Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

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Paul_J

Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by Paul_J » Mon Feb 08, 2010 7:49 pm

Hi all,

I'm considering setting up a micro brewery at my pub in a new outbuilding at the rear of the premises.

Its obviously going to take me a long time to learn the ins and outs of brewing but I'd like to start it as a hobby with the goal of producing beer of high enough quality to be sold at the pub.

As I have a very frosty relationship with my neighbours I'm concerned with how much smell can be expected externally? The outbuilding is yet to be built but ideally I'd like to site it within 2m of my boundary and approximately 20m away from the neighbour’s house. Once (perhaps if!) I get to the stage of having a quality beer how much smell could be expected if I were to be brewing say 36 gals at a time ?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Paul.

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Andy
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Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by Andy » Mon Feb 08, 2010 7:55 pm

Bad smell ? It's a glorious aroma :D
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Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by Jim » Mon Feb 08, 2010 8:46 pm

There'll be a hoppy smell while you're boiling (which some people may find objectionable - though it didn't stop Scottish and Newcastle making the whole west end of Newcastle smell of it when the brewery was in Westgate Road!) but that's just for an hour or 2.

Other than that, the only smell will be a bit of yeast.
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Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by Eadweard » Mon Feb 08, 2010 9:12 pm

20m away will be fine.

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Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by TC2642 » Mon Feb 08, 2010 9:21 pm

I've been to two microbreweries, the first one you could smell the aroma halfway down the street! The other one I noticed no smell at all, I would think it would depend on whether or not you want to put a chimney up to funnel the smell. Depends on your planning permission I guess.
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Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by WishboneBrewery » Mon Feb 08, 2010 10:09 pm

I seriously doubt you'll distress anyone with the smells, small scale stuff doesn't make much of a smell.

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Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by jimw86 » Mon Feb 08, 2010 10:41 pm

I doubt you will have any smells, not enough to warrent a refusal from the planning office. I would highly recommend (as im sure others here would) Ted Brunnings book - The Microbrewers Handbook. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microbrewers-Ha ... 1903872227. Its a great read and is a fountain of knowledge. Good luck.

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Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by Swoonara » Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:53 am

Good luck with your brewery Paul.

Out of interest, whereabouts are you?

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Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by delta9 » Tue Feb 09, 2010 12:08 pm

A extractor fan with an activated carbon filter(£300+) might help
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_purifiers

Good luck with the brewery! :wink:

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Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by Rookie » Sat Feb 13, 2010 4:40 pm

Back in the 90s, when I first moved to the pacific north west (Portland, Oregon) I had a job that was three or four blocks from a brewery which has unfortunatly closed. I loved their scottish ale. When the wind was right we could tell when they were brewing; it was loverly.
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Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by oblivious » Sat Feb 13, 2010 4:49 pm

You can be surprise how some free beer can help melt even the frostiest reception :wink:

Slaine

Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by Slaine » Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:24 am

Jim wrote:There'll be a hoppy smell while you're boiling (which some people may find objectionable - though it didn't stop Scottish and Newcastle making the whole west end of Newcastle smell of it when the brewery was in Westgate Road!) but that's just for an hour or 2.

Other than that, the only smell will be a bit of yeast.
I used to love that smell as i walked past the brewery on my way to Newcastle college as a kid :)

I'm wondering the same about the hop smell on my new build, i'm considering getting a cheap kitchen hood extractor and trying to either direct the extracted air to where it wont be noticed as much or to possibly filter it somehow.

Dont know whether it would make any difference or not though.

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Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by Garth » Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:34 am

My mate who set a micro up behind his pub was worried about this, being so close to other residential houses. So before and after the planning came through he constantly referrred to the smell just as Andy put it, an aroma. No problems whatsoever.

Personally I find the smell great. Makes me want a pint.

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Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by Trefoyl » Tue Mar 02, 2010 2:14 am

I don't know what people find objectionable to the smell, but I guess some do. Last Sunday I brewed 2 batches in a row and my neighbor across the hall sprayed her foul air "freshener" outside her door for a full minute.
Way back when I started brewing and my friend came over I would ask him what he thought of the smell as he came up the hall towards my apartment and he thought it smelled sweet, he said he thought I was baking a cake. But then he loves the stuff, he's the one that turned me on to great beer.
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Paul_J

Re: Micro Brewery - Bad Smell ?

Post by Paul_J » Mon Mar 15, 2010 4:13 pm

Thanks everyone for their comments and advice.

I'm now thinking of buying a portable building (portakabin) in which to start my brewing adeventure but this is now looking like taking place in the Autumn once I get council planning.

@Swoonara
I'm just outstide Bridgend in South Wales.

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