Brewery Building Requirements

Water

• Main water supply to brewery is recommended to be 60 psi @ 25 GPM. Uniform water flow to the brewhouse is critical and should not be affected by water demand elsewhere in the building.
• Hot and cold hose bibs are required in all brewery spaces and lab areas.
• If kegging or bottling will be done, a water supply will be needed in these areas.
• Filtration may be needed for city water. A water analysis will be needed to determine if a filter is required.

Drainage

• Drains are required in the brewhouse, fermentation, walk-in cooler (if applicable), boiler room, and any other areas where water and spillage may occur i.e. kegging/bottling.
• Floors should have a recommended pitch of ¼" per foot towards drains.
• Recommend 4" channel drains with stainless steel or fiberglass grating. All drains should be sized adequately to handle 4-6 barrels of effluent for every 1 barrel of beer produced.

Finish

• Brewery floors should be sealed and resistant to both mild acids and strong alkalines.
• Due to the nature of the brewing process, walls and ceilings should be washable.
• All floor penetrations for transfer lines, steam lines, flex auger etc. should be curbed to prevent overflow.

Electrical

• Note: These electrical guidelines are for planning purposes only. Complete detailed electrical requirements will be issued with the purchase of a brewery from Specific.
• Standard electrical for our equipment is 208VAC, 3 phase, 60 hertz, 4 wire.
• A 200 Amp service is recommended for the brewery area, this would include such things as a boiler and glycol condensing unit.
• Specific will adapt the brewery electrical to suit your electrical supply. The building electrical supply will need to be confirmed before placing an order to avoid any inconveniences.

Square Footage

• The following are typical square footage requirements for standard sized brewpubs. Please contact Specific for requirements for microbreweries and custom spaces.

2 ,3 ½, and 5 Barrel Systems = 180 to 400 square feet

7, 10, and 15 Barrel Systems = 550 to 950 square feet

Ceiling Heights

• For planning purposes, newly constructed buildings are recommended to have 12' to 14' ceilings in the brewhouse area with 9' to 10' in the fermentation and serving area. Microbreweries will require additional ceiling height due to the larger sizes of the vessels.
• For existing buildings, Specific will fabricate the vessels to suit your existing ceiling heights.

Venting

• Typically a flue is needed for the venting of the steam from the brewkettle.
• If a steam fired system is selected an exhaust flue is required in the boiler room for the gas fired boiler.
• If a direct gas fired system is selected an exhaust flue will be needed in the brewhouse area for the kettle firebox exhaust.
• Make-up air is required in the boiler room on a steam-fired system and in the brewhouse area for a direct gas fired system.
• Air conditioning is recommended in all brewery spaces.

Additional Requirements

In addition to the above building requirements Specific also requires the following before your brewing systems arrives on-site.

• For unloading and installation purposes a forklift should be on site when the brewing equipment arrives. Forks should be extendable and padded to protect the equipment. The equipment will typically arrive in an enclosed 48' container both standing up and lagged to the floor or lying down on skids.
• If a walk-in cooler is required, Specific recommends that it is set-up and prepared for equipment prior to equipment arrival.
• All electrical conduits and wiring be run and ready to connect to equipment.
• All drains, plumbing and water lines are prepared to accept brewing equipment.
• If natural gas lines are required, they should be run to the appropriate locations in the brewery.
• An entryway into the building to accommodate the largest vessel.
• For additional information on theses services please see the On Site Services and Support Required for Your Brewery Sheets located in the package.

The purpose of having these services in place before our technicians arrive on site is to expedite the installation process and eliminate any waiting time and additional costs.