Blank sheet of paper...

[BeerBoy]

Given the collective wisdom of many on this site, what would your "dream brewery" design include? I'm in the process of creating a small production brewery (10 bbl / 1000 annual) and the most feasible option is to build. I want to try and keep it as "green" as possible.
* Floors: what's the best option for coating? Epoxy? Brewery brick? (I didn't say cheapest...)
* Brew House: steam vs. direct fire - for small scale, what's most economical? All I've ever brewed on was steam (city and boiler) so I'm not very aware of direct-fire issuses. Which brings up the hot liquor tank - are they truly necessary? Does anyone know/use "instant" hot water on a commercial level?
* Drive-in door vs. dock-height - is dock-height really needed if you have a fork-truck?
* Optimum layout for ease and productivity - I know the process flow, but what other "little" things would make life easier?
* Space - how much is "enough?" Obviously more is better, but if you're paying for every s.f., you want to try and achieve the midpoint.
* Any other bits of wisdom (besides starting with a large fortune...)?

Thanks in advance.

[bstreety]

Ill put my 2 cents in on some of these. For a small, non-packaging brewery, with a forklift, a loading dock is probably a waste of space/money. Unless you are loading/unloading a truck at least twice a week, you can do the job with a forklift and PJ without too much hassle. For a brewery that does not have a forklift, you are sadistic if you can, and don't put a loading dock in.

How much space do you need? If you can tell me the meaning of life, Ill give you a definitive requirement for space. There is a balance between $/sq ft and what you have to give up to get it. Ideally, there would be enough space for your average person to walk around, without banging into and tripping on everything. But.... If it is a choice between being able to walk around the tanks, or get a better floor. I would go with the better floor. A rule of thumb (other may think that it is only my thumb), is that the better the layout, and less labor intensive the system (hardpiping, dedicated pumps etc.), the less space you will need to work. So if you are in Manhattan New York, it makes sense to spend an extra $100, 000 on a system, if you are in Manhattan Kansas, It may not.

[tarmadilo]

I've brewed with steam, direct fire, and indirect fire (forced air), and I like the last one best. It was on a DME system, and had a burner that blew extremely hot air into a jacket somewhat like a steam panel, but obviously without the steam. It worked fine, and I didn't need a boiler! I didn't have the kind of problems with hotspots like I did with a direct fire system...

If you want to brew more than one batch a day, a hot liquor tank is necessary. If not, then nope! I'd note that you can probably start out without one, and then add one when production needs dictate it...

Cheers, Tim

[MikeJordan]

I think if your intent on making your facility a "production" facility you should build it with production needs in mind. I'm assuming you might be kegging beer and perhaps bottling beer in the future. I think a dock is necessary for both beer shipments and incoming materials. Depending on your location incoming materials can be very costly with shipping. If you have a little extra space for malt storage then full pallet orders will save you $$ in the long run. If you have cramped quarters then partial pallets may be all you can handle but the shipping cost may be exactly the same for a full or a partial pallet. I would recommend a steam fired kettle. I know too many brewers who have issues with direct fire kettles; won't ignite consistently or the kettle bottom is on the verge of falling out. Keep the mill room close to the brewhouse but seperate from the rest of the facility. I've always appreciated "space" in my working environments and found it results in less injuries. I like having a hot liquor tank but know many brewers who have made due without one. I think breweries without one generally will waste more labor $$ moving hot water around from the kettle or waste recovery water from wort coolings. Best of luck!