Twin Pepper Brewery
As any brewer knows, there's never
an end to the regular chores and new ideas that are always in the works;
That's always been the case here, but we still take time to sit back and
enjoy what's been accomplished so far.
I think it's important to take a break once in a while- to sit, relax,
and ponder the possibilities...
Here's where it's at for
now, but of course it's already changed since these pictures!
Here's
where it all begins. After having made my mark in the kitchen, I decided
it was to my advantage to move out (aka the wife was about to strangle
me!), and I took over my work shop. I soon found that to be annoying
also, as the work shop is an important part of my everyday life, and beer
and woodworking don't seem to mix well- every time I wanted to cut wood,
I had to move the brewing stuff; Every time I was ready to brew, I needed
to build something! The solution was to build a custom spot, JUST for Beer!
... and so it was born-
First, I had to remove a small
storage shed which held my garden and lawn tools, to make way; Nothing
a sledge hammer and a couple of beers couldn't handle!
Before
Just
Starting
Within a day the walls were framed,
and in two, it was almost all enclosed; Funny how thinking about
having this place to work in inspired me to get it done faster!
As the stainless steel sink
was quite large (6' by 8' long!), I had to install it early, before I closed
the place in too much; There's also a deep sink next to it, for washing
the brew pots, kegs, and other larger equipment.
The
Sink
Soon
it was closed in, and I could add the door and picture window. I
had put a huge new front window in the front of the house, and when I removed
the center section from the old one, it was too nice to toss out; With
a little work, I turned it into a 5' square tilting window with screen
for the brewery!
The door is a real beauty,
with beveled glass, brass accents, and a removable screen for summer.
My friends at the lumber yard took real good care of me, although they
always insist I'm certified crazy! That's my oldest daughter Jen
posing at the site of the deck about to be added.
Gettin'
There
Here, youngest daughter Ashley
gives a
Helping
Hand
Soon
after, the plumbing was done, and the cooking area was set up; The burners
are high-pressure propane units, each putting out 170,000 BTU's.
There's also a 30,000 BTU
unit for keeping the mash at the right temp without worrying about overheating
it, and for holding a steady temp for the sparge water. I recommend
having at least 2 high efficiency burners available, 3 is even better,
when doing all-grain batches over 5 gallons. It sure makes it much more
relaxing! Of course brewing 15-20 gallons at a time makes for a LOT
of moisture, so I built a fan-powered hood that vents directly outside
during the boil; It reduces the moisture immensely, and helps keep the
temperature down, too; The walls are protected by stainless steel sheets,
a gift from a friend!
Pictured below is the cooking
area, with some of the brew pots. They range in size from 5 to 20
gallons.
The
Cooking Area
There's
plenty of room to sit and relax while brewing, and we often dine out there,
too- here's one of my favorite pieces of furniture I built, the brewery
table. I'd wanted to build one for years, but never (until now!)
had a place I'd be able to put it! There are 60 coasters from all
over, sealed in with over two gallons of polyurethane, but it still won't
be finished for at least another year or so! A long term project that I
started over a year ago, another decades-old dream come true...
(Above it hangs a gorgeous hand-made leaded glass light, crafted for us
by two of my childhood friends)
Sit,
and Relax!
I have not yet begun to procrastinate.
Collecting pub glasses is one of my
favorites, also- they're all ready for guests who work up a heavy thirst
performing such invigorating tasks as opening up the door, or breathing!
Mug
Shot
Where do they "Head"? At
the bar, of course!
Another old dream come true, the
tap system is made from a blend of oak, redwood, and pine for a contrast
in color; There are 3 flavors on tap, the beer is stored right in a dedicated
keg fridge, with the lines running into the cabinet; Maintenance is quick
and easy, and there's an insulated "waiting room" below still in the works.
Thirsty?
Here are a few batches in progress,
along with some of the equipment I use.
In
the Works
Eagles
may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
Almost
Done!
The outside is now finished,
the deck's been expanded to fit an outside dining area and lots more, but
I don't have a current pic yet- so, like everything else I'm working on
around here, there's ...
More to come!
... Ok, so I finally got around
to developing some pics that have been sitting on my desk for ages- Twin
Pepper is becoming quite a brewerania museum, and the walls are full with
both old and modern goodies, from wherever I can find them. It's almost
time to start re-arranging things, as you can see here:
Gettin' Crowded!
Here's a shot of Hop Tuit being
sparged into to the holding tank before it's transferred to the boil up
in the 20-gallon brew pot. That light blue contraption is the hop back,
minus the canister that holds the hops. I'd get some better pics, but a
whole new generation is in the works for my next session.
New equipment development
is part of the fun- in fact, I'm currently assembling a whole new
tier system for the burners. It should be done within a week or so, hopefully.
Sparging
I
don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.
Over the doorway to the workshop are several old beer
bottle openers, some in fine condition, some not so happy. At least they
can rest in peace here, amongst the many other items I find along
the way. Beer lights, such as the Stroh's one, add to the atmosphere
on those hot summer nights when we hang out and just relax. I've got quite
a few more to install, also, as time allows.
Back
Wall
The rafters don't go to waste, either- they're lined with
brewing equipment, growlers, steins, you name it! Here, over the
table, are a few steins, along with some of the modern bottle openers.
Steins
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