Ventilation Question for the Basement Brewery

Greetings

As always, I like to put my design issues before the HBT committee to see if its been done before and to learn from others "adventures" (I refuse to call them mistakes because that would be something was done wrong... An Adventure is just that! A new exciting experience!!)

So here's the problem, the boss (you know what i mean) doesn't like the smell of my brewing but likes the homebrew. For the most part I brew when she isn't home, out doors or somewhere else. I've begun compiling the equipment for a countertop brutus and would like to brew in the basement, but I require ventilation to not fill the house with brew smell.

How much CFM do you think is required? I can just buy a range hood for $80 from a home improvement store that has 190 CFM. Or I can build a hood for double the cost with 3X the cfm using an inline fan and some plywood and/or foam board insulation.

Does anyone have any experience? I am a cheap a$$ and am leaning towards the range hood but I refuse to pay the money then have to upgrade after 1 brew and a cranky fiance.

seen a few floating around that are using an upside down storage container some duct hosing and a duct fan inline. seems nice and cheap diy range hood.
maybe install a dryer type vent outside somehow.

Rowdy,

That's the plan. I'm going to duct no more than 5' to a dryer vent outside. I'm just wondering what kind of CFM requirements I would need.

From what I have read you need more than a range hood. Head over to the electric brewery section and you will find more details.

I believe Kal from The Electric Brewery uses a Vortex fan.

I don't think a standard range hood would provide enough ventilation.

-chris


http://theelectricbrewery.com/ventilation?page=4

Varroa said:

From what I have read you need more than a range hood. Head over to the electric brewery section and you will find more details.

Click to expand...

I checked it out and it seems that the go to is the 6" inline fan that I've already priced out.

goybar said:

I believe Kal from The Electric Brewery uses a Vortex fan.
I don't think a standard range hood would provide enough ventilation.

Click to expand...

That's what I figured and most range hoods are in the neighborhood of 150-200 CFM. I am just looking for a calculator/rule of thumb kind of thing for ventilation.

I did happen to find a calculator on "Engineers Tool Box" that gives ways to improve efficiency and some basic velocity calcs. I'm going to try to build hood and use a vent fan I have laying around using some of the efficiency tricks. I think it may be worth making a detailed thread over!