New Wine Room Design

[Raptor99]

I started with the traditional laundry sink which had a fixed water spout too low for a Carboy to fit. I was lucky to find a commercial 2 large bowl sink w/ sides of all places, at my local brew shop. The owner had one sitting in his garage unused for year.

Very nice! I'm going to watch for a two-basin commercial sink.

 

[Raptor99]

I'm working on my design again. Right now I have 19' of counter space planned, but the sink will take up some of that space. I am looking at a stand alone commercial stainless steel sink, and am watching Craig's List for a deal.

I see the benefit of a two-basin sink, but for washing large carboys it is helpful to be able to turn them on the site. That would require a sink basin at least 24" wide. It's difficult and expensive to find a two-basin model with basins that large, but I found a good size with one basin: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/re...rainboards-24-x-24-x-14-bowl/600S124242G.html I'm not necessarily going to buy that one, but it is an example.

The problem is fitting everything in. The sink I linked above is 72" wide, which would take out 6' of counter space (I would still have 13' of counter space.)

Question: If your sink basin(s) is (are) smaller than 24" wide, how do you wash 5 and 6.5 gal carboys? I have back pain issues, so I can't really pick them up and shake them. I appreciate your input.

 

[ChuckD]

I have been thinking about my ideal wine room and was envisioning some racks on the back wall above the drain boards where you could set carboys upside down to drain out. That or some free standing holders to set on the drain boards. If you have a small diameter wand type sprayer you could spray up inside them to clean them out.

 

[MarcOlivetti]

Raptor99 - I started with the FastWasher from Midwest Supply which was under $60 (less than the components to build the bucket version) which work great! You can use for Carboys, buckets, and Kegs. They can sit in a tray/tote that can sit on a counter and is portable. No lifting or shaking required (FastWasher Rack)
They also have a bottle version too. Be careful though, this brand is addictive and worth it, and a must have like Steve’s All in One!

 

[Rice_Guy]

The sink in your photo is designed to take a lot of water in the side wings. If you carried the concept of wings one step farther you could ignore the sink, ,, just install a shower floor and do all your washing with a hose.
With the company pilot plant the floor drain collects any water. ALL washing was close to where the work happened and into the floor drain. Looking at this old house there is a style of shower drain that is a long/ narrow U, have you thought of having a plumber create a tiled shower pan?
to your question I wash in a standard kitchen sink since my carboys fit inside a 12” milk crate, the main wash tool is the sprayer hose (sometimes throttled down to minimize splashing). HUMM You could have 19 feet of counter built with a shower water collection floor.

The sink I linked above is 72" wide, which would take out 6' of counter space (I would still have 13' of counter space.), , , , , Question: If your sink basin(s) is (are) smaller than 24" wide, how do you wash 5 and 6.5 gal carboys?

 

[winemaker81]

I see the benefit of a two-basin sink, but for washing large carboys it is helpful to be able to turn them on the site. That would require a sink basin at least 24" wide. It's difficult and expensive to find a two-basin model with basins that large, but I found a good size with one basin: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/regency-72-16-gauge-stainless-steel-one-compartment-commercial-sink-with-galvanized-steel-legs-and-2-drainboards-24-x-24-x-14-bowl/600S124242G.html I'm not necessarily going to buy that one, but it is an example.

The faucet displayed in the above link is as valuable as the sink is. My sink is the deepest stainless steel double basin kitchen sink I could find, and the faucet is the tallest gooseneck I could find, with a separate sprayer. I put a carboy in the sink and maneuver the sprayer to ensure the entire inside of the carboy is rinsed. Each also gets a treatment with a carboy brush -- elbow grease works! Then rinse again. I rarely have to put more than 1/2 gallon in the carboy at a time during cleaning.

I'm thinking about purchasing a new faucet, one with a removable head that acts as a sprayer. The one in our kitchen is as tall as the one in my wine area, and I've seen taller.

 

[winemaker81]

I'm considering a model like this one:

 

[mainshipfred]

I'm considering a model like this one:

View attachment 84144

Mine is real similar

 

[ChuckD]

When I worked in a restaurant as a kid the dish washing station had a sprayer that hung from the ceiling with some sort of retracting device and you could pull it down at least three feet and maneuver it around almost anywhere. Something like that would rock!

 

[winemaker81]

When I worked in a restaurant as a kid the dish washing station had a sprayer that hung from the ceiling with some sort of retracting device and you could pull it down at least three feet and maneuver it around almost anywhere. Something like that would rock!

That's why I'm interested in the faucet I listed, it's the next best thing for a regular sink. Click the link in @Raptor99's post #42 -- I was looking at the sprayer, not the sink itself

 

[mainshipfred]

I only have 7" of counter space plus the sink. The wine is either on rolling barrel carriers or furniture dollies which I roll to the lab as needed.

 

[wood1954]

Plenty of good lighting especially for when bottling.

 

[wood1954]

A group I belong to runs a food stand at the Lambeau Field and they have a stainless steel three-basin sink labeled wash/sanitize/rinse with a three-foot drain board on each end. This is my ideal sink for the wine room. I would settle for a two-basin model. Take it from someone who worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant when young... tall back splashes, an overhead spray nozzle, and drain boards are the bomb.

I picked up a used sink like this for cheap, always look for used first.

 

[Raptor99]

That's why I'm interested in the faucet I listed, it's the next best thing for a regular sink. Click the link in @Raptor99's post #42 -- I was looking at the sprayer, not the sink itself

A good faucet with a sprayer sounds really useful. That would work great for rinsing with plain water. For cleaning solutions I will consider the Fastrack Washer recommended by @MarcOlivetti

 

[Raptor99]

I picked up a used sink like this for cheap, always look for used first.

I have been watching Craig's List.

 

[ChuckD]

I picked up a used sink like this for cheap, always look for used first.

I actually found one for cheap last year but was too slow on the draw. I’m keeping my eyes open.

 

[winemaker81]

A good faucet with a sprayer sounds really useful.

Our kitchen faucet is a detachable regular/sprayer head model. At first I resisted it, as funky hardware typically breaks sooner. Then I investigated and discovered the water control mechanism is below the counter, and the "funky" part is just a hose and a sprayer head, both of which are easy to replace. Since having that for a few years, I don't want a regular faucet. Spraying the sink or objects is grab, point, and squeeze.

 

[user 32114]

I DID a chocolate Kadivar ,, chocolates, they sent me a new 3 basin with drain boards ,, i called their coaptate office, to tell him that they had one that was only 6 months old, he told me to throw the new on in the dumpster and cover with trash, they crew and I christened my truck the big Bertha dumpster, so still in the crate, i hauled it from the east coast, ,, i thought free was a good price, i told him what i had done, he said you ever mention that sink again, that i would be having sex with the big end of a ball bat, , i still believe he woulda tried doing it,,,
Dawg

 

[user 32114]

if you go to home depot. get the sink adapter, for a portable washing machine, i use marine food grade water hose,
Dawg

 

[David Violante]

Raptor99 - I started with the FastWasher from Midwest Supply which was under $60 (less than the components to build the bucket version) which work great! You can use for Carboys, buckets, and Kegs. They can sit in a tray/tote that can sit on a counter and is portable. No lifting or shaking required (FastWasher Rack)
They also have a bottle version too. Be careful though, this brand is addictive and worth it, and a must have like Steve’s All in One!

I just bought the FastWasher12 and extra racks for the same reason. Just came yesterday. I first tried (twice) to buy it on Amazon but it came in a plain box and without the legs or hardware. MoreWine sent one all complete in the original box (their PA warehouse is closer to me). They suggested using SaniClean over StarSan because it foams less when sanitizing.

I did DIY a carboy washer with a 5 gallon bucket and sump pump on clearance. Works amazingly.

I’m also curious now at the idea of a large surface area shower type basin at a height that reduces bending and lifting. That’s a very intriguing idea…