Make sure you make the door big enough to drive your forklift in!!!

Cheers, Tim

[brewmonkey]

A good floor that wont come up of it gets damp.

[Mr.hops]

A brass pole for the strippers.

[GlacierBrewing]

so, male strippers don't mind cold brass poles on their...... ?
Female,
Glacier Brewing Company

[Mr.hops]

Originally posted by GlacierBrewing
so, male strippers don't mind cold brass poles on their...... ?
Female,
Glacier Brewing Company

Uh,...wouldn't know.
I do know a few waitresses that like leaving thier print(s) on the cold serving tanks on hot days.

What was the topic again?

[Sir Brewsalot]

Topic is cold poles. Wait - I mean cold rooms.

Actually, I have a more specific question: How high? I've got kegs and tanks to chill, and was planning on taking the highest tank fitting and adding maybe a foot to it? (My assumption here is that lower is better/easier/more economical to operate).

Keg hoist is a nice idea too!

Regards,
S

[simon]

Actually, I am also currently exploring the world of cool rooms..for aging tanks. Is there anything that I should know? If the cool room is at 2 deg C, what will I be able to get the beer down to?

[Tbrew]

Keep it as airtight as possible. Air movement to the outside through cracks will encourage condensation which will travel in seemingly random directions and possibly damage structure, product ect. Especially bad if someone dared to use fiberglass insulation. Problem worse at colder cooler temperatures, of course. Electrical penetrations are notorious for this.

[MikeJordan]

In building your cold room cooler. Consider what your pallet configurations for bottles will be, 60 cases per pallet, 72, 84. etc. (and size of pallets) Depending upon your configuration you can stack your pallets either 2 or 3 high using your forklift. Make sure their is no obstructions, such as condensing fans etc. Painted lanes are nice when trying to keep a cooler organized. Build it as big as you can to allow for future growth.

[brewmonkey]

You might want to put some lights in there as well!

[boucino]

Has anyone built a cold room from the ground up(without a prefab system)?

Are there specs on insulation, framing material, vapor barrier and floor drains?

My thoughts (room only) are 2x4 construction (pressure treated on bottom) 3-4 inch foam,plastic vapor barrier (on the warm side), 1/2 in plywood, concrete floor with drain and the interior covered in 4x8 bubble panel (same thing that's in most commercial kitchens).

Just wondering because were about to layout the cellar for our brewpub and the expense of a cold room (even used) seems a little outragous based on what it really is.

Steve
sboucino@cambridgebrewhouse.com
www.cambridgebrewhouse.com

[dick murton]

Re Simons cold room design. Don't expect a cold room to chill a tank of beer down quickly, and if you put warm beer in a tank, expect the existing chilled tanks to warm up for a while. In other words, get yourself an in line chiller, to take the beer down to 2 deg C before it sits in the cold room. Otherwise, time taken depends on vessel size and chiller size.

Cheers

[Tbrew]

If considering a floor drain than might you be thinking washdown area? If so, consider laying one course of cinderblock and mortar, then build with your 2X4's.

Also, a really good door is worth it. My favorite is a single or double sliding door(if you have the wall space). A well designed door will close on its own. Welcome luxury for busy brewers and saves money in the long run (especially with humid weather and condenser icing). Eureka is a good name.