Brew Shed Is Framed and Sided

With the brew shed foundation poured and cured the project continued forward. It takes about a month for concrete to cure. It also takes about a month for spring to kick off in Oregon.

Reminder to our readers: You know you are seriously addicted to home brewing when you start making plans for a brew shed!

Three of us bolted down a pressure treated sill plate, then put up all four walls in one afternoon. The framing of the roof and sheathing took another two afternoons. One more solid day should finish off the roof and trim. Then it will need a couple coats of primer and paint. After that I will turn my attention to the electrical panel.

Details about the shed:

• Walls are just under 8 feet tall. This way the siding overlaps the concrete a little.
• I went with 5/8” T111 siding, which works both as sheathing (like OSB), and siding (like lap boards). I found this was the best bang for the buck in terms of appearance and price.
• The 12′ x 12′ size feels roomy enough for a brewery without hogging the back yard.
• The height at the peak is 11′ 6”.
• Total cost was about $2200 for all the materials, delivered.

(Roof framing completed).

Recommendations:

• Use a qualified contractor who has experience building houses. There are a lot of little details that go into framing I had no idea about. You want your brew shed built solid with the help of a professional.
• Check with local city / county building codes before getting started.
• Get the materials delivered. A local place only charged me $80 to have everything delivered at once.
• Charge it and get credit card mileage points / rewards.
• Keep natural lighting in mind. This shed has a skylight and two windows.
• Design in a big door that is easy to get items like kettles, keezers, and drunk friends in and out.
• Keep your dimensions in units that work well with basic lumber sizes. Multiples of four are good.
• Consider going with 2×6 construction for added insulation value. It my case it wasn’t worth going past 2×4 walls, but it might be in yours.
• Add in a loft. Mine has one in the back at seven feet high. The brewing equipment will fit nicely under there.

(Framed and sheathed, ready for shingles).

(Lots of natural light are a good thing).

More articles to come on the subject of brew sheds.