Hey folks, So I've been aging some beers for a while now, and I hate cardboard. I've been looking for some boxes, but all I've found have been way too expensive. I really like the Brewbicle though. Has anyone built anything like that for themselves? I'm looking for some kind of designs or recommendations for a box that will keep all light out, and will have substance on the bottle to prevent disaster. Also, It'd be sweet to have handles on the thing. Thanks a bunch.
It's not too hard to build a basic box out of spare wood (or wood from home depot). Brewbicle looks really cool, but it would be much easier to build a box where the top just opens up using a basic hinge. If you are storing the beer in a dark room, like a basement, then you should be fine just building things along the lines of a milk crate - doesn't need to be 100% impenetrable to light. I built a beer display shelf for my own purposes, but it's not a box.
Yeah man, those look pretty cool. If you were wanting to make a clone then a router table and table saw would be very helpful. I do some woodworking in my spare time and could help you with plans if you want. That's a pretty basic design, however it is made using techniques that are on the more advanced side of things.
That's super kind of you, man! Honestly though, I have almost zero woodworking experience and definitely not the right tools, so your "advanced side" is probably way beyond me. I've changed directions a little and I think I'm going to just epgrade a milk crate somehow. Maybe one day I'll go for the real deal, but not it's mostly just to have anything better than cardboard. I really do appreciate the offer, though!
Well, those are cool, but as a professional carpenter, I can tell you that there is not much to that (though it certainly seems to be well constructed). I'd be happy to entertain anybody who has ideas for a beer storage box/crate, especially if they have some fun concepts. What can we come up with? Anybody got any ideas for features that a brew storage box should have? I'm certainly not saying it's a bad product, but it is in no way "protecting" or "preserving" a beer any better then a plastic milk crate in a dark place. I can build all the wooden boxes in the world, and I sure can make em' pretty, too. However, aside from light (which is relatively easy to deal with), the other factor is temp. When they come up with a miracle box that is always ten or fifteen degrees cooler then room temp (without using any electricity), I'll be a buyer.
^ as an engineer, perhaps we can figure something groovy to do I can certainly come up with miniature systems that run off solar energy or so. But imo, some things are best left the way they are. I like the idea of a simple, elegant box for cellaring my beers. the brewbicle is nice but sheesh, I can get some really nice beers for the kind of money ($78 for one shipped)
