Is it safe to brew beer in my garage?
I want to start trying to brew my own beer. I have a large garage to do it in, but I know the jugs and stuff are under a lot of pressure at points in the process.
Is this safe to do at home?
To answer this question, you must be logged in.
Already have an account? Login.
By Signing up, you indicate that you have read and agree to Sage's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Answers ( 1 )
"Safe" is a relative term when it comes to homebrew...it could mean a few things, in fact. Fortunately, the answer to all of these possible interpretations is "yes" when it comes to brewing in the garage -- provided you take appropriate precautions.
First, is it safe for the beer? Absolutely -- your garage is probably the location in your house with the most consistent temperature possible, which is critical for brewing. Assuming that you sanitize your equipment before brewing, and take appropriate precautions to prevent contamination (use of a sealed container/carboy with a blow-off valve or tube), the garage is likely the best place to brew and ferment your beer.
Second, is it safe for the garage? Mostly -- again, if you take appropriate precautions and ensure that you're managing your equipment properly, it's perfectly safe. You note concerns about pressure -- and yes, if you don't vent a fermentation vessel, it will explode. If you vent it poorly, the vent will explode. If you vent it properly and leave enough headspace in your fermentation vessel, there should be no issue whatsoever.
War story -- I used to use the little plug-in vents with my carboys, and they served me well for several years. But somehow, one day, the vent got blocked. Not sure what happened, as I wasn't home at the time, but when I did get home I knew immediately that something had gone wrong. The moment the garage door opened, I could smell nothing but that unique scent of fermented "stuff". Sure enough, the clogged vent had caused the krausen and pressure to build up in the carboy, and the bung popped out, allowing the explosion of krausen all over my shelving. It wasn't difficult to clean up, but it definitely smelled for a bit. Ever since then, I use a blow-off tube that goes directly into a Ball jar filled with sanitizer liquid. Have had zero problems since then.
The other risk you might have, depending on how you're going to store your beer, is with the bottling. This is another risk area, as you're inserting sugar into the bottles to revive some of the yeast -- too much and you risk exploding your bottles. Just follow the recommended "dosage" of sugar for the volume of beer that you've made, make sure you securely top the bottles, and you'll be just fine. I've not yet had any bottles blow on me -- though I've opened a couple that I was VERY glad that I had put a secure top on!!