We’re looking at a house with a separate garage – there’s no real opportunity to get utilities out there, so it’s no use for working on cars and bikes (or more importantly, alarming it to make sure you keep said car, bikes and tools!).

Is it possible to brew beer without electricity? I mean, obviously it is otherwise medieval monks and the like wouldn’t have been able to do it. But is it a complete pain in the neck?

Easy. I brew without electricity. (On an Aga, but the idea stands!)

Get a nice big gas burner out there, and use that for the boil. Ventilation required for gas, obviously. Keeping the fermentation at temperature may be a little harder, but am sure a gas/solar/whatever heater could be rigged up to do the job.

Some people use gas to heat the water / wort. Very popular in the states where their domestic supply is 120v so harder to get the required power. Be careful of ventilation if you use gas in a garage though! i.e. you need some 🙂

I use a propane burner.

Get one of these http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=422

I made a windshield for mine and brew outside a lot. When I use it in my workshop I just open the door for ventilation.

Depends what you want to brew?

All Grain will require some form of serious heat, i.e. propane/butane. Extract brewing only needs a few pints of hot water.

I brew with extract in the kitchen then carry the FV outside to the garage. Contemplating a grainfather* in the garage as it has power though.

*or a mash tun, HLT & kettle, but space isn’t unlimited and I like the plug and play nature of the design.

The yeasts that come with most home brew kits need something around room temp to work well. So an unheated garage in Autumn / winter might be an issue. That said, lager yeasts and other traditional types like cooler conditions so you might be OK. However, temperature swings won’t help if the garage gets direct sun.

I had a similar problem brewing in our cupboard under the heavy stones stairs. It’s like a cave, always around 12-14oC year round with no heating. Lager yeast worked well. Try talking to a knowledgeable brew shop they might be able to suggest something.