Steamy Brewery. What do you do about it?

[MashBag]

Mine can in cheaper then

And so much prettier

It is truly amazing the amount of money you can spend on holes.

[lord groan]

I tried a hood briefly - too much condensation dripping in the brewshed. Tried other approaches then finally settled on old PC fans.
I brew in a wooden shed, the cladding is shiplap so I positioned the boiler where i would use it, then levered off the next plank up from the top of the boiler. I cut out a piece just wider than 4 12cm fans side by side and renailed the remainder, I fitted a strip of damp proof course polythene to the top edge of the plank below the gap, keeping a strip about 3cm wide folded over the top of the wood and into the shed, then the pc fans were fitted by sitting them on top of the DPC strip and screwing to the plank above. An old PC Power supply is fitted and powers the fans as well as a 12v pump. When I finish brewing I insert the remaining piece of shiplap into the gap from outside and have 2screws holding it in place. From outside its pretty much invisible. When its running the fans get very wet and water drips off them but the DPC catches that and runs it to the outside, This works extremely well and cost £0 because I had scrap fans and PSU already.
The brewshed keeps bone dry.
Perhaps something like that?

[floydmeddler]

You want an 'inline' extractor, this gives the option to screw it on a all but on wood and chuck it outside (through door or window) if you want a portable solution.

About £15

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vents-In-Lin ... 635-2958-0

You can also get units that fit permanently through the wall, but they need to neat hole. Holes are normally about £50 from the tool hire shop.

Hi MB. Would this be connected within a pipe and the pipe connected to my kettle lid? That what you mean?

Cheers

[floydmeddler]

I tried a hood briefly - too much condensation dripping in the brewshed. Tried other approaches then finally settled on old PC fans.
I brew in a wooden shed, the cladding is shiplap so I positioned the boiler where i would use it, then levered off the next plank up from the top of the boiler. I cut out a piece just wider than 4 12cm fans side by side and renailed the remainder, I fitted a strip of damp proof course polythene to the top edge of the plank below the gap, keeping a strip about 3cm wide folded over the top of the wood and into the shed, then the pc fans were fitted by sitting them on top of the DPC strip and screwing to the plank above. An old PC Power supply is fitted and powers the fans as well as a 12v pump. When I finish brewing I insert the remaining piece of shiplap into the gap from outside and have 2screws holding it in place. From outside its pretty much invisible. When its running the fans get very wet and water drips off them but the DPC catches that and runs it to the outside, This works extremely well and cost £0 because I had scrap fans and PSU already.
The brewshed keeps bone dry.
Perhaps something like that?

Cheers LG. Thanks for this. Great set up you designed! So 4 PC fans do the job for you? That's settling to know. I'm guessing I don't need to go as powerful as I'd originally thought.

[MashBag]

One end of 4" flexi pipe on lid. Gap in or under lid to let air in.
Pipe drops over side of kettle, immediately to the ground (catching any condensate)
Pipe exits via door or window.
Outside is the 'inline' extractor, connected to other end of the 4" flexi pipe (cheap white plastic tumbel dryer stuff does work).

What diameter is your kettle?

[MashBag]

I'm guessing I don't need to go as powerful as I'd originally thought.

Nope - forget the giant stainless extractor jobbies. I started there. This really is a cheap one to solve.

[MashBag]

I am trying to find the pics....

[MashBag]

at last..

20150829_134649 cut down.jpg (1.05 MiB) Viewed 3713 times

20150829_134649 cut down.jpg (1.05 MiB) Viewed 3713 times

[MashBag]

I have no idea why that is displaying twice !

[Mashman]

Mine is very similar. The gap under the hood is essential to provide airflow. It just won't work without it.

[floydmeddler]

Lovely looking job! I like the price factor, too.

Thanks for taking the trouble to post. Really appreciate it!

My kettle is 38cm.

[floydmeddler]

I like what Youtuber Martin / Homebrew Challenge has done. Inline fan and a striped out hood. Check out his vid from around 8 mins. Tidy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ0lZWepJmU

Perhaps I could make a decent size hood with ply and even have 2 inline fans running...

[floydmeddler]

Mashbag, are all inline fans OK with steam or do I need to shop for a specific type? So much out there.

[barneey]

For me I either use a domestic fan to push the air out of the room / towards a window. OR with the BM use the domed hood with an inline fan or with the GF an inline fan on tripod (hoist). My fan of choice being a Black Orchid Centri-flo fan.

[MashBag]

Mashbag, are all inline fans OK with steam or do I need to shop for a specific type? So much out there.

I settled on a bathroom fan. Been going for years