Range Hoods

[jschnyderite]

I'm starting up a basement brew area with a Avantco IC3500 and 8 gallon kettle. I read a few other posts but most people have a larger setup than me. Can someone with a similar setup let me know what type of range hood they use and their personal experience? Is 300 or 400 cfm going to keep condensation of my ceiling? Any brands recommended? Not really looking for a DIY setup, just want something I can take out of a box and put up that'll do the job and hopefully costs $300 or less..

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

Knowing what the room dimensions are first is important to determine cfm requirements. Length, width and height of the room you plan to brew in. Also helpful is knowing if this for a gas or electric powered brew kettle and the btu or wattage rating of the heat source.

For example in an insulated garage measuring 20 x 20 x 10 feet high a 760cfm range hood works with a 15 gallon kettle powered by a 5,500 watt electric heating element.

 

[jschnyderite]

It is electric -- 3500 watts, 5 gallon batches.

The basement in total is around 25x40. The unfinished side where I'll be brewing is closer to 12x25. The area I'll be brewing is around 8x8. Not sure if I'll build a wall there or not but thinking I might put a curtain up or something to keep it separated from my storage and a bit cleaner.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

It is electric -- 3500 watts, 5 gallon batches.

The basement in total is around 25x40. The unfinished side where I'll be brewing is closer to 12x25. The area I'll be brewing is around 8x8. Not sure if I'll build a wall there or not but thinking I might put a curtain up or something to keep it separated from my storage and a bit cleaner.

To determine the CFMs required to remove heat based on the wattage of your heating element convert its watt rating to BTUs per minute.

3500 watts / 17.6 = ~200 cfm

To determine the CFMs required to remove moisture and humidity multiply the room length, width, and height.

10 x 10 x 8 = 800 cubic feet

Then divide the cubic feet of the room by 60 minutes

800 / 60 = 13.3 when rounded up = 14

Then multiply that number (14 in your case) by the number of required room air changes per hour (8 changes per hour minimum)

14 x 8 = 112 cfm

If you need more information you can find the article I wrote Indoor Brewing - Clearing The Air when adding ventilation to my indoor garage brew room. Hope this helps you.

 

[jschnyderite]

To determine the CFMs required to remove heat based on the wattage of your heating element convert its watt rating to BTUs per minute.

3500 watts / 17.6 = ~200 cfm

To determine the CFMs required to remove moisture and humidity multiply the room length, width, and height.

10 x 10 x 8 = 800 cubic feet

Then divide the cubic feet of the room by 60 minutes

800 / 60 = 13.3 when rounded up = 14

Then multiply that number (14 in your case) by the number of required room air changes per hour (8 changes per hour minimum)

14 x 8 = 112 cfm

If you need more information you can find the article I wrote Indoor Brewing - Clearing The Air when adding ventilation to my indoor garage brew room. Hope this helps you.

Wow that is much less than I thought I'd need. If I hit these numbers, should I have no condensation in the room? or should I get more than I think I need?

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

Wow that is much less than I thought I'd need. If I hit these numbers, should I have no condensation in the room? or should I get more than I think I need?

I would say yes. In my situation, a 550cfm fan was recommended and I went with a 760cfm fan and exhaust hood. Another thing to keep in mind is to center the hood and mount the hood bottom between 30 and 48 inches above the top of the kettle. This arrangement will provide the best efficiency when removing the odors, heat and moisture associated with brewing indoors.

 

[jschnyderite]

I would say yes. In my situation, a 550cfm fan was recommended and I went with a 760cfm fan and exhaust hood. Another thing to keep in mind is to center the hood and mount the hood bottom between 30 and 48 inches above the top of the kettle. This arrangement will provide the best efficiency when removing the odors, heat and moisture associated with brewing indoors.

Range hoods are generally mounted 30 inches above the counter. Why so much space for brewing? I don't see how a standard wall-mount hood would fit in most basements with that clearance.

I'm thinking of going with a 520 cfm. What brand did you choose and do you like it? Any features you think are useful for brewing? The one I was looking at has mesh filters instead of baffles, but I figure brewing beer will probably put out less grease than frying up some chicken...

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

Range hoods are generally mounted 30 inches above the counter. Why so much space for brewing? I don't see how a standard wall-mount hood would fit in most basements with that clearance.

I'm thinking of going with a 520 cfm. What brand did you choose and do you like it? Any features you think are useful for brewing? The one I was looking at has mesh filters instead of baffles, but I figure brewing beer will probably put out less grease than frying up some chicken...

My garage has a 10 foot ceiling so not being sure I used 8 feet for your ceiling. The range hood I bought online is an AKDY 30" 63175 Wall Mount Stainless Steel Range Hood Kitchen Stove Vent. Comes with a light, 3 fan speeds and mesh filters. Hope this helps.

 

[jschnyderite]

My garage has a 10 foot ceiling so not being sure I used 8 feet for your ceiling. The range hood I bought online is an AKDY 30" 63175 Wall Mount Stainless Steel Range Hood Kitchen Stove Vent. Comes with a light, 3 fan speeds and mesh filters. Hope this helps.

Awesome - thanks for the info.

Do you have to clean the mesh filters often?

Any condensation with your setup?

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

Awesome - thanks for the info.

Do you have to clean the mesh filters often?

Any condensation with your setup?

Not in the six years I've owned the hood because when brewing I remove the filters. Definitely have plenty of condensation during the boil, especially in winter. But a piece of aluminum flashing, some duct tape and two holes drilled in the grease gutter prevent it from dripping into the kettle.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Not in the six years I've owned the hood because when brewing I remove the filters. Definitely have plenty of condensation during the boil, especially in winter. But a piece of aluminum flashing, some duct tape and two holes drilled in the grease gutter prevent it from dripping into the kettle.

Can you provide a bit more info on your solution to dripping into the kettle? I have the same issue and have been trying to find a more permanent solution as opposed to clipping rags up there.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

Can you provide a bit more info on your solution to dripping into the kettle? I have the same issue and have been trying to find a more permanent solution as opposed to clipping rags up there.

Sure thing. Pitch the hood slightly towards the back and drill 1/4 inch holes in the corners to allow the condensate to drain out of the gutter. For leaks coming from the fan housing. Fit a thin piece of aluminum to go from the front of the housing to just inside the grease gutter, then fasten it in place with duct tape. Put a small crease in the aluminum to keep the condensate running down the center of the aluminum straight into the grease gutter. I've attached what I hope is a better quality image of the setup.

 

[jschnyderite]

Sure thing. Pitch the hood slightly towards the back and drill 1/4 inch holes in the corners to allow the condensate to drain out of the gutter. For leaks coming from the fan housing. Fit a thin piece of aluminum to go from the front of the housing to just inside the grease gutter, then fasten it in place with duct tape. Put a small crease in the aluminum to keep the condensate running down the center of the aluminum straight into the grease gutter. I've attached what I hope is a better quality image of the setup.

If you bought higher CFM than your calculations indicate you need, should I go WAY over to eliminate condensation? I'm brewing indoors and don't want mold.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

If you bought higher CFM than your calculations indicate you need, should I go WAY over to eliminate condensation? I'm brewing indoors and don't want mold.

That would depend on your budget. In my experience when going a bit oversized the price difference wasn't all that much. It also gives me the option to run the fan on medium instead of high during less humid weather.

 

[marc1]

If you're running electric and your main concerns are condensation and ease of installation, you could also look into condensers instead. You'd need a water supply and a drain for it.