Beer Caddy
Homebrewing requires a lot of supplies: measurementation instruments, cleaning chemicals, etc. I used to keep all of my supplies between a 5 gallon bucket and a milk crate. I found my unorganized storage to cause lost and broken items. I thought it would be handy to have some type of caddy that I could organize all of my supplies in while also being easily transportable caddy to carry around all of my supplies. Not able to find any suitable caddys online, I decided to make my own.
Measurements
Using calipers and a ruler, I measured the dimensions of the supplies I wanted to keep in my beer caddy:
- Professional Brewer's Wash (PBW)
- Beer Line Cleaner (BLC)
- Star-San
- Star-San Spray Bottle
- Iodophor
- BLC Transer Bottle
- Graduated Cylinder
- Thermometer Tube
- Hydrometer Tube
- Refractometer
- Sockets
3D CAD Modeling
I created a 3D model of my plans in Autodesk Inventor. The beer caddy consisted of 9 different parts, each with different quantites:
- BeerCaddyHoles.prt (x1)
- BeerCaddyBottom.prt (x2)
- BeerCaddySide.prt (x2)
- BeerCaddySupport.prt (x1)
- BeerCaddyChamferSide.prt (x2)
- BeerCaddyDrawerFront.prt (x1)
- BeerCaddyDrawerSide.prt (x2)
- BeerCaddyDrawerBack.prt (x1)
- BeerCaddyDrawerBottom.prt (x1)
Drawings
Again, using Autodesk Inventor, I created drawings with detailed dimensions that would be helpful during the construction process. I also sketched out a cut list to minimize waste.
Construction
Tools/Materials Used:
- Table Saw
- Hammer
- Wood Glue
- Orbital Sander
- Sand paper
- 90 Degree Clamp
- Variable Size Hole Cutter
- Drill Press
- Nails
- Wood
- Sandpaper
- Danish oil
- Wood dowel
Final Product
The caddy has served wonderfully thus far. I've experienced no lost or damaged brew supplies. The only downside to the caddy that I have experienced is weight. What I love most about the caddy is that no matter what brewing chore or activity I am performing, all I need to do is grab the caddy and I have everything I need.
