Wine room - must haves, nice to haves??

[homesteader26]

So i have been making wine from fruit and grapes for about 6 months. While I wait for those to be ready I've been making DB and SP. I just purchased a few kits to get more wine in the "to enjoy down the road" pipeline. So DH says to me today that he could make a subbasement area a dedicated wine room for me to rack and bulk age my wines. I didn't think it would be worth having if I don't have water and sink and he says he can do that with large sink/and 6 ft counter space (insert giddy face here!!). So my question is what are the must haves like sink/counter and what are the gee that would be nice to have if you were building such a room. The space is about 12 ft x 12 ft and the temperature in the dead of our NE winter still remains about 50. Is that too cold for storage/aging? I would ferment inside like I have been doing but once racked into secondary would go there. Thoughts suggestions welcome!! Thanks!!

 

[richmke]

I would want cabinets or shelves to store the AIO and other equipment.
Electrical for the AIO.
Something above the sink to hang tubing to dry out.

Ideally, you would want a stainless steel counter that has edges and drains into the sink. A suspended sprayer to make it easier to clean pails.
Something like this:

 

[dralarms]

I want one of those sprayers. I set mine up in a 10 by 20 building (6 ft decated to storage) I got a utility sink, 10 ft counter space with cabinets underneath. Freezer, and 2 carts where my wine resides while making. I do have an electric hoist to move carboys from counter top to cart, cart to counter top, and counter top to floor for bottling. I do have the all in one and can not imagine doing this with out it.

If you would like pictures I can take some.

 

[dralarms]

Found me a faucet. I'm ordering it next week.

 

[Arne]

A peg board is really nice to hang some of your equipment on. A small refrigerator to keep your chemicals, yeast, and maybe even a beer or two in. Bottle trees are great todry your bottles after washing. If you have a floor corker, maybe a stand so you don't have to bend to the floor to place the bottle on it. Install plenty of lights, makes it easy to find whatever has dropped to the floor. And the list goes on and on. Now we have your 12X12 room filled so you can't turn around in it. Maybe time to add on, lol, Arne.

 

[mike_d]

A dry erase board.

 

[Turock]

You can also do this without spending a ton of money on fancy items. You can buy some low-end cabinets at the Big Box store and add a pre-made laminate countertop. A microwave is nice to have for dissolving sugar for backsweetening. A double tub with a pullout sprayer--handy for cleaning vats.

Our wine area is almost like a kitchen. When the kitchen was remodeled, we brought all the old cabinets to the winery. Base cabinets give you lots of storage space.

 

[dralarms]

Yes, I got my cabinets from home depot, they had a 20% off sale, and 2 of mine were "damaged", minor crap but no the less they took another 30 bucks off the 2 giving me an extra 60.00 discount.

 

[homesteader26]

Dralarms - hoist?

Dralarms Yes, I would love to see your set up! The hoist idea sounds AMAZING! I struggle with the 5 gallon glass carboys when they are full - one shoulder I have a rotator cuff injury and the other arm I have a tricep injury (nursing injuries - hazards of the trade!).

The idea of raising the floor corker so I don't have to bend - YES!! Super idea that puppy will be mounted or raised!

The spray washer and stainless steel counter are beautiful - not sure I will get a stainless counter (he already has the counter) but the sink for certain and the spray washer seem like must haves!!

Electricity will not be a problem (he is an electrician) but the small fridge I did not think of nice to have a "cold one" handy or perhaps yes, just to keep my yeast fresh!

I do need bottle trees - leaning those bottles up to drain/dry them is already growing old!

AIO Richmke? I'm not sure what that is ....

Am I forgetting anything important?? Temperature - will the room be too cool in the winter at 50 degrees ?? He says we can put a small heater in for the extreme cold days if we had to. Thoughts on temp??

 

[mike_d]

AIO Richmke? I'm not sure what that is ....

That's the All-in-One wine pump.

As for bottle trees, mount a couple 2x4's to the wall, and drive some long screws or sturdy nails into it at a downward angle, and you have a wall mounted bottle "tree".

 

[homesteader26]

All in one pump

I just watched the video for the all in one wine pump and that has now moved up to the first thing on my I MUST HAVE list! lol Just yesterday I told DH that I would like an oak barrel for Mother's Day but this wine pump has now nudged the barrel out! I can wait for my birthday for the barrel

This is exactly why I posted this thread - I need to know what I NEED!

 

[dralarms]

My hoist set up.

 

[dralarms]

My storage area.

 

[dralarms]

My work space

 

[dralarms]

And my mobile carboys

 

[dralarms]

I did a panoramic picture but it must not have saved. I have a freezer, and a sink across from the countertop.

 

[dralarms]

The problem panoramic picture want to post sideways so if you want to see it pm me your email addy.

 

[homesteader26]

Wow Dralarms that is quite the set up!! Love it! I can see mine growing like that over the years - 6 months in and this hobby has quickly added up! I really like experimenting and the science behind it - hoping that when my wines are ready they are worth all this "work".

I like how you have notes on each of your carboys! I am trying to figure out a good system for that and the scraps of paper I have been using I can see is a bad system. I just started putting all my notes in a notebook - but there is still a bit of question as to batches I have blended (such a noob!).

Thank you for sharing your room!

 

[dralarms]

I can send you my worksheet.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

My work space

Very nice !!
I would definitely like to have a setup like yours !!