My homebrewing hobby has really been progressing as of late. I’m making an effort to brew beer at least every other weekend that I’m not busy. So far, so good. Thing is, I’m also acquiring more and more brewing gear and it has rapidly taken over the kitchen, den, and area at the top of the basement stairs. It has bumped up against my beer cellar, and I’m out of space.
Since moving into my house in 2005, most of the crap in the basement hasn’t really moved. Boxes and Rubbermaid bins full of random stuff- childhood memories, rats nest balls of various wire and cabling, old dishes, Christmas stuff, and things that should be in my garage or shed. So after some consideration, I decided that some work in the basement could convert it from junk collecting space into a productive brewing area for my beloved hobby.
The choice was between my garage or the basement. It wasn’t a hard choice because my garage is not insulated, heated, and has no plumbing. The basement can be easily heated and installing a utility sink is relatively simple. Shelving and workbench space will be installed first, followed by a big sink. There are two challenges with this project: finding a burner solution and ventilation. Those are two things that wouldn’t be an issue in the garage, but I think are more easily (and cheaply!) solved in the basement compared to the others with the garage.
Earlier today, I moved a lot of stuff from the basement into the garage. I have given away a few items on Craigslist within hours of posting them. Gave away an old iMac and a kerosene heater. I probably could’ve gotten a few bucks for them but I just wanted them gone quickly. Guy who took the iMac drove a beat up minivan and said it was for his kids. The woman who took the heater said she lived on a lake in a drafty old house and wanted something to help in the winter. True or not, I’d rather see stuff get used rather than throw it away.
This will be the first “project” that I blog about. It will be an ongoing process, so I hope to update this series periodically. Stay tuned.
