Basement Ventilation Ideas

[sicktght311]

Need some input from people who have built their basement brewing areas and successfully vented their steam. I've read every thread out there, seen every setup, and its all over the map from elaborate condensate hoods and inline duct fans, to mixing bowls attached to flex ducting, to just a window fan.

I've got a standard basement tilting hopper window right above my brew area (see picture), and i've been struggling with how to vent my brewing steam. I took out the window stops, so i can open the window fully to insert a dual window fan, but something tells me even the best window fan wont capture the steam and it will be condensing on my drop ceiling. My next thought is to remove the window glass entirely, build a wood cover for the window, cut a round hole in it, and use a 250cfm 120v Broan range hood mounted over my boil kettle with the exhaust duct going directly out the window. I figure if i install an external dryer vent cover on it, it should be fine from the elements. Worst case scenario, i can install a damper in it as well. But i'm wondering if that 250cfm will be enough flow. I'm using a 1650watt 120v element and the boil kettle lid partially on during my boil, so calculations wise 250cfm should be plenty.

What would you do in my situation? Keep in mind i cant put a vent above the window, as just above the brewing area above the drop ceiling is hot water heating system pipes, and theres no room to cut a hole through the concrete foundation or the exterior frame joists for a vent, so the ventilation system needs to be at window height at the very most. Also mounting has to be something i can build into the window frame, since the walls are not wood stud/drywall, its the owens corning panel system.

Just working with what i got hah

 

[k-os]

I'll be following along on this as I have a similar setup in my basement that I am planning for.

 

[ProblemChild]

My guess would be to remove the window and retrofit something in the casing. Use a waterproof board like is used in bathrooms. Back that board with Styrofoam insulation. Cut a hole through it and install a dryer vent.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I haven't done this, but one thing I've read that people have problems with is condensation dripping back into the boil kettle. I don't know if that really matters, but it might be something to be aware of.

I would think you could fashion a hood that collects the steam and attaches just above the window combined with a window fan and be in pretty good shape. That keeps the steam from escaping and directs it out.

 

[wilserbrewer]

What I do is use a fan in the window to force ventilate the room. I have found it helpful to use a second small desktop fan aimed at the ceiling above the kettle.

Fan in the window ventilates the room, the second fan dissipates the steam off the kettle into the larger room volume of air.

This works well for me, is simple to set up and was “free” to me as I already owned a couple fans.

Issues with building a hood is that you are concentrating the steam and may have condensation issues.

A window fan moves a lot of air and will exchange the room volume rather quickly.

Imo it is only steam, not toxic gas that requires a hood...ymmv

Also helpful to keep your boil at a low and acceptable vigor, massive boil off is not required.

 

[sicktght311]

What I do is use a fan in the window to force ventilate the room. I have found it helpful to use a second small desktop fan aimed at the ceiling above the kettle.

Fan in the window ventilates the room, the second fan dissipates the steam off the kettle into the larger room volume of air.

This works well for me, is simple to set up and was “free” to me as I already owned a couple fans.

Issues with building a hood is that you are concentrating the steam and may have condensation issues.

A window fan moves a lot of air and will exchange the room volume rather quickly.

Imo it is only steam, not toxic gas that requires a hood...ymmv

Also helpful to keep your boil at a low and acceptable vigor, massive boil off is not required.

Do you have a pic of your setup? Which window fan are you using and do you know its estimated CFM?

 

[MplsUgly]

I have a similar situation. You can see a couple of pictures here. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/first-electric-brew-review.647269/#post-8255109

The fan isn't in the window in this pic but you can see how I just pop that board up in the open window and blow through the screen (yes I get ice on the screen in Minnesota winters). I had some venting issues when I started with a lot of ducting all compressed. Since then I have stretched out the flexible tube and made the run a bit shorter. If I was really smart I would swap my HLT and boil kettle locations to shorten the vent even more and maybe replace a section with hard ductwork and only have flex duct so I can raise and lower my hood.

Another issue I have is condensation in the ductwork and in the hood. In the hood I can just wipe it off as it builds up and it also helps to have the hood at an angle to it collects at one corner where I can deal with it. What I don't want is that condensation dripping back into the boil but that hasn't been an issue yet.

Collecting in the duct is a bit more of a PITA. Its been better and worse on different brews but at one point I had about a half pint of water in that duct when I was done for the day. I just make sure to take the duct off the fan and dump any condensed water into a bucket. I remove the duct and rinse it out and hang it to dry after every brew. I think this was worse when I had all that bunched up ducting. The last brew it wasn't and issue at all.

The last hot tip I've got for you is makeup air. I open a window across the basement so I have actual airflow and I'm not just sucking air through all the holes in my house. My 1926 built house is not tight by any means but I find this makes a big difference. Mainly, I don't end up turning my water heater vent chimney into an air intake. I noticed this was happening when my gas water heater kicked on and my basement started to stink. You could feel a strong breeze coming the wrong way down that pipe. Open up a window across the room and problem solved.

cheers.

 

[sicktght311]

I have a similar situation. You can see a couple of pictures here. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/first-electric-brew-review.647269/#post-8255109

The fan isn't in the window in this pic but you can see how I just pop that board up in the open window and blow through the screen (yes I get ice on the screen in Minnesota winters). I had some venting issues when I started with a lot of ducting all compressed. Since then I have stretched out the flexible tube and made the run a bit shorter. If I was really smart I would swap my HLT and boil kettle locations to shorten the vent even more and maybe replace a section with hard ductwork and only have flex duct so I can raise and lower my hood.

Another issue I have is condensation in the ductwork and in the hood. In the hood I can just wipe it off as it builds up and it also helps to have the hood at an angle to it collects at one corner where I can deal with it. What I don't want is that condensation dripping back into the boil but that hasn't been an issue yet.

Collecting in the duct is a bit more of a PITA. Its been better and worse on different brews but at one point I had about a half pint of water in that duct when I was done for the day. I just make sure to take the duct off the fan and dump any condensed water into a bucket. I remove the duct and rinse it out and hang it to dry after every brew. I think this was worse when I had all that bunched up ducting. The last brew it wasn't and issue at all.

The last hot tip I've got for you is makeup air. I open a window across the basement so I have actual airflow and I'm not just sucking air through all the holes in my house. My 1926 built house is not tight by any means but I find this makes a big difference. Mainly, I don't end up turning my water heater vent chimney into an air intake. I noticed this was happening when my gas water heater kicked on and my basement started to stink. You could feel a strong breeze coming the wrong way down that pipe. Open up a window across the room and problem solved.

cheers.

Interesting. So i think i'm going to do a brew with a window fan in, and see how that handles things since its legitimately right over the boil kettle, and my boil isnt super vigorous. if i have nothing but a nightmare, i'll step up to a kitchen range hood and build a wood panel. it would literally be a 90 degree bend from the output of the range hood, to right out the window, so i would think it would pull every bit of 220cfm.

Makeup air isnt a problem, as less than 5 feet away, i have another basement window that i can open. it would provide super easy cross ventilation.

I'm most likely doing a water test this coming weekend, so i'll let you all know how a window fan works, and if i'm going back to the drawing board or not lol

 

[wilserbrewer]

Do you have a pic of your setup? Which window fan are you using and do you know its estimated CFM?

Sorry no pic
I actually was curious and researched cfm for a window fan and they were 1200-1400 cfm...that’s a lot, they create a good breeze.

My window is upper to mid wall, and with just the window fan I was getting some steam laying below the ceiling in the still air, hence why I added another fan pointed up at the ceiling toward the window to better dissipate the steam.


I find it easy and effective to move air and ventilate the whole room.
Sure a nice stainless hood looks great, but the cold / ambient hood is a condensate magnet lol.

Perhaps a foam board hood would condensate less than metal I would think.

 

[sicktght311]

I would be SHOCKED if any of those window fans flowed at 400-500cfm, let alone 1400cfm. A large box fan maybe, or one of those high velocity 15" circular fans possibly, but now a dual 7-9" window fan

I've got a line on an inexpensive Stainless 250cfm range hood that i'm going to pick up this weekend, but i'm going to do a test brew with simple window fan first to see if it handles the steam no problem by itself. If a window fan takes care of it, then thats most ideal because its easily removeable, and has less of a chance of condensing before its exhausted. If it doesnt move the air, then next step will be the Stainless Broan range hood, mounted directly to the window frame. I'll cut a piece of wood to totally seal the window off, put a moisture barrier insulation panel on the front of it, caulk it all to seal it off, cut a hole for a vent, and then vent the range hood directly out the back and out the window. I dont see any reason why this wouldnt work since its collecting the steam and immediately evacuating it right out the back. No long runs of ductwork or anything. With 120v, the boil is not super crazy vigorous anyway, so its not a ton of steam to vent.

Will update!

 

[kevin58]

You forgot steam condensers which would eliminate the need for ventilation all together.

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/steamslayer.htm

 

[sicktght311]

You forgot steam condensers which would eliminate the need for ventilation all together.

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/steamslayer.htm

Sorry forgot to mention that while I know steam condensers are a definite solution, its not one i want to go into until i eventually upgrade to a larger system and 240v. I dont have a drain nearby to drain the water too, and i dont wanna be running supply and drain lines all over my floor during the entire brew day, so i'd rather wait until i fully redo the area and plumb in some water lines.

 

[sicktght311]

So i did some testing. I put a window fan in, and unless i completely seal the fan into the window, fully enclosed with no gaps, i can feel the air sucking in around the fan as its blowing out. It basically creates its own loop, so chances are the fan would do nothing for me during a brew day, other than take out a tiny bit of moisture, and blow the rest back in.

So i ended up picking up that Broan stainless hood, and wired it up to a 120v plug, and jesus does that thing blow air out like crazy. I am in the process of installing, and will post pics once i do, but i basically cut a 32x15 piece of hardwood to fit the window sill. I will be screwing it into the window frame itself completely sealing off the window. Then cutting the 3 1/4"x9" vent opening into the wood, so the range hood will mount to the window sill, and exhaust directly out. Everything will be sealed up and caulked so no outside air gets in, i will install the Broan exterior vent cap with damper, and it should function perfectly.

At 250cfm, directly over the boil kettle, and immediately venting out the wall, there should be no issues with exhaust. Plus the edges of the vent hood are rolled, so if there is any condensation build up on the system, it should channel itself into the rolled edges, and i can always install a small drain if need be

Pics as i progress....

 

[SirSpectre]

Replace the window with a glass block and a dryer vent window. Usually you get one custom made, installed, and measured for $100-150. Hook up an exhaust fan and flexible duct work to it. Put the fan where ever you need.

FYI the rule of thumb for ventilation needs for electric brewing is peak watts of heating element, divide by 17.5. That number in CFM is vent needs.

That should help to see how much sucking power you need

 

[sicktght311]

Replace the window with a glass block and a dryer vent window. Usually you get one custom made, installed, and measured for $100-150. Hook up an exhaust fan and flexible duct work to it. Put the fan where ever you need.

FYI the rule of thumb for ventilation needs for electric brewing is peak watts of heating element, divide by 17.5. That number in CFM is vent needs.

That should help to see how much sucking power you need

I considered that, but for me it was easier to put together an all in one solution through a vent hood, directly out the window. PLUS if i ever need to change back to the original setup, i just dismount everything, and put the window back in the track.

I'm using a 1650watt element, so minimum airflow requirements are 95 CFM, so 250CFM from the vent hood should be plenty. Even if/when i upgrade to 3500watts at 240v, 250cfm should still be 25% larger than the requirements.

Plus........i got the vent hood for $40, so this is BY FAR the cheapest solution lol

 

[Bobby_M]

It sucks to ruin the whisper quiet electric bew day with a screaming fan nearby. What climate are you in? If you have winters, you will definitely get condensate in your vent hosing. If you cant get it to angle downward towards the outlet, you can force a low point and tap a drain in. Definitely dont angle the hose upward. Or it will all drip out of the fan.

 

[sicktght311]

Well i got everything mounted up this weekend, and ran a boil test, and it passed with flying colors. Even with the outside temps in the 20s. The 250cfm fan is more than enough to suck the moisture right off the kettle and out the vent, so nothing even has a chance to condense. Its surprisingly pretty quiet too. Nothing like i expected.

I opened the window and pulled it out of the frame, then cut a piece of wood to cover the entire opening (about 15x35). I did some measuring to where the 9x3.25 ventilation duct would exit, and cut that out of the wood cover. I went to Lowes and got the corresponding Broan rectangle wall cap which has a damper included in it. I cut the excess depth off the wall cap so it would slide into the wood window cover and sit flush against the Range hood vent, then screwed it into the wood with silicone sealant around the seams. Mounted the wood to the window and sealed that with silicone, and then mounted the range hood by drilling holes in the side and back, and mounting them to the window frame with lag bolts.

Everything is super sturdy, and fits right over the kettle with plenty of room for my immersion chiller. The hood is wired to a plug that plugs right into an outlet below my brew stand. Pics attached! Eventually i'm going to fabricate some kind of decorative cover for the area above the range hood and either cover it in sheet metal to match the hood, or paint it with a logo or something

 

[Goowa]

Wow that turned out great! If you dont mind me asking, how much did you pay for that hood and where did you purchase it?

 

[sicktght311]

Wow that turned out great! If you dont mind me asking, how much did you pay for that hood and where did you purchase it?

I found it actually on craigslist locally for $40, so i couldn't pass up the deal and at least try it out. It was a twice used hood that a contractor had laying around in his storage shed. Normally its about $160 at Big Box stores. Its a Broan 30" Glacier convertible hood.

 

[Goowa]

Yea you cant pass that up, good find!

 

[NewJersey]

very nice!

 

[sicktght311]

First official brew day is just about done, and it works without issue. I have zero condensation on the hood, zero drips anywhere, and that sweet smell of wort is coming out of my vent outside I would consider this a success. If you have a half barrel or full barrel system, this obviously would never be able to keep up, but for a 5 gallon system running on 120, or even 10 gallon on 240, it’s more than enough

 

[Goowa]

First official brew day is just about done, and it works without issue. I have zero condensation on the hood, zero drips anywhere, and that sweet smell of wort is coming out of my vent outside I would consider this a success. If you have a half barrel or full barrel system, this obviously would never be able to keep up, but for a 5 gallon system running on 120, or even 10 gallon on 240, it’s more than enough

Bravo!

 

[UofMontanaAlum]

I built my hood out of painted birch plywood and built a box for the fan that can be pulled out of the window when I’m not in use. Prior to the hood I would have condensation running down the basement walls. With this setup you can see it collect almost 100% of the steam from the BK. Fan is a $60 450cfm unit from Amazon. [emoji1360]