Post your DIY Aerated Compost Tea Brewer (proprietary brewers will be tolerated)

Trichgnomes · Feb 12, 2010

There is tons of great info on ACT, and it is the field is evolving every day. A lot of great research and applied results can be witnessed here on ICMag.
I started this thread to neither talk about the science or benefits (Thank you vonforne, CT Guy and others for already doing that ) of ACT, nor bicker about dissolved oxygen levels, inferior foodstuffs, etc.

A few photographs, inspiration for design, and a little explanation is all that is needed.

Thanks for reading, and most importantly, have fun!

I designed mine by simply going to
http://microbeorganics.com/#So_You_Wanna_Build_A_Compost_Tea_Brewer and copying the 4th method (bubble blower)
It was extremely easy. I had been putting it off for a while, but finally put it together a couple weeks ago.

Parts

1 True Brew Bucket (7.8 gallons)
1 Spigot (makes things easy)
1 Spring Clamp (very important, as I found out when I forgot it)
PVC piping (various sizes/angles, see microbeorganics.com for details)
Hosing
Threaded barbed fitting*
Eco Air 3 air pump (60 LPM)

*From MM

First of all, for your air input you need to match air tubing with your air pump and get a threaded barbed fitting that the tubing fits over and a slip X female threaded coupling to go over your long straight piece of PVC pipe which goes down and joins to your whateveragon. This, you may need to glue.

It may sound confusing/difficult the first time you read it, but trust me it isn't unless you are really high (which I was the first time I read it, hence why I procrastinated on it for so long).

Note, I don't have enough compost for a brew at the moment, but I posted a picture of it on with just water to show the aeration.

Note the spring clamp and spigot

My DIY PVC Diffuser:

Clackamas Coot · Feb 12, 2010

I like the PVC aerator - I'm off to Home Depot and toss my old, old airstone away!

CC

Trichgnomes · Feb 12, 2010

Clackamas Coot said:
I like the PVC aerator - I'm off to Home Depot and toss my old, old airstone away!

CC

Yes! My experience at Home Depot was absolutely lovely. An associate basically built the whole thing for me!

A note on the PVC piping. I took the route of drilling 1/16 in. holes, as I did not know where to get it cut at 250 micron such as Microbeman stated. My setup works well but I would much prefer to get the PVC machine cut. I asked the fellow at Home Depot if he knew where I could do that and dude had no idea what I was talking about. Oh well.

Clackamas Coot · Feb 12, 2010

I was thinking about using one of these................

Clackamas Coot · Feb 12, 2010

Tri

Here's a link that is a compost tea brewer used at Oregon State University at one point. I believe it was developed while Dr. Ingham was still teaching there.

It might give you some ideas for a larger brewer down the road.

HTH

CC

humble1 · Feb 12, 2010

Nice link, CC!
What about the vortex effect that I see in a few of the larger brewer's designs.
I thought adding a small circulating pump to the bottom might do it, but I worry about damaging the bacteria and mycelial threads.

Trichgnomes · Feb 12, 2010

Now that is a good idea. If I can incorporate that into the design I have it would be a definite improvement.
Thanks for that as well as the Oregon State design.

jaykush · Feb 12, 2010

I was thinking about using one of these................

where do you get one of those? i want to build a vortex brewer and the design calls for one of those. but the harware stores here have never heard of them or even think they exist. i thought i was going to have to make my own.

Clackamas Coot · Feb 12, 2010

Trichgnomes said:
Now that is a good idea. If I can incorporate that into the design I have it would be a definite improvement.
Thanks for that as well as the Oregon State design.

You have to source them online. It's my understanding that the 5-way PVC fixture are only used in the PVC furniture deal and not in the plumbing trade.

They're less than $4.00 and easy to source using the term '5-way PVC connector'

RE: PVC pipe in general for tea brewers.

What I like about using PVC pipe for this application is that from what I understand it doesn't have to be glued together making cleaning a pretty straight-forward process.

Any reason not to use Oxyclean for cleaning parts?

CC

Trichgnomes · Feb 12, 2010

What I like about using PVC pipe for this application is that from what I understand it doesn't have to be glued together making cleaning a pretty straight-forward process.

Any reason not to use Oxyclean for cleaning parts?

I use no glue, and clean up is a piece of cake. I use hydrogen peroxide to clean but IIRC, Microbeman uses oxyclean.

I would like to incorporate the waterfall aspect of the microbulator as well.

Microbeman said:
The waterfall effect is created with an air lift. I have filed a patent on this process but basically it involves creating a diffusion chamber which incorporates a diffuser enclosed within the pipe situated at the bottom of the riser pipe so that it pushes the water up the pipe while drawing the water from two open pipe ends on the floor of the tank. It's a little complicated but you may get it if you fiddle and go through various sized fittings. In my first prototype I used sweetwater diffusers inside the diffusion chamber.

Clackamas Coot · Feb 12, 2010

Trichgnomes said:
I would like to incorporate the waterfall aspect of the microbulator as well.

This page should give you some ideas - link

Microbeman · Feb 12, 2010

The 5 way can be found at pvc.com I don't see how it is applicable to the whateveragon though if you want to follow the bucket contour.

Trichgnomes · Feb 12, 2010

I've thought about water pumps before, but I feel as though I could just use a valve splitter/regulator and do it with the pump I already have, using only one air pump for the whole process.

My design, unlike other commercial brewers I have seen, does not just blow air into water or into the extractor bag but actively circulates the water while charging it with oxygen. This is done using only an air pump. No water pump is involved. This is accomplished by a diffuser housing fixture I designed and built which incorporates the diffuser inside an 1 ½ inch PVC pipe [1.25 inch industry size]. The whole 50 gallons of water is cycled through this pipe every 8 minutes at a measured flow rate of at least 6.3 gallons per minute. The water is drawn from two opposing sides of the bottom of the tank, pushed past the diffuser, while being injected with O2, up the pipe and through the return nozzle suspended about 2 to 5 inches above the water’s surface, falling back into the liquid, pushing O2 into the water by breaking the surface tension barrier, facilitating the release of CO2 from the tank and the absorption of O2 (gas exchange). This is not unlike the action of a waterfall or flow form. This action pushes the oxygenated water into the body of water further raising the dissolved oxygen content. Because the water intake openings are located at opposing sides at the bottom of the barrel, a current-like flow is created and maintained so any still areas of water are highly unlikely. The release of CO2 is essential to create space in water for the absorption of dissolved oxygen and the only way for CO2 to be released in a CT brewer is through the surface. At the same time a large slotted PVC diffuser is infusing the whole body of water with air. Oxygen is absorbed by the interface of the bubbles created on the way to the surface and the surface tension barrier is broken again by the bubble turbulence, allowing the further release of carbon dioxide and the maintenance of dissolved oxygen. By this means, there are three interfaces where O2 is being injected into the water or compost tea.

-- microbeorganics.com

Microbeman · Feb 12, 2010

Clackamas Coot said:
This page should give you some ideas - link

Those appear to be water pumps.

Microbeman · Feb 12, 2010

There are very few PVC machiners and no matter what size you are cutting it is a minimum $100 to set up the equipment.

Trichgnomes · Feb 12, 2010

Microbeman said:
The 5 way can be found at pvc.com I don't see how it is applicable to the whateveragon though if you want to follow the bucket contour.

It seems as though the design CC linked from Oregon State uses a whateveragon with a 5 way. I can't copy the pic, but it is on the link he posted.

Can you give me an idea of what type of place I could go to get it machine slotted? The $100 is not so bad if I were to have some made for others as well.

Microbeman · Feb 12, 2010

Trichgnomes said:
It seems as though the design CC linked from Oregon State uses a whateveragon with a 5 way. I can't copy the pic, but it is on the link he posted.

Can you give me an idea of what type of place I could go to get it machine slotted? The $100 is not so bad if I were to have some made for others as well.

Two problems; instead of stopping the octogon it is closed back to the air line so unless you have an over kill pump you may not have uniform dispersal of air; there is no air flow control valve so air will take the course of least resistance [ie the bag or diffuser]. The only way to use 5 way is if you cap it--no? what is the point?
#6 should be one T not three...no?
where is the 5 way?

5 ways are great for vortex brewers; see my page Jay

Microbeman · Feb 12, 2010

I only know of one PVC machiner and I'm not posting him here.

jaykush · Feb 12, 2010

this is the design i was planning on making up. i have almost everything laying around except that damn 5 piece.

http://www.subtleenergies.com/ormus/tw/turbo-vortex.htm

i have another brewer im designing myself that is like no other but i am having a real hard time sourcing the right parts.

big ballin 88 · Feb 12, 2010

Clackamas Coot said:
You have to source them online. It's my understanding that the 5-way PVC fixture are only used in the PVC furniture deal and not in the plumbing trade.

Not to burst your bubble but the reason i don't think these use them is for flow. Its gonna be real hard to divide air evenly among those unless you had a lot of pressure backing it up. Pressure is key in getting nice small size bubbles. I think its bettter to have pipe going in a circle, but thats just me

Post your DIY Aerated Compost Tea Brewer (proprietary brewers will be tolerated)

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