I really hope this is the last update I have to provide on construction of this brewery. It's been a quixotic quest of sorts that I'll miss soon enough, but for now it is getting old. A lot of people ask if we have run into any major issues that have slowed us down, a question I've always answered no to. The biggest lesson learned for me is that everything takes longer than you want it to. Coordination is an art form that requires patience as well as persistence. The G.C. and all the subs are working for you, but the best ones also take great pride in their work and are working for themselves, building a reputation that they take to the next job. Some
Starting upstairs, we insulated the attic this week and the drywall is going up fast since there aren't many walls up there. We've fired up several of the heating systems, which makes working all the more pleasant. Now if only we could lose that porta-potty. Downstairs, the bathrooms have doors and wall finishes, but the fixtures still haven't arrived. The kitchen sinks and dishwasher are plumbed so we can finally wash our hands without the use of a garden hose.
The brewery glycol cooling system is partway installed and we should brew at the end of this week. In the dinning room & bar area, the back bar coolers for our guset bottled beer were dropped into place on Friday and tiling behind the bar began. When that's done, we'll install the rest of the bar equipment. The front bar has been hanging out for a few weeks, but is still awaiting some dust-free time to receive its epoxy finish. The back should arrive this week with it's 12" diameter carved-fist columns. For perspective, here's a tap handle sitting on one in progress at the wood shop:
The highlight of our progress last week was the painting of the tin ceiling, which came out great and has allowed a lot of finish carpentry to commence. Now everybody asks if it is the original ceiling since it looks so shiny. I say "Yes, but it took two months to take down, flatten out the tin and reinstall"