So when I was sanitizing some of my stuff the other day I got really irritated. My sink is really small and I wish I had a lot more room. My solution is to buy a Rubbermaid tote from Walmart. I wanna get one big enough that I can put an entire bucket or carboy into. What does everyone else do to clean everything or have you just been dealing with what you got like I have?
I try to do what I can outside. I salvaged an old plastic sink basin. I use my chiller rubbings to fill it. I also fill my mash tun at the same time. My tun doubles as a vessel to soak my chiller in for a few minutes. As dat as carboys go, I clean in the bathtub. Now in saying that, I have a full bathroom dedicated to brewing.
5 gallon buckets + a long window box liner for the long items like racking canes and dip tubes.
That is a reall good idea with the sink. Might get one off craigslist
I was thinking about buying one of those Plastic Utility Sinks at the Big Box Store. they run about 50 bucks.
Yeah… This thing that I have has been through the ringer, but it holds water. I use a bung to stop the drain. I suppose you could easily make legs for it and add plumping, but mine just sits on the edge of the firewood deck. When I’m done, I just pull the plug and let it drain.
For cleaning I just use a laundry sink. For sanitizing I use either a 5 gallon bucket or a spray bottle both with RO water and Star-San… For my corny kegs I use a keg washer with saniclean to avoid foaming.
I use a “wrapping paper” tote to hold sanitizer when I’m racking to completely submerge the canes and tubes and either that or a standard to sanitize buckets if that is what I’m planning to ferment in.
on buckets, I figure I only use the inside surface so as long as that’s sanitary I’m good. This means that I can sanitize the bucket by filling it with sanitizer. this is usually deep enough to sanitize anything else I might need to sanitize.
If I am bottling a whole batch and the timing works I will put the bottles in the oven the night before and bake them at 350 for 20-60 minutes and then turn the oven off and leave them there till the next morning. anything that can’t be baked or won’t fit in a bucket I just throw away cause I can’t think of a reason that I need it. but if I DID need it I would spray it down really well with star san.
For cleaning I use the garden hose and a cotton or nylon grain bag, again, I’m almost always cleaning a bucket or a kettle if I’m cleaning big stuff so that becomes my ‘sink’ till I’m done.
Kegs get PBW and hot water inside, shaken well and then transferred under pressure to the next container that needs cleaning. same with sanitizer.
I went the utility sink route, got tired of getting chewed out for making a mess cleaning in the kitchen. It’s setup to be portable, I set it up in the driveway on brew day for quick gear cleanup as I’m brewing. I added two additional fittings, along with quick connects not shown in the photos, and use it for my immersion chiller and an external wash hose as well. I can fit a 15 gallon kettle, which is my largest item (for now). I’ve also taken it to a few brew-ins for a community sink, makes everyone’s day better.
You really thought that through. Nice work.
Agreed, you should throw this thing up in Pimp My System with a short blurb on how you made it.
I have a double utility sink. Comes in handy.
The hose bib on the sink is really cool. Have to see if I have room around mine to do it.
Cool sink! That should have been in Zymurgy
I had a friend who does maintenance for a chain restaurant here in the Chicago area. About a year back he had a full 8-foot stainless counter with sink attached available as it was pulled out of a store for remodeling the kitchen at the location. I passed on it due to space concerns, but if I had pulled the trigger and put that on wheels, man oh man it would have been something. But my marriage is too valuable to make my wife park her car outside… 
Thanks to everyone for the compliments on the sink, I did get a little anal with the design. ;D
Since then I’ve added two small plastic baskets off the back edge, gives me a place for sponges/nozzles/fittings/other junk.
I guess I’ll put it over in Pimp My System, maybe it will make the next Gadgets issue or a monthly writeup. My burner igniter did make this year’s Gadgets issue, didn’t even know until my issue arrived…
Gets my vote for “Pimp My System” (which hasn’t been very creative / impressive of late).
Could you take a few action shots during brew day? The more pictures, the better!
What about adding a small instant hot water heater? I know at my work they have them for the bathroom and break room sinks. They aren’t too big, about the size of a hard bound book.
Camp Chief makes a portable propane camp shower that is on my wish list. When I finally cough up the money for one I’ll be building one of these wash stations. But I want to build a three burner brew stand first…
Hmm. I’ve always just used our kitchen sink. I’ve never thought that it was any bigger than anyone else’s sink, but maybe it is if all you guys are saying you can’t fit everything into yours. Once in awhile I will take a carboy outside and hose it out, if the weather is decent and it’s a time of year when we have the hoses connected anyway. But generally our sink works fine for me.