Basement Brewery ventilation on the cheap

[Onkel_Udo]

As I am currently furloughed probably for another week and have a larger than planned post-divorce tax bill, I am looking to move my hybrid three tier indoors. I have done the math on everything and the one that will hurt me is ventilation.

I do 10 gallon batches so I will me boiling 12 gallons using natural gas nd more than adequate ventilation. To remove 70% of the steam, I am looking at a leftover piece of 12" round duct, one of these...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006OQTXCK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
...and a bunch of left-over 4" insulated duct from a bathroom remodel. I know <400 cfm is less than ideal but I already have an overly dry house from the annoying Chicagoland winter so a margin of extra moisture in the house is actually not a bad thing.

Overall thoughts re all I m after. I am 70% committed to this approach but not married to it.

 

[jsprinceiii]

What kind of ventilation do you currently have in the basement?
What type of burners are you going to use?

 

[Onkel_Udo]

What kind of ventilation do you currently have in the basement?
What type of burners are you going to use?

I have 8 1' x 32" windows and a normally leaky house for 1930 construction.

I plan to re-purpose a 55K btu propane banjo to NG so probably 45-50K BTU for the boiler. The rest is electric...redneck electric with me controlling everything with light switches.

 

[jsprinceiii]

Permitting windows are open, create a simple vent cover/shroud over the kettle(s), connect this to the fan you listed, and vent this outside, should work, I would be more concerned with CO.
I would include a couple CO Detectors.. 55000BTU Burner will generate quite a bit of CO.

The average home gas oven is +/- 16000BTU.
I suggest that 55000BTU should be direct vented, or vented through the same venting for boil condensation,
with proper makeup/exchange air.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

Permitting windows are open, create a simple vent cover/shroud over the kettle(s), connect this to the fan you listed, and vent this outside, should work, I would be more concerned with CO.
I would include a couple CO Detectors.. 55000BTU Burner will generate quite a bit of CO.

The average home gas oven is +/- 16000BTU.
I suggest that 55000BTU should be direct vented, or vented through the same venting for boil condensation,
with proper makeup/exchange air.

I do have a CO detector about 10' away. I honestly think I could burn twice that for an 90 minutes and only end up with minor levels of CO with half the windows open but I will err on the side of caution and get a second CO detector...if /I can pull the trigger on this.

My average shower produces per minute about the same steam as my boil and a 90 cfm fan with a 9' run handles that fin so I am assuming the 200 CFM with a 4' run with two 45's should be adequate.

 

[jsprinceiii]

Hope all comes through for you..