# Wine Making Setup.. Let's see it!



## ianPGApro (Sep 4, 2018)

I'm patiently waiting for all of my items to arrive and have now started the process of setting up my working area. I have seen all the equipment needed and the items that would really help out ... 

I wanted to see if anyone would like to show their work area so that others might be able to see some different ideas that might help them. I will also share pictures of the my setup as I put everything into place.


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## mainshipfred (Sep 4, 2018)

I'll take some a little later but I would bet the main item people have or wish they had is a sink.


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## Ajmassa (Sep 4, 2018)

I think this is a fantastic idea for a thread. Just like crush and press day pics— always interested in seeing other setups. Doesn’t matter if simple or advanced—-everyone loves pics.


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## GreenEnvy22 (Sep 4, 2018)

This is my setup. Turned about 1/3 of our cellar into a wine making area.
When I have grapes I crush/press them outside, then bring down to the cellar in basement.
I added the sink in, but haven't yet run the drain line, so every once in a while I just empty the bucket under the sink into our laundry sink.


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## Jal5 (Sep 4, 2018)

I have a cold room under the side porch about that size. Right now only stores tools but I have been thinking about a winemaking and storage room. I would definitely add a sink, lighting, and some way to stabilize the temp in there against our winters. Seeing yours goves me more ideas. Joe


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## mainshipfred (Sep 4, 2018)

As promised here are mine. Not shown is a 7 cf chest freezer with a 12" raised lid. Getting ready to build a fermentation tunnel 4x4x8 laying down. Enough to hold 2 pallets of fermentation vessels. My shop is not conditioned, mid to upper 80s now. Have a donated 5k btu ac unit to keep it cool. It will be something I can disassemble and store until spring.


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## mainshipfred (Sep 4, 2018)

That was an unfinished pic of the work station. Here's a partial with the bottle and tubing washer and a finished..


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## NorCal (Sep 4, 2018)

Here is a picture of the bench and the air-conditioned wine box. I wish I had a sink as well.


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## ianPGApro (Sep 10, 2018)

Awesome pics!!! So here is the first update of my setup. Grapes will be here this week  , still lots to do but can't wait!!


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## GreenEnvy22 (Sep 10, 2018)

Hmm, I may need to add a TV to my work area, have an old 32" laying around...


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## sour_grapes (Sep 10, 2018)

GreenEnvy22 said:


> Hmm, I may need to add a TV to my work area, have an old 32" laying around...



And ruin a perfectly good wine room?


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## Boatboy24 (Sep 11, 2018)

GreenEnvy22 said:


> Hmm, I may need to add a TV to my work area, have an old 32" laying around...



I'm perfectly happy with a Bose bluetooth speaker.


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## ianPGApro (Sep 11, 2018)

sour_grapes said:


> And ruin a perfectly good wine room?



Are you not allowed to have fun in a wine room?


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## Scooter68 (Sep 11, 2018)

Wine making IS fun in and of itself. If it's not then you are doing something wrong. 

The smell of an active ferment alone is worth the work to remove old labels, as well as cleaning bottles and equipment.
Nothing against a TV in the area but seems like it would be easy to get distracted and forget, to do something, how much of something you added or skip a step. So far none of this is old hat to me. There is always something unique about each batch and something to keep me interested and focused


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## sour_grapes (Sep 11, 2018)

ianPGApro said:


> Are you not allowed to have fun in a wine room?



Oh, Ian, it was just a fatuous, anti-TV gibe. Of course you can have fun any way you like!

"The television, that insidious beast, that Medusa which freezes a billion people to stone every night, staring fixedly, that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little." -Ray Bradbury, science-fiction writer (1920-2012)


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## ianPGApro (Sep 11, 2018)

Scooter68 said:


> Wine making IS fun in and of itself. If it's not then you are doing something wrong.
> 
> The smell of an active ferment alone is worth the work to remove old labels, as well as cleaning bottles and equipment.
> Nothing against a TV in the area but seems like it would be easy to get distracted and forget, to do something, how much of something you added or skip a step. So far none of this is old hat to me. There is always something unique about each batch and something to keep me interested and focused





sour_grapes said:


> Oh, Ian, it was just a fatuous, anti-TV gibe. Of course you can have fun any way you like!
> 
> "The television, that insidious beast, that Medusa which freezes a billion people to stone every night, staring fixedly, that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little." -Ray Bradbury, science-fiction writer (1920-2012)




I totally agree, if I had unlimited space it would be a little different. But with that said.... it's football season and can't wait to hide in my wine room/man cave/office.

I think of it as additional time aging in a very complex terroir


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## Kraffty (Sep 11, 2018)

TV - Stereo - Books - Fridge - my room serves as a working winery, gathering space, hiding space but most of all a fun zone. As they say everything in moderation. I'm sure I've posted this pic before but here's my setup.
Mike


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## ibglowin (Sep 11, 2018)

Nice to have some entertainment options in the Winery although you can't really do both at the same time. I like to stream music through the AppleTV via iTunes or Pandora etc. This time of year both Mrs IB and I play Fantasy Football so Sundays is ~5 hours of NFL Redzone which can be streamed into the Winery as well. Nice to have it on when the big plays come on.


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## ianPGApro (Sep 11, 2018)

Kraffty said:


> TV - Stereo - Books - Fridge - my room serves as a working winery, gathering space, hiding space but most of all a fun zone. As they say everything in moderation. I'm sure I've posted this pic before but here's my setup.
> Mike





ibglowin said:


> Nice to have some entertainment options in the Winery although you can't really do both at the same time. I like to stream music through the AppleTV via iTunes or Pandora etc. This time of year both Mrs IB and I play Fantasy Football so Sundays is ~5 hours of NFL Redzone which can be streamed into the Winery as well. Nice to have it on when the big plays come on.
> ]




Wow, These are great!!! Next step for me is adding additional storage.


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## ianPGApro (Sep 11, 2018)

I know the many ways to raise temperatures or lower them for the various reasons. But what type of temperatures are you looking to keep you work room at?

Because I would have loved to used my garage after adding an air conditioner but was a little afraid that I couldn't keep it at a constant temperature.


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## ibglowin (Sep 11, 2018)

My Winery is 55-60F for ~7 months (Fall, Winter, Spring) of the year and during the Summer months (late Spring, Summer, early Fall) I run a small window unit that keeps it 64F.



ianPGApro said:


> I know the many ways to raise temperatures or lower them for the various reasons. But what type of temperatures are you looking to keep you work room at?
> 
> Because I would have loved to used my garage after adding an air conditioner but was a little afraid that I couldn't keep it at a constant temperature.


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## Kraffty (Sep 11, 2018)

I keep mine at a high of 70, lower of course in winter. Here's the one thing I really want to add in the new winery. Sliding shelves that take up so much less room. Price is really reasonable considering you're adding 5 units and the overall footprint is pretty small since you only use access space as you need it. These are found at Uline but I'm sure they can be found elsewhere.


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## pgentile (Sep 11, 2018)

Few cell phone shots of my dungeon.


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## Kraffty (Sep 11, 2018)

That's a good sized dungeon!


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## JamesGrape (Sep 11, 2018)

Kraffty said:


> I keep mine at a high of 70, lower of course in winter. Here's the one thing I really want to add in the new winery. Sliding shelves that take up so much less room. Price is really reasonable considering you're adding 5 units and the overall footprint is pretty small since you only use access space as you need it. These are found at Uline but I'm sure they can be found elsewhere.
> View attachment 50922
> View attachment 50923



You can also use wheeled shelves instead of the sliding tracks. It might give more options for movement. The shelving units with wheels are very common, the kits can be made full or half height, with or without wheels.


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## ASR (Sep 12, 2018)

mainshipfred said:


> I'll take some a little later but I would bet the main item people have or wish they had is a sink.


I wish I had a larger work sink and one of those industrial-kitchen faucets that are felxible and you can move around!


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## Ajmassa (Sep 12, 2018)

ASR said:


> I wish I had a larger work sink and one of those industrial-kitchen faucets that are felxible and you can move around!



I had the same exact mindset- especially after not have any water source in my wine areas at all. I was dead set on making a proper sink area when I had the opportunity. 
Well, the opportunity came with a new house this year. So I did exactly what you described. 
At first I thought i went a little overboard. But after some time I’m finding I’ve got no wasted space. I utilize all of it. A lot. Now I’ve got no clue how I went so long without any sink at all.


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## CK55 (Sep 12, 2018)

ibglowin said:


> Nice to have some entertainment options in the Winery although you can't really do both at the same time. I like to stream music through the AppleTV via iTunes or Pandora etc. This time of year both Mrs IB and I play Fantasy Football so Sundays is ~5 hours of NFL Redzone which can be streamed into the Winery as well. Nice to have it on when the big plays come on.
> 
> View attachment 50918


Nice I like seeing that many bottles.


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## RonObvious (Sep 13, 2018)

For those of you lucky enough to have sinks in your basement wineries - how did you plumb the drain line? Most basement sinks would be lower in elevation than the house's septic pipes, so I assume you'd have to have some sort of pump to move wash water up to the pipes, right?


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## Ajmassa (Sep 13, 2018)

RonObvious said:


> For those of you lucky enough to have sinks in your basement wineries - how did you plumb the drain line? Most basement sinks would be lower in elevation than the house's septic pipes, so I assume you'd have to have some sort of pump to move wash water up to the pipes, right?



My basement had lines for washer/dryer luckily. Built a new laundry rm upstairs- leaving the lines up for grabs
It still wasn’t easy tho. The drain tied into the soil line at the end of line before running to street. And was galv steel pipe thru cinder— so no moving the existing trap. And my sink was too low to be pitched properly. 
It took a lot of tweaking and trial & error making connections to get it pitched enough. Every 1/4” mattered. Not exactly code- but it works.


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## mainshipfred (Sep 13, 2018)

RonObvious said:


> For those of you lucky enough to have sinks in your basement wineries - how did you plumb the drain line? Most basement sinks would be lower in elevation than the house's septic pipes, so I assume you'd have to have some sort of pump to move wash water up to the pipes, right?



You could but some houses do have plumbing low enough, evidently yours does not. Below is just one example. If you're worried about odors you can get an air admittance valve. You will be loving yourself if you give yourself a sink. 

https://www.amazon.com/Simer-2925B-...ocphy=9007576&hvtargid=pla-305378845842&psc=1

https://www.zoro.com/oatey-air-admi...1iCOD40vDIWmA3aTJHOuW7Y8MbHycdCxoCmZUQAvD_BwE


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## cmason1957 (Sep 13, 2018)

Putting running water and a sink in the basement is the best thing my wife and i have done for our winemaking. We were lucky in that we had easy access to everything the plumber needed to hook up to, only cost something like $200 + the sink and the minor framing I put around it all.


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## RonObvious (Sep 13, 2018)

That Simer pump looks like a great solution - thanks for the tip Fred! I'm definitely getting tired of running equipment up and down the stairs to wash it in the kitchen!


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## Scooter68 (Sep 13, 2018)

I would suggest raising the sink legs about 1/2 to 3/4 inch. You don't need a lot of drop but letting any stand at all in horizontal pipes is not a good thing. I had a similar issue in our basement and had to put the utility sink up on solid concrete blocks (4" x 8" x 16") laid flat and cemented them down. I also invested in an *PVC Backwater Valve, 1-1/2-Inch* *** since this basement is in an old house with septic system and has had the occasional line blockage that resulted in '*water*' backing up into the old utility sink.




** * https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CBIQFZI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## RonObvious (Sep 13, 2018)

Good suggestion - the last thing I would want would be "water" backing up into the sink!


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## ianPGApro (Sep 13, 2018)

Ajmassa5983 said:


> I had the same exact mindset- especially after not have any water source in my wine areas at all. I was dead set on making a proper sink area when I had the opportunity.
> Well, the opportunity came with a new house this year. So I did exactly what you described.
> At first I thought i went a little overboard. But after some time I’m finding I’ve got no wasted space. I utilize all of it. A lot. Now I’ve got no clue how I went so long without any sink at all.



This looks amazing!! Definitely given me some ideas!


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## Ajmassa (Sep 13, 2018)

ianPGApro said:


> This looks amazing!! Definitely given me some ideas!



Aside from sink area the rest of my wine room consists of freebies,Discarded items from work, yard sales, online auctions, etc since temporary. 
The deep 2bay sink with drainboard was a local online restaurant auction too.
Pegboard and Pre-rinse faucet “space saver” version. (2’ instead of 4’) Both from Amazon. 

And I put in a hose bib for rinsing off equipment by the sump pump. One stop shop.


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## ianPGApro (Sep 19, 2018)

Ajmassa5983 said:


> Aside from sink area the rest of my wine room consists of freebies,Discarded items from work, yard sales, online auctions, etc since temporary.
> The deep 2bay sink with drainboard was a local online restaurant auction too.
> Pegboard and Pre-rinse faucet “space saver” version. (2’ instead of 4’) Both from Amazon.
> 
> And I put in a hose bib for rinsing off equipment by the sump pump. One stop shop.



1 Week in... and I hate your beautiful sink setup even more  

So for everyone in regards to sanitation and storage of additives. When you are sanitizing for push downs or testings is it best to just use a squirt bottle to sanitize items before use or do you usually make up a bucket so you can let your items sanitize for a period of time? Trying to make sure everything is on the up and up while also being efficient. 

Storage of yeasts, bacteria's, and additives. It looks like most of the small packages will be used in it's entirety for most of the time (yeasts,go ferm, opti red). But if an item is not totally used what is the best practice to store it? Example would be Fermaid O. Anything that is resealable I'm sure is just fine.

Thanks!


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## Johnd (Sep 19, 2018)

ianPGApro said:


> 1 Week in... and I hate your beautiful sink setup even more
> 
> So for everyone in regards to sanitation and storage of additives. When you are sanitizing for push downs or testings is it best to just use a squirt bottle to sanitize items before use or do you usually make up a bucket so you can let your items sanitize for a period of time? Trying to make sure everything is on the up and up while also being efficient.
> 
> ...



I keep a little spray bottle on hand, a quick spritz on kmeta on the item a few minutes before using it and it's good to go.


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## mainshipfred (Sep 19, 2018)

ianPGApro said:


> 1 Week in... and I hate your beautiful sink setup even more
> 
> So for everyone in regards to sanitation and storage of additives. When you are sanitizing for push downs or testings is it best to just use a squirt bottle to sanitize items before use or do you usually make up a bucket so you can let your items sanitize for a period of time? Trying to make sure everything is on the up and up while also being efficient.
> 
> ...



I keep all my excess additives in the cooler and seal them very well.


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## mbleill (Sep 20, 2018)

I had the opportunity to design my winery into our house plans when we built our house six years ago. I used a small room completely encased in concrete below out entryway for a wine cellar and a portion of our lower level walkout basement dedicated for the wine room with double french doors opening to an outdoor patio for grape crushing and pressing.


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## sour_grapes (Sep 20, 2018)

Snazzy setup!


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## Jal5 (Sep 21, 2018)

I shouldn’t look at this thread anymore...jealous!


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## mainshipfred (Nov 23, 2018)

Just rigged my new bottle washing set up. Put a submersible pump in the sink with hot water and Oxi Clean and attached it to the bottle washer. The other is a tubing washer which works great for rinsing them. Thinking about how to use this set up to sanitize the bottles with a Kmeta/Citirc solution prior to filling but afraid of fumigating myself.


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## Ajmassa (Nov 23, 2018)

mainshipfred said:


> Just rigged my new bottle washing set up. Put a submersible pump in the sink with hot water and Oxi Clean and attached it to the bottle washer. The other is a tubing washer which works great for rinsing them. Thinking about how to use this set up to sanitize the bottles with a Kmeta/Citirc solution prior to filling but afraid of fumigating myself.



I’ve been thinking of rigging up something similar lately. This looks pretty cool. Didn’t think about a sump pump tho. Few questions. 
Did you bypass the float to make it always on? And wouldn’t that still want to pump regardless of the bottle lever pushed down? Meaning—- what’s happening when the pump is on but the washer lever is not pressed? All good?
And also- what’s the tubing washer and is that just hooked up to a separate water line for rinse? Does it need to be depressed to run water too?
Sorry for the tons of questions. Just thinking about stealing your ideas bud. [emoji6]


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## Boatboy24 (Nov 24, 2018)

Pretty cool, Fred. I shouldn't be asking you, as you're the professional, but is that line feeding the bottle washer rated for pressure? It looks like standard tubing we all use.


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## FTC Wines (Nov 24, 2018)

We took our 4th bedroom which is 10 X 12 and converted it to our winery. Made the closet the wet/production area, plumbing was a challenge but the closet works great. Close the doors and the mess disappears. Also have a work table and storage table. Work in progress but seeing the end. Roy


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## mainshipfred (Nov 24, 2018)

Ajmassa5983 said:


> I’ve been thinking of rigging up something similar lately. This looks pretty cool. Didn’t think about a sump pump tho. Few questions.
> Did you bypass the float to make it always on? And wouldn’t that still want to pump regardless of the bottle lever pushed down? Meaning—- what’s happening when the pump is on but the washer lever is not pressed? All good? It's just a cheap pump w/o a float but somehow has a bypass that releases the water out of the impeller when too much pressure or the bottle washer is not being used.
> And also- what’s the tubing washer and is that just hooked up to a separate water line for rinse? Does it need to be depressed to run water too? The tubing washer is something I found somewhere and really speeds up tubing washing. it's made to fit different sized hosed but I wish it was tapered instead of stepped. I do have a separate hose bib connected with 3/4 pipe which is hot water only. The pressure is pretty high and it does a good job flushing the stuck sediment from the carboys and yes it is activated by pushing down on it.
> Sorry for the tons of questions. Just thinking about stealing your ideas bud. [emoji6]


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## mainshipfred (Nov 24, 2018)

Boatboy24 said:


> Pretty cool, Fred. I shouldn't be asking you, as you're the professional, but is that line feeding the bottle washer rated for pressure? It looks like standard tubing we all use.



It is standard tubing but was all I had at the time. I have to get some barbed fittings to make it permanent. Good catch!


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## askins3097 (Nov 24, 2018)

I’m really disappointed CK55 didn’t share pics of their wine cellar. 

Anyways, here’s pics of mine. This is a cut out in our basement, under the garage, that’s supposed to be for an extra bathroom. It’s surrounded by dirt on 3 sides so it should stay relatively consistent in temp and humidity. All the plumbing connections are there, I just haven’t got around to putting a utility sink in the corner. Eventually when I frame my basement in and finish it, I’ll put a wall and door across the entrance. Probably insulate that wall too to help keep a consistent temp.


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## Ignoble Grape (Dec 20, 2018)

FTC Wines said:


> We took our 4th bedroom which is 10 X 12 and converted it to our winery. Made the closet the wet/production area, plumbing was a challenge but the closet works great. Close the doors and the mess disappears. Also have a work table and storage table. Work in progress but seeing the end. Roy



Hi, checking out your photos really closely for my winter holiday project and I noticed your wine bottle drying 'board'. Did you make that? Could you send me a separate pic? I think I know what I want for Christmas, finally! Cheers!


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## mainshipfred (Dec 20, 2018)

I like that myself, going to have to make one. The store bought drying trees don't slope enough for bordeaux bottles and water stays on the shoulders. Although that will have to be after my next project, a new larger walk-in. These are freezer panels I go from a restaurant demo job.


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## Johnd (Dec 20, 2018)

mainshipfred said:


> I like that myself, going to have to make one. The store bought drying trees don't slope enough for bordeaux bottles and water stays on the shoulders. Although that will have to be after my next project, a new larger walk-in. These are freezer panels I go from a restaurant demo job.



Those are hard to pass up when you see them!! Right after I built my wine room, we did a big remodel project for a large grocery store, including the removal / replacement of their freezer. It was 40' x 20' with wall, floor and roof panels. Few months sooner and I'd have been all over that.............


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## mainshipfred (Dec 20, 2018)

Johnd said:


> Those are hard to pass up when you see them!! Right after I built my wine room, we did a big remodel project for a large grocery store, including the removal / replacement of their freezer. It was 40' x 20' with wall, floor and roof panels. Few months sooner and I'd have been all over that.............



There were floor panels but I'm opting not to use them since I won't be keeping it that cold. Plus I plan to have everything on some type of rolling platform so a level surface would work better.


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## Johnd (Dec 20, 2018)

mainshipfred said:


> There were floor panels but I'm opting not to use them since I won't be keeping it that cold. Plus I plan to have everything on some type of rolling platform so a level surface would work better.



That’ll make a great cellar. The panels take all of the condensation / mold / mildew issues out of the equation if the joints are well done. Typically have great R values as well. I’m looking forward to seeing what you accomplish with them!


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## FTC Wines (Dec 20, 2018)

Ignoble, just got home and saw your post. Will take a pic and post details tomorrow for you. Roy


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## coboll2921 (Dec 21, 2018)

My hundred year old basement works good. It gets really cold in winter and drops out the particles nicely.
We made a lot of wine in that room.


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## FTC Wines (Dec 21, 2018)

Here is the dimensions for our 9 year old drying rack. You can make it any size you want. Had to taper the front because my last wine area only had a wet bar sink. The bottom was a left over piece of Avantec 3/4” sub flooring, pine rips for sides and back. It’s tilted up a 1 1/2” at the back. Dowels are 5/16” diameter and spaced 3 1/4 X 3 1/4 “ in both directions. Dowels protrude 2 1/2 “ so they were probably 3” long before they were driven into the holes. A drill press or a guide block keeps them all lined up. I used std exterior varnish for the finish. It’s held up wonderfully. Just ask if you have any questions. We find it’s more stable than the drying trees, but it does take up room when in use. Fun project! Roy


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## Tom Martin (Dec 22, 2018)

askins3097 said:


> I’m really disappointed CK55 didn’t share pics of their wine cellar.
> 
> Anyways, here’s pics of mine. This is a cut out in our basement, under the garage, that’s supposed to be for an extra bathroom. It’s surrounded by dirt on 3 sides so it should stay relatively consistent in temp and humidity. All the plumbing connections are there, I just haven’t got around to putting a utility sink in the corner. Eventually when I frame my basement in and finish it, I’ll put a wall and door across the entrance. Probably insulate that wall too to help keep a consistent temp.



What is the temperature that your basement is at for wine storage? 
Also I was wondering how dark should the basement be for storing the full 6 gallon carboys? My brew storage area is on the same wall as the basement window but 20 feet from it NO direct sunlight ever. If I come down in the basement even on a sunny day I have to turn on the lights to see well enough to work or read a label.


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## Ignoble Grape (Dec 22, 2018)

FTC Wines said:


> View attachment 52595
> Here is the dimensions for our 9 year old drying rack. You can make it any size you want. Had to taper the front because my last wine area only had a wet bar sink. The bottom was a left over piece of Avantec 3/4” sub flooring, pine rips for sides and back. It’s tilted up a 1 1/2” at the back. Dowels are 5/16” diameter and spaced 3 1/4 X 3 1/4 “ in both directions. Dowels protrude 2 1/2 “ so they were probably 3” long before they were driven into the holes. A drill press or a guide block keeps them all lined up. I used std exterior varnish for the finish. It’s held up wonderfully. Just ask if you have any questions. We find it’s more stable than the drying trees, but it does take up room when in use. Fun project! Roy


Roy, This is fantastic! Thank you so much for the details.


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## FTC Wines (Dec 22, 2018)

Glad to help. Roy


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## turkeylipz (Dec 24, 2018)

Been awhile since I posted here. Looking forward to get back in. Have a few big grape projects planned this year so I’ll be getting in and posting lots. Since being active here I did convert an unused downstairs room into my wine making area. Thought I’d share as I tried to make it dual use, bar and media, while building the cabinets from scratch based on my experience of the process of home wine making and brewing. Maybe some folks could get some ideas. 



first and foremost I added a door. Keep out the munchkins! 



The sound proofing in the wall I also added in the ceiling. 




Wires and plumbing and speakers blah blah blah



Pulled a third of the carpet and microtopped and acid stained the concrete in the bar area. 



Custom cab time. Pain in the butt. Worth it though. 

I designed the sink, corner and the large double door cab to be purpose built for the flow of wine making and bottling. The double door cab is actually a sliding shelf with 450lb capacity drawer slides and is the fermentation cab. I can vacuum rack between carboys without moving them.View attachment 52638



The attachment feature for the app sucks so if anyone has a question about layout or wants to see a part specifically let me know and I’ll reply with a shot. 

Got a Sangiovese/ merlot blend, Riesling and a Belgian Golden Strong Ale in secondary in there at the moment. 

A lighter Belgian blond and a Blueberry wine are up next with hopes of a Bordeaux style later in the year from grapes.

View attachment 52639


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## Ajmassa (Dec 24, 2018)

turkeylipz said:


> Been awhile since I posted here. Looking forward to get back in. Have a few big grape projects planned this year so I’ll be getting in and posting lots. Since being active here I did convert an unused downstairs room into my wine making area. Thought I’d share as I tried to make it dual use, bar and media, while building the cabinets from scratch based on my experience of the process of home wine making and brewing. Maybe some folks could get some ideas.
> 
> View attachment 52626
> 
> ...



RESPECT!

That looks fantastic! What was your timeline from start to finish btw?

I like how you were able to work around the low window creating a useful lower counter- window actually helped ya. 
Couple things. — First, you posted 10 pictures it seems , but only 8 uploaded correctly. 7th and 8th pics are broken links. 
Building your own cabs is great- something I’d love to do one day. Don’t know how you ever found the time! What type of material was used for the cabinets?
And the flooring. “Microtopped and acid stained”. Care to elaborate a little more on what ya did there? Awesome awesome awesome room my friend! Thank you for sharing


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## turkeylipz (Dec 24, 2018)

Ajmassa5983 said:


> RESPECT!
> 
> That looks fantastic! What was your timeline from start to finish btw?
> 
> ...



Thanks Ajmassa5983,



Ajmassa5983 said:


> What was your timeline from start to finish btw?



With 3 little ones and a full time job outside of hobbies, ~ 9 months. I had planned on pouring my on concrete countertop but found a granite counter guy locally that had some overrun and it came out less than tools and materials on concrete so that shaved a little time.



Ajmassa5983 said:


> I like how you were able to work around the low window creating a useful lower counter- window actually helped ya.



Thanks. That large drawer does a good job holding vacuum, filter, induction burner, etc. The counter height works well for press and floor corker. Wash bottles -> Sanitize -> Cork = Left to right flow.

View media item 4614


Ajmassa5983 said:


> Couple things. — First, you posted 10 pictures it seems , but only 8 uploaded correctly. 7th and 8th pics are broken links.



Yeah. Difficult with the mobile app. On the computer now. Easier. Green on the bottom is my putting green that I role out occasionally for moments of zen while working from home...

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Ajmassa5983 said:


> Building your own cabs is great- something I’d love to do one day. Don’t know how you ever found the time! What type of material was used for the cabinets?



PITA - Take your time and do it right on the finish. Thats the key. I bought raw lumber for the face frames - White Maple. birch plywood for the rest. HPLV sprayer for applying clear coat. If you're tech savvy check out SketchUp. Free for non-commercial. Takes a little getting used to but with accurate room measurements you can design and create a cut list. Awesome. Built a makeshift spray booth. Folks thought it was a meth lab.

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Ajmassa5983 said:


> Microtopped and acid stained”. Care to elaborate a little more on what ya did there?



This was on slab so concrete under carpet. Pulled back and applied a micro topper which you can order through paint stores. It is a thin surface you apply over clean concrete to provide a easily acid stained surface. Then sprayed two different acid stain colors, let sit then hose and vacuum and apply a clear coat.


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## mainshipfred (Dec 24, 2018)

The shell is done. 6x10x8 tall. Now for the finishes.


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 25, 2018)

Looking good, Fred!


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## ibglowin (Dec 25, 2018)

And it doubles as safe room if needed! 



mainshipfred said:


> The shell is done. 6x10x8 tall. Now for the finishes.


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## mainshipfred (Dec 25, 2018)

ibglowin said:


> And it doubles as safe room if needed!



It would but only when my wines are safe room worthy.


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## mainshipfred (Dec 31, 2018)

A little progress


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## mainshipfred (Jan 1, 2019)

My middle son has been helping me with the cellar. Today we did the 45* corners or should I say he did.


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## Ajmassa (Jan 1, 2019)

Glad that the door already has a light panel in it. Because this sucker should be able to be seen! 

Starting to come together nicely Paul. Keep the updates coming!
And Happy New Year my friend.


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## askins3097 (Jan 3, 2019)

Tom Martin said:


> What is the temperature that your basement is at for wine storage?
> Also I was wondering how dark should the basement be for storing the full 6 gallon carboys? My brew storage area is on the same wall as the basement window but 20 feet from it NO direct sunlight ever. If I come down in the basement even on a sunny day I have to turn on the lights to see well enough to work or read a label.



Sorry, I just saw this reply now. That corner of my basement stays in the low to mid 60’s year round. I wish it was a little cooler but it’s consistent so I’m happy with it. I would think you would want it as dark as possible. My wine making area is on the opposite side of the basement from the windows. They don’t let it in much light anyways so it’s near dark most of the time. Some of the most famous wine cellars are caves, so I would think trying emulate that cool, dark, consistent environment as best as possible would be the goal for any wine cellar.


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## turkeylipz (Jan 9, 2019)

My fermentation cabinet tends to maintain early to mid seventies and I had rarely thought to mess with it given I haven't done Riesling from grapes and kits are pasteurized. When I started to brew Belgian beers however I started to use my wine room fridge which I had sized with the intent of being able to cold stabilize carboys in. So rather than utilize the garage and its inconsistencies I decided to work a way to maintain 64 degree fermentation temps for the Belgian using the fridge, some insulation and a fermwrap. This pick is my first iteration. My next will be with the Speidel so I will use a fitted sheet to wrap it directly. The insulation is to protect the fridge temp from the wine rather than the other way around. Using a Rainbird termostat and a thermowell. Should work well for cold fermenting wine too. Wont hesitate on sourcing some Riesling grapes next time.


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## J Rose (Feb 15, 2019)

So, I convinced the wife that a winery would be a great addition to the basement. Started the build the end of August with working weekends. Finished the build in late November. First wines started late January. Room is 7' x 8'-6".


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## ibglowin (Feb 16, 2019)

Turned out great! Do you have wine racks set up now or down the road?



J Rose said:


> So, I convinced the wife that a winery would be a great addition to the basement. Started the build the end of August with working weekends. Finished the build in late November. First wines started late January. Room is 7' x 8'-6".


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## J Rose (Feb 16, 2019)

I do have some wine racks.


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