# Cleaning station



## berrycrush (Dec 9, 2019)

We all know the cleaning drill: hosing, sloshing, brushing, draining a bunch of large tubs, buckets, carboys etc... Do you have a designated wine making cleaning station other than just a sink in the laundry room?
Show me


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## CDrew (Dec 9, 2019)

I set up a portable plastic table in the driveway. This table here. That way I can use the hose and not bend over.


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## berrycrush (Dec 9, 2019)

I'd like something like this, but no dogs 
https://foreverstainlesssteel.com/


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## jking (Dec 19, 2019)

I wash my buckets in the basement laundry sink and wash carboys with a modified version of this DIY washer. Carboys get a rinse with a pvc pipe with holes drilled in it like that hooked to a hose at the sink, then go through a wash and sanitize cycle of the pump fed washer before sitting upside down a few days to dry. They get a final rinse with starsan before being used again. I initally purchased a 550 gph pump on amazon and while it did the job I wanted more flow and upgraded to a 1000 gph pump.


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## Ajmassa (Dec 21, 2019)

berrycrush said:


> I'd like something like this, but no dogs
> https://foreverstainlesssteel.com/



That would be perfect ! 

I spent way too long working without an ideal cleaning area. I hated it. Loathed it. And vowed that as soon as I was able I would build something proper.
Sacrificed space upstairs and built a new laundry room so I could commandeer the basement water and drain lines. Found a great double bay SS sink from an online restaurant auction site. No regrets!


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## berrycrush (Dec 23, 2019)

Ajmassa said:


> ... so I could commandeer the basement water and drain lines. Found a great double bay SS sink from an online restaurant auction site. No regrets! View attachment 57930


Very nice, how do you empty the water in the demi-john?


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## berrycrush (Dec 23, 2019)

... and how does stainless steel handle K-Meta solution? I know regular metal rusts like crazy once it touches K-Meta.


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## Ajmassa (Dec 23, 2019)

berrycrush said:


> ... and how does stainless steel handle K-Meta solution? I know regular metal rusts like crazy once it touches K-Meta.



No issues or rust or anything. But it also doesn’t get too much direct kmeta contact either. Aside from dumping down the drain. 
And When cleaning demi’s I don’t fill em too high. Just enough to pick up and swirl around and dump. A few x. With piping hot water. Hitting any crud with the brush. Then the same with PBW cleaner and a last rinse before dumping in some kmeta swirling around and plugging up.


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## franc1969 (Dec 23, 2019)

Ajmassa said:


> double bay SS sink


Every time I see this setup I get jealous. I have been looking for a decently priced sink to redo our laundry as well, or maybe set up a new area on the other side of the wall. What are the inside measurements of the sink compartments? I just realized how much larger than what I have been looking at. I need minimum to fit a carboy/ milk crate inside, I see now you have two carboys at once.


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## Mario Dinis (Dec 23, 2019)

jking said:


> I wash my buckets in the basement laundry sink and wash carboys with a modified version of this DIY washer. Carboys get a rinse with a pvc pipe with holes drilled in it like that hooked to a hose at the sink, then go through a wash and sanitize cycle of the pump fed washer before sitting upside down a few days to dry. They get a final rinse with starsan before being used again. I initally purchased a 550 gph pump on amazon and while it did the job I wanted more flow and upgraded to a 1000 gph pump.


What a great idea. I have a spare pump. I'm definatly making one of these.


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## Mario Dinis (Dec 23, 2019)

Ajmassa said:


> That would be perfect !
> 
> I spent way too long working without an ideal cleaning area. I hated it. Loathed it. And vowed that as soon as I was able I would build something proper.
> Sacrificed space upstairs and built a new laundry room so I could commandeer the basement water and drain lines. Found a great double bay SS sink from an online restaurant auction site. No regrets! View attachment 57930


Nice


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## Ajmassa (Dec 23, 2019)

franc1969 said:


> Every time I see this setup I get jealous. I have been looking for a decently priced sink to redo our laundry as well, or maybe set up a new area on the other side of the wall. What are the inside measurements of the sink compartments? I just realized how much larger than what I have been looking at. I need minimum to fit a carboy/ milk crate inside, I see now you have two carboys at once.




I don’t remember exact dimensions. Overall is 6’ wide. Sinks around 26”x26”x 16”depth maybe. I’ll measure tonight. And this actually fits 4 carboys per sink. Might seem like overkill but trust me, if you’ve got the space you’ll use it. 
Auction site I used hosts multiple places throughout the country. Delving into the Online auction world was quite the learning experience. 
https://www.pciauctions.com/

**Edit— actual sink bay dimensions
24”x24”x12”deep


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## Rocky (Dec 24, 2019)

I am a big "re-purposer" so much of my wine making area is made up of repurposed items and materials. I bought a sink at Home Depot, and built two tables out of scrap lumber to flank the sink. I can put a carboy or a demijohn in each side but I normally use one side to wash and one side to rinse. The faucet is from our kitchen when we remodeled and has a pull out sprayer. To rinse the inside of the carboy or demijohn, I lay the piece on its side on one of the tables and spray water into it and let the water run into the sink. I made a long drill attachment for cleaning the insides of the vessels using a drill extension and a large brush (cutting off the end of the brush to fit into the drill extension). I made a drying rack out of scraps from a patio umbrella that was destroyed in a wind storm and padded it with scrap carpeting. After rinsing the vessels well, I dry the outside and invert them in the rack and the inside drip dries.





​


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## berrycrush (Dec 24, 2019)

Rocky said:


> I am a big "re-purposer" so much of my wine making area is made up of repurposed items and materials. I bought a sink at Home Depot, and built two tables out of scrap lumber to flank the sink. I can put a carboy or a demijohn in each side but I normally use one side to wash and one side to rinse. The faucet is from our kitchen when we remodeled and has a pull out sprayer. To rinse the inside of the carboy or demijohn, I lay the piece on its side on one of the tables and spray water into it and let the water run into the sink. I made a long drill attachment for cleaning the insides of the vessels using a drill extension and a large brush (cutting off the end of the brush to fit into the drill extension). I made a drying rack out of scraps from a patio umbrella that was destroyed in a wind storm and padded it with scrap carpeting. After rinsing the vessels well, I dry the outside and invert them in the rack and the inside drip dries.
> 
> View attachment 57953
> View attachment 57954
> ...


I like your carboy racks and pegs, very original. This is low budget and effective, thanks for sharing!


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## Rocky (Dec 24, 2019)

berrycrush said:


> I like your carboy racks and pegs, very original. This is low budget and effective, thanks for sharing!



Right, BC. The only money out of pocket was for the sink ($149). All the rest was reclaimed. Even the little drain board on the table on the left. My wife was using it for an under sink cabinet liner for bottles of vinegar, oil, etc. I bought some vinyl flooring from a local big box and lined her cabinets with that, cut to size. Easier for my bride to clean and more durable than shelf paper. The flooring was a closeout so I got it for a song. Also, the front legs of the table on the left are from the headboard of our first bed.

When I was a kid, many moons ago, we used to say, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without!" Hard to break old habits.


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## jking (Dec 24, 2019)

Mario Dinis said:


> What a great idea. I have a spare pump. I'm definatly making one of these.



When selecting a drill bit, take note of the GPH of the pump you will be using. First try for me was with a 1/8" bit as the tutorial says and I found that with the number of holes I drilled the flow was less than desirable. I made a new PVC upright and used a 1/16" drill bit for the second and it was much better.

I also find that because I was conservative on how many holes I drilled, I have to rotate the carboy 1/4 turns every 5 minutes or so to make sure all the crud comes off. I have the parts to make a few more test wands to improve the setup but won't be able to get around to it until after the holidays. I like this setup because I can move the pump, lid, and carboy from the wash to rinse bucket in about 10 seconds, and it also doesn't use nearly as much cleaner as filling/soaking. As the article suggests, use a non-foaming cleaner. I use EasyClean.


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## bakervinyard (Dec 24, 2019)

@Rocky, Could you post a picture of the carboy rack from the front. I'd like ti use your idea and make a few for myself. Thanks, Bakervinyard


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## bakervinyard (Dec 24, 2019)

@Rocky, Could you post a picture of the carboy rack from the front. I'd like ti use your idea and make a few for myself. Thanks, Bakervinyard


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## Rocky (Dec 24, 2019)

bakervinyard said:


> @Rocky, Could you post a picture of the carboy rack from the front. I'd like ti use your idea and make a few for myself. Thanks, Bakervinyard









Happy to do so. Here are four shots of it, the first shows it with a 6 gallon glass and a 5 gallon BB. It also accommodates a 3 gallon carboy. The second is a shot down into one of the three cells showing the neck rest. The third is a shot from the side and the last shot is looking down into the three cells. The design is crude and largely dictated by the material I had. The dimensions, mainly the length, was determined by the ribs of the patio umbrella that supplied the material. I had the casters in my shop and they make it very movable.


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## bakervinyard (Dec 25, 2019)

@Rocky, Could you post a picture of the carboy rack from the front. I'd like ti use your idea and make a few for myself. Thanks, Bakervinyard


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## bakervinyard (Dec 25, 2019)

Thanks Rocky, much apricated.


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## Rice_Guy (Dec 25, 2019)

The bottle/carboy drain station I use.

Consists of 5 pieces of 12x12 wire storage cube zip tied together. Center panel with bottles is spaced half way down.


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## berrycrush (Jan 9, 2020)

I am going to start with this and build the rest around it:


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## Jal5 (Jan 16, 2020)

I want to do a wash tub like berrycrush in my garage. I have the hot/cold faucets and supply lines all set up but oddly no drain pipe! I would have to cut the concrete floor to connect to a drain! Don’t really want to do that.


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## mainshipfred (Jan 16, 2020)

Jal5 said:


> I want to do a wash tub like berrycrush in my garage. I have the hot/cold faucets and supply lines all set up but oddly no drain pipe! I would have to cut the concrete floor to connect to a drain! Don’t really want to do that.



Do you have any drain or vent pipe close enough to put in an above ground tank and pump?


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## Ajmassa (Jan 16, 2020)

Jal5 said:


> I want to do a wash tub like berrycrush in my garage. I have the hot/cold faucets and supply lines all set up but oddly no drain pipe! I would have to cut the concrete floor to connect to a drain! Don’t really want to do that.



Can always install a drain pump and tie into somewhere closeby. Different styles out there. And not all need to be vented. Couple hundred bucks likely. 
But having a nice tub sink to work from in your wine area is priceless. 

Here’s a basic one that mounts right into the tailpipe


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## mainshipfred (Jan 16, 2020)

Ajmassa said:


> Can always install a drain pump and tie into somewhere closeby. Different styles out there. And not all need to be vented. Couple hundred bucks likely.
> But having a nice tub sink to work from in your wine area is priceless.
> 
> Here’s a basic one that mounts right into the tailpipe View attachment 58285



You had to up me one didn't you, LOL!


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## Rocky (Jan 16, 2020)

Jal5 said:


> I want to do a wash tub like berrycrush in my garage. I have the hot/cold faucets and supply lines all set up but oddly no drain pipe! I would have to cut the concrete floor to connect to a drain! Don’t really want to do that.



Is your house on a slab or do you have a basement? If one of your garage walls is common with the house and you have a basement, you can run the drain through the wall, down into the basement to a drain line. Just a thought.


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## mainshipfred (Jan 16, 2020)

Rocky said:


> Is your house on a slab or do you have a basement? If one of your garage walls is common with the house and you have a basement, you can run the drain through the wall, down into the basement to a drain line. Just a thought.



It's a good thought but the garage wall going to the basement will be on a foundation wall


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## Ajmassa (Jan 16, 2020)

mainshipfred said:


> You had to up me one didn't you, LOL!



Lol. I wouldn’t double post intentionally! I didn’t see your post till just now. 

But I’m right there with ya. On a slab in the garage not ideal—but when there’s a will there’s a way!


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## Arne (Jan 17, 2020)

mainshipfred said:


> It's a good thought but the garage wall going to the basement will be on a foundation wall


Maybe run it into a closet or someplace you can hide it. bring it in and then down. Make sure you have clear spots before you start drilling. Some lessons learned the hard way. lol. Arne.


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## Alibi Wines (Jan 18, 2020)

Run the drain through the band board, over top the foundation, then down the foundation wall.


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## Rocky (Jan 18, 2020)

Alibi Wines said:


> Run the drain through the band board, over top the foundation, then down the foundation wall.



This is what I was thinking if he has a cellar.


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## jking (Jan 18, 2020)

In the short term you can always hook a length of hose to the sink and run it out the garage door as a temporary drain until you work out a permanent solution.


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## FTC Wines (Jan 19, 2020)

Our winery is/was our4th bedroom. So I took the closet and made it the cleaning station. That’s a std plastic laundry tub in the middle. The back wall backs up to the garage, so I got the H & C water off the hot water heater. Had to be creative for the drain, 2” pvc along the garage wall then out thru the block wall into a 6 gal bucket with holes. Works perfect in the Florida sand. Roy


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## Ajmassa (Jan 19, 2020)

FTC Wines said:


> Had to be creative for the drain, 2” pvc along the garage wall then out thru the block wall into a 6 gal bucket with holes. Works perfect in the Florida sand. Roy



Awesome! Love hearing different solutions people come up with. Sounds like a makeshift dry-well you made there. Im installing something similar for my storm lines.


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## Jal5 (Jan 25, 2020)

My garage has hot and cold faucets on an interior wall. I’d put the washtubs there then drain it into a sewer drain in the garage floor midway across the room. Thinking about using flexible piping like a pool drain extending to that drain only when using the tubs. Not sure if I even need a pump in that setup.


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## rustbucket (Jan 25, 2020)

Nice looking installation! I also live in central Florida. Unfortunately, the bedroom I'm using as my wine room is on the opposite side of the house from my garage. Were it otherwise, I would strongly look at implementing your ideas.

I currently clean my wine making equipment in my garage sink. It gets so hot and humid out there in the summer that, following a bottling session, I have to do my cleaning in shifts; coming back into the house to cool off in between.


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## berrycrush (May 5, 2020)

My cleaning station in first action:


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## Wisconsin (May 5, 2020)

Rocky said:


> I am a big "re-purposer" so much of my wine making area is made up of repurposed items and materials. I bought a sink at Home Depot, and built two tables out of scrap lumber to flank the sink. I can put a carboy or a demijohn in each side but I normally use one side to wash and one side to rinse. The faucet is from our kitchen when we remodeled and has a pull out sprayer. To rinse the inside of the carboy or demijohn, I lay the piece on its side on one of the tables and spray water into it and let the water run into the sink. I made a long drill attachment for cleaning the insides of the vessels using a drill extension and a large brush (cutting off the end of the brush to fit into the drill extension). I made a drying rack out of scraps from a patio umbrella that was destroyed in a wind storm and padded it with scrap carpeting. After rinsing the vessels well, I dry the outside and invert them in the rack and the inside drip dries.
> 
> View attachment 57953
> View attachment 57954
> ...


You mind stopping by and building mine?


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## mainshipfred (May 5, 2020)

Looks great Greg, certainly going to make things easier, don't know what I would do without mine.


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## jvbutter (May 6, 2020)

I long for the day my wine room has a sink... so tired of moving jugs into the house, out from the wine room to kitchen... Looks Good


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