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Electric Brewing Ventilation Poll/Help

Northern Brewer General
#1

Hey all. I am part way through a 3 keggle 2 pump 5500w all electric build. For now I will be brewing in the garage like I have been with my propane burners but will eventually move to the basement and a permanent installation. Brewing in the garage has never seemed to need any more ventilation than the doors open in the summer and cracked in the winter (mostly for propane fumes). Condensation has never been an issue. It is a 3 stall with 12-14’ ceilings. I have also done double extract batches on the stove in the house - 2 pots boiling - with no external exhaust in the winter. And while there tends to be some fogging on my crappy windows, there still does not seem to be a condensation problem.

I have read doom and gloom posts about how a range hood at 150-200cfm could “never” be enough. I have also read posts about water running out the ducting on diy high cfm venting from water condensing inside of the duct.

Here is my question(s):

What do you personally have installed?

How is it working for you and would you change anything if you could start over?

Thanks for the input. Been hard to find any real installation pics and testimonials. Looking for some real in the field reports.

Paul

#2

I’ll be making the same system eventually; don’t kow if you have looked at the electric brewery website, but he has a bunch of good ideas on how to vent…

you could build a vent box out of cedar and get one of the in-line duct fans that he recommends; I just happen to have a large duct that I will use and then maybe line the outside with cedar for looks.

since you aren’t using it for grease cooking, you could build it out of wood, plastic, starchy sheets, whatever

#3

I’ve got Kal’s plans. He admitted that the stainless hood is nice but overkill. The hood he used is in the $800-$1200 range if my memory is right and the blower is a couple hundred…I don’t have it in front of me but that’s what I recall.

I am trying to do this on the cheap, although I will still have $1500 or so in it.

I was wondering what some of you have installed currently and what you think of it. Just wondered why some people say a range hood would not work if vented in an efficient manner. A full rolling boil of soup or stew on the stove would produce about the same amount of flashed off moisture over an hour and a range hood would be ok for that…wondering what I’m missing? The mash tun and HLT will produce almost no steam and the boil kettle will be akin to any other boiling pot on the stove. Am I way off base here. The plan is to have maybe 12"-18" straight shot outside. I think excessive distance of vent pipe would provide a large area to condense onto and cause dripping. Maybe less distance and surface area would require less cfm?

Again…looking for reports of installed systems if anyone is willing to share. Thanks a million!

Paul

#4

Hey! This isn’t a poll! I was suckered into this thread. NO PANTS!!

#5

Boy do I wish someone would do a http://www.electricbreweryonthecheap.com hahah

#6

This is my basement setup. You can maybe see over the left side of my brew system I have a vent fan (that, to be honest, I don’t even turn on all the time.) I open the window, usually. I use natural gas, so no concern with fumes. I have used this over the last decade+ and have had no problems with condensation, or anything else.

#7

Electric brewery in basement & a $12 box fan in the window next to boil pot. Never had any issues with moisture or condensation on any of the other windows even during the winter months.

#8

+1 this works for me too.

#9

Thanks all. These were the kind of things I wanted to hear about. Always appreciate the thoughtful help. Doing an experiment tomorrow boiling 2 gallons on the stove full on with a 190 cfm cheapo range hood at my buddies house for an hour. Will let you know how it goes.

Paul

#10

so how did the 200 cfm fan work? i am trying to figure out what duct and fan to use right now in my base. setting up an electric brewing. 5 gallon batches only.

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