Building a Laminar Flow Hood for Mushroom Cultivation

Рет қаралды 18,266

Күн бұрын

If you’ve ever tried growing mushrooms, you know about the challenges that maintaining sterility can present. Laminar flow hoods are the gold standard for creating a sterile workspace for mycology, and can make the work so much easier and more enjoyable. In this video, I’m going through how I built a high quality laminar flow hood for a fraction of the price of buying one. I’ll explain my thought process as I was designing it, go over how to choose which components to use, and share some general tips and considerations.
Doing a build like this can save you tons of money and leave you with a result that’s as good or better than anything you’d purchase. You can also make your hood completely custom to fit your space and needs. It will require a decent amount of handiwork and tools, and probably took me a good 15 hours to design and another 15 to build (hopefully this video will save you time on the design stage). But if you’re like me and love a good project, doing something similar to this could be the right choice for you!
**Disclaimer: This isn’t technically a flow hood since there’s no hood component, but the term is widely used in mycology to refer to this kind of laminar flow filter box, so I’ll be using it throughout the video.
Links:
*HEPA filter: amzn.to/470meaD
*Fan: amzn.to/3GJfvXU
*Pre-filters: amzn.to/3thujKn
*Silicone: amzn.to/482U1S2
Plywood: www.homedepot.com/p/23-32-in-...
Furring strips: www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-x-2-...
*Shelf to use in front of flow hood: amzn.to/3TkkTI2
*Affiliate link
My flow hood plans: drive.google.com/file/d/1k-D7...
GordoTek flow hood (budget option): • Build Your Own Laminar...
#mycology #flowhood #growmushrooms
00:00 Intro
02:06 Materials
02:59 Construction / Discussion
04:02 Choosing a HEPA Filter
04:22 Choosing a Fan / Pressure Drop Calculations
08:03 Box Construction
08:52 Painting
09:05 Silicone
09:37 Calibrating Fan Speed
09:54 Testing
10:08 Final Thoughts

Пікірлер: 93

@sunshinevalley0 5 ай бұрын

Get this man a cough drop

@DrGaryGreen 5 күн бұрын

I'm using the GordoTek box and it's better than a still air box but yes, no where near big enough. It does work though. I'll be building yours soon. Thank you for sharing.

@levimichael1136 6 ай бұрын

You did a phenomenal job building that box, as well as presenting the data for the build. Looking forward to checking out your other videos.

@camsurbanfarm 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the watch! Stay tuned, I'll be releasing more like this :)

@johnkoury1116 2 күн бұрын

Really great build!!

@francopesci617 6 ай бұрын

Excelent work and i got really inspired in building one. Thanks you so much

@camsurbanfarm 6 ай бұрын

Glad you found it helpful and are giving it a go! It's a lot of work but so worth it in the end 🙌

@tonyoffermans3676 6 ай бұрын

Excellent video, with great explanation and building details. You can create a small LF 'hood' that actually works for under $100, but this is a semi-professional one that will last and make life so much more easy and fun for mycology hobbyists. The only simple thing I would add, is still sealing off the inside of the box to prevent pressure loss as it can reduce noise over time. Thoroughly enjoyed watching this, thank you!

@camsurbanfarm 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment, I’m so glad you enjoyed! Agreed, I originally thought I could get away with skipping the silicone on the box seams but ended up doing it when I noticed a little bit of air leakage.

@richardboyd6756 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the video! I recently bought most materials for my own build but I did in fact buy the vector filter that’s ~12” thick. Should I avoid using this and buy a new recommended filter or will the air scrubber work? I have a dedicated room for this work.

@camsurbanfarm 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the watch! I'd say you'll probably be fine with the 12" filter. 6" hepas are generally better at producing laminar flow, but for mycology you likely wouldn't notice much of a difference in effectiveness. I've seen many functional flow hood builds with 12" filters.

@user-tw3ln9me7i 5 ай бұрын

Love your video, great tutorial. Do you think you could produce laminar flow with the 24" x 24" x 12" HVAC filter you mention? I already purchased that one so I'm hoping it will work. I also wondered what setting you ended up on with your fan to achieve laminar flow? I may need to upgrade from the 6" variable speed fan I have. Thanks in advance!

@camsurbanfarm 5 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! Yes I think you’d be fine with the filter you have, it might be slightly more difficult to achieve laminar flow but for mycology work you probably wouldn’t notice any difference in effectiveness. Just make sure to build your box big enough to leave a decent amount of space behind the filter to allow for even pressure across it. I use my 10” fan on about half speed to achieve 100 fpm, so my guess is your 6” fan might struggle to produce enough flow. I’d go for at least an 8”, depending on the model.

@Servicedogslots 4 ай бұрын

I like this video. I decided to build the filter box for myself. My only criticism is that I didn't see any of how you mounted the fan. I am at the point to start thinking about it now, so any tips would be helpful. Thanks!

@camsurbanfarm 4 ай бұрын

The fan is just mounted to the inside of the back side of the box using the hardware that came with it (bolts and nuts). I lined it up, marked where the bolt holes should go, then traced the outline of top of the fan on the top side of the box and cut out the circle, then drilled the bolt holes and mounted the fan. My biggest tip for this part is if you’re using a circular inline fan like me, get a hole saw that’s the same diameter as your fan. It will give you a much better result than trying to use a jigsaw or reciprocating saw. And make sure your drill is powerful enough for the hole saw bit, they sometimes require a lot of power to spin.

@mattkott6740 5 ай бұрын

Hi. Very nicely explained. I will probably build this. I was looking at the fan specs. When I follow your link it takes me to the 8" fan on Amazon, however; when I check the specs on the AC Infinity site, the specs you have match the 10" fan. Did you use the 10" or 8" fan. There is a big difference in price. Thank you

@camsurbanfarm 5 ай бұрын

I used the 10" fan in my build because I was able to find a used one for cheaper than the 8" fan. I was originally planning on using the 8", and I think it would work fine for the filter I used. I only have to run the 10 inch at around half power to get the right flow rate. Best of luck with your build!

@neilowietsky5420 5 ай бұрын

Great idea of having the fan inside the box! Does it produce laminar flow on the entire filter, or just down below? Also, how did you overpowered fan do? how much % of the power are you using to get laminar flow?

@camsurbanfarm 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! I get laminar flow across most of the filter face, only becoming slightly turbulent within a few inches of the edges. I use the fan on level 5 out of 10 and it does excellent!

@Myceliumdude 5 ай бұрын

Nice build! First time I’ve seen a duct fan used instead of a squirrel cage. How’d you secure the fan to the box?

@camsurbanfarm 5 ай бұрын

Thanks! I just mounted the fan to the inside of the back panel of the box with bolts and nuts so that the intake side was lined up with the hole I cut in the top.

@canelitasconleche 5 ай бұрын

hola, muchas gracias por tu ayuda, me ha aclarado mucho y me ayuda mucho mucho ... muchas gracias, realizare el mio con tus consejos y ejemplos. gracias desde mexico.

@camsurbanfarm 5 ай бұрын

Me alegra que el vídeo haya sido útil, ¡gracias por verlo!

@canelitasconleche 4 ай бұрын

@@camsurbanfarm oye, ya termine mi caja lamiar, woooww muchas muchas gracias desde mexico...!! en abril ire para miami... saudos!!! y mil gracias!!!

@flugalizor Ай бұрын

Great job! Did you use an anemometer to check the flow velocity?

@camsurbanfarm Ай бұрын

Yes I did end up getting one to confirm the flame test, it was pretty spot on, around 100 ft / min at 6 inches

@JonathanYankovich 6 ай бұрын

Nice science. I’m curious about the internal volume requirements; why are flow hoods so deep, what if they are less deep? Also, if the flow rate is lower than 100, how “bad” is it? These two parameters still perplex me.

@camsurbanfarm 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! The depth helps create even pressure across the entire inside face of the filter, leading to a more even flow out of the filter. If it's not deep enough, the pressure towards the bottom could be greater because the fan's downward flow might prevent as much air from reaching the upper portion of the filter. The perfect flow rate can vary depending on your setup, but 100 fpm generally recommended because it's on the higher end of rates at which air flow can still be laminar, thus providing you with a larger working area since the flow will travel further. Going lower will probably work fine, especially if you notice with the flame test that higher speeds result in more turbulence. You just might want to work closer to the filter face if you do run it at a lower speed. I also wouldn't recommend going below ~60 fpm because that might not be strong enough to prevent some contaminants from drifting into the air stream.

@yrn_zay145 3 ай бұрын

Would a hepa filter cap that goes right over the intake serve as a good pre filter ?

@camsurbanfarm 3 ай бұрын

If your fan can handle it, sure, but hepa filters usually produce a lot more resistance than merv11 filters, so it might put unnecessary strain on your fan. No harm if you spec it out and find a powerful enough fan, but the prefilter only really needs to take out large particles, your main hepa filter can handle the small stuff on its own.

@camsurbanfarm 3 ай бұрын

I use a hepa over the intake fan on my grow tent (cloudline s4) and it cuts down on the flow rate pretty significantly.

@CannabinaTV 2 ай бұрын

Hey buddy, thanks for the amazing video content! If i may ask, do you have any other video teaching how to proper diy a lab like yours for mushroom production?

@camsurbanfarm 2 ай бұрын

I have a video coming out soon about how to DIY a grow tent, stay tuned for that! I'll probably make a video overviewing my lab as whole and the workflow I use at some point in the future too.

@CannabinaTV Ай бұрын

@@camsurbanfarm Thanks buddy! That would help me a lot

@nastydave6334 4 ай бұрын

Can you link the hole saw you used? I bought the same fan. Was it a 10" hole saw or slightly smaller? Are the fan strap clamps bolted to the back of the box?

@camsurbanfarm 4 ай бұрын

I used 9.6 inch (245mm) hole saw and it was the perfect size: amzn.to/3SJCHen. The fan is just bolted directly to the back of the box via the bolt holes in the baseplate, no straps needed

@nastydave6334 2 ай бұрын

@@camsurbanfarmby the way I finished the project. Thank you for the reply. Mine is not as pretty as yours but it is very functional. Thank you for the tutorial!

@camsurbanfarm 2 ай бұрын

@@nastydave6334 Hey man I'm so happy to hear that, may it bring you many years of no contamination! 🙏

@nastydave6334 Ай бұрын

@camsurbanfarm how is it holding up? I read online that these ac infinity fans burn up when in this type of static pressure use and it voids the warranty. Not sure if that's true but I've had mine running on low speed 24/7 for a few months now. Do you leave yours running when not using it or do you cover it?

@camsurbanfarm Ай бұрын

Mine's still going strong! I use a plastic cover I made when I'm not using it, you can just drape a plastic painter's tarp over the front. I'd recommend this over running the fan 24/7 which could be hard on it and will shorten the life of your filter (although the air in your lab is probably super clean!)

@deej7783 3 ай бұрын

Great build bro!!!

@carloslloyd5592 4 ай бұрын

nice job do you have a link to your build

@camsurbanfarm 4 ай бұрын

Links to the materials I used and and the plans for my build are in the description :)

@donbursch9429 4 ай бұрын

Where did you get that metal stand in front of the hood? Great informative video and the best suggestion I’ve seen for a full function flow hood at home. Thanks!

@camsurbanfarm 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback! The rack is a kitchen cabinet organizer shelf, if you want to grab the same one as me you can use my affiliate link: amzn.to/3TkkTI2 🙏

@donbursch9429 4 ай бұрын

Thanks! I have nearly finished my build per your guidelines. The filter face seems very vulnerable to deformation. What do you think about using half inch rabbit wire in front to protect it? Would it create extra turbulence in the laminar flow?

@camsurbanfarm 4 ай бұрын

@@donbursch9429I’ve seen people do it before and it seems to work fine for mycology purposes, but my guess is that it would increase the turbulence since the filter face is designed with those gills to push air in a certain way and having it pass through the mesh would effect that. If you’re concerned about deformation I’d say go for it since it’s honestly a hassle worrying about touching the filter face when working or putting your cover on the hood if you use one, I’ve accidentally brushed it and had to spend an hour straightening out the gills 😂. Just know you’ll probably affect the flow, but it will most likely be fine for growing mushrooms.

@donbursch9429 4 ай бұрын

I just finished the build and noticed some tears in the paper folds (see attached) which I assume is the heaps filter part Does this look right to you. Hate to go to the bother of returning but after doing all this to avoid contamination neeed to be sure. Do you have any spots like this?

@donbursch9429 4 ай бұрын

Well I thought there was a way to attach a pic but I don’t see how

@entrepreneursfinest Ай бұрын

What am I missing? It's just a specialty HEPA filter, a container, and a positive pressure fan capable of being regulated. Right? I don't see how these things get so dang expensive. Commercial versions I get. They're going to be expensive because the companies building them are taking on an inherent liability if their hood fails and contaminates expensive research. For a workable budget one though, it should be pretty straight forward. Edit: Yeah the filter is expensive and most cheaper fans would likely burn up pretty fast pushing positive pressure. Sometimes you just gotta pony up!

@camsurbanfarm Ай бұрын

Pretty much what your edit says, the filters themselves run between $200 and $600, and good fans aren't cheap either. I agree that the going rate on the market today is high for what you get, but until a company starts producing some of the parts in-house, I don't see finished ones going for much below $1000. That's why I made this video, so you can essentially get one for the cost of parts without having to shell out the markup for a company to produce it, since it's not too difficult to do yourself.

@entrepreneursfinest 29 күн бұрын

@@camsurbanfarmI was listening to your video and started sourcing parts that would fit the requirements and was immediate like "oh". The two main components that you can't skimp on just aren't cheap. If you tried to go any lower you'd wind up without the necessary filtration or a hood that pushed turbulence - essentially a waste of money. Excellent build! I'll be building one similar in the not so distant future and really appreciate the straight forward instruction.

@entretenimientoviral2063 Ай бұрын

What filter is that? Could u give me reference please...

@camsurbanfarm Ай бұрын

The filter and all the other materials I used are linked in the description :)

@kironlabs 5 ай бұрын

I like your style

@camsurbanfarm 5 ай бұрын

😎

@deewask1656 3 ай бұрын

👍

@plantatierra7644 6 ай бұрын

How can I get the plans to make the same one, I will buy everything just like yours, sorry if it is not understood, but use Google Translate, greetings from Mexico, thanks for your videos.

@camsurbanfarm 6 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for watching! There are links to all the products I used in the description of this video, as well as a link to the plans I used for the build. I wrote the plans for my own use so they aren't a step by step description of what I did, just the general measurements I used. I'd recommend changing them as you see fit and making sure you understand them before starting. Good luck with your build, I'd love to hear how it comes out!

@EvanCarrollTheGreat 3 ай бұрын

Be nice to say what you would have done differently.

@justsomebodypassingby3970 2 ай бұрын

Good work, but this blue print is kind of a pain in the arse lol you should make a cheat sheet or something for easier viewing/ understanding

@camsurbanfarm 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback, that's a great idea.

@chrissandum7650 4 ай бұрын

I love your vids Cam! But if you could get a surgery or use an AI voice that would be......"stupid." You are good my man. Good stuff!

@camsurbanfarm 4 ай бұрын

Lol, working on the vocal fry. Thanks for tuning in!

@doggodoggo3000 6 күн бұрын

theres not really any reason to spend that much money on the fan as it wont be running all the time. Ac infinty is a good name in fans that offer long time quiet continuous operations in harsh conditions. thats not really needed in this application. you can skimp on the fan is all im saying. it just needs to be able to move enough air.

@camsurbanfarm Сағат бұрын

I wouldn't recommend skimping too much, even if a fan says that it can move enough CFM, it might not be able to do so under the static pressure that a hepa filter creates. I'm sure they're out there, but I couldn't find anything too much cheaper than the AC infinity fans that can maintain the CFM under the pressure needed to run a hood this size. Cheaper fans also tend to be less consistent with their airflow rate, which could mess with your laminar flow. All I'm saying is make sure you check the static pressure specs as well as the airflow when looking.

@kevinpaulhiggs4972 3 ай бұрын

Fried onions, makes me feel like having a dam good cough. Sorry I'm off.

@templebrown7179 6 ай бұрын

You have made a laminar flow fan, not a laminar flow hood. You need an enclosed cabinet for it to blow into to have a laminar flow hood. The clean air this is blowing will greatly reduce contamination, but without the actual hood, you can still pick up air from the perimeter of the fan exhaust, which will not be purified and likely contains spores.

@camsurbanfarm 6 ай бұрын

I addressed this in the description, I know this isn’t technically a laminar flow hood, but in mycology when people talk about flow hoods they are generally referring to contraptions like this. It’s pretty rare to see someone using an actual hood for any type of bulk mushroom growing because it restricts movement in and out of the working area and just generally isn’t as well suited for the workflows associated with growing mushrooms. Machines with actual hoods are great for extremely sensitive lab work but aren’t necessary for most mushroom growers.

@MrDejasin07 6 ай бұрын

so if only he inserted the filter for like 20 -30 cm into the box then we could call it a laminar flow hood?

@magnumxlpi 5 ай бұрын

Could have bought an actual laminar flow hood for the price of this build lol

@MrDejasin07 5 ай бұрын

@@magnumxlpi not even close you fool.

@camsurbanfarm 5 ай бұрын

@@magnumxlpi I struggled to find any quality flow hoods of this size under $1000, curious to know where you've seen comparable ones at this price point. Sure, there are a few cheap ones from China for around $600, but they're usually made with dodgy fans and filters and I've heard many accounts of them not working or breaking quickly.

@ZeginMakesMusic 10 күн бұрын

That's a heroin voice if I've ever heard one.

@leeskolmoski4494 Ай бұрын

Vocal fry….. can you put up some subtitles ?

@UNOCASTILLO 4 ай бұрын

it is dificult to follow with that "voice".

@tristantarzanweaver2911 4 ай бұрын

Shut up

@Sybarit3 3 ай бұрын

Rude.

@drummyt7166 2 ай бұрын

"White Cla-a-a-aaaaaaaahhhhw" It's called a vocal fry. It's obnoxious.

@MiigsMusic 2 ай бұрын

C'mooooooooon😂

@alwaysright10ofthetime47 Ай бұрын

I went to comment on the vocal fry and what do you know, it was the first freaking comment already! It's grating to my ears anyway and is not a person's natural voice. It's a total affectation mostly by younger American women.