10 min $10 DIY aerated compost tea ACT brewer

[Bullfrog44]

What's up guys, just wanted to drop in let you guys know that Smart and Final has 1 gal containers of Mothers unsulphered molasses for $16. I bought two, they are good till 2015.

Also, I used Dark's suggestion. It makes sense to not have any dead zones so what I did is add a barbed brass fitting to some 5/8 (id) plastic tubing. That way I can still get my brew with ease. I also turned the T-valve and it seems to work way better. I also keep my air supply hose above this T and I haven't got any brew back in the hose yet. I will post up a pic before I apply my brew tomorrow.

 

[Goodkarma]

The nearest Smart and Final only has their generic brand "First Street". Half gallons for $5, but the half gallons have 3.2 grams of salt in it.

 

[burnerr]

I have pretty much everything I need for this headyblunts design I just have a few questions.

I wanted to put my mix of compost, poo, or whatever in a steeping bag (paint strainer or whatever else)....would this design affect that in any way? Could I get away with running a hose right into the bag or do I need an airstone in there as well?

Also, I only wanted to brew 2 to 2-1/2 gal. at a time in a 5 gal. bucket. Could I keep the PVC full height incase I wanted to do a bigger batch or should I cut it down to stay a few inches above the 2 gal. mark?

 

[Bullfrog44]

Got some pics of my updated 15 gal brewer with the adjustments made from Dark Mind and Microbeman. It seemed to help a lot, because I had a lot more foam toward the end of my brew. Seems like this time was a perfect brew, wish I had a microscope. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[bonsai]

I received a PM from a member with a similar pump asking for details of the airlift parts I used, so I made this diagram thingy. Figure it's worth posting here in case it's of use to anyone else.

 

[Bullfrog44]

Great post bonsai

 

[cannagardens]

Thanx for the diagram Bonsai. How often do u clean the PVC tubing? What is the best way to thoroughly clean the inside of the PVC?

 

[bonsai]

I clean mine after each use by running some chlorinated tap water with a drop of bleach through it. I wipe down the inside of the brewing bucket with the same solution. I try to avoid pulling it all apart each time as that's going to speed up wear on the PVC and lead to leaks. When I completely disassembled the brewer to take the above photo there was a very fine line of sediment at some of the joins.

 

[heady blunts]

I have pretty much everything I need for this headyblunts design I just have a few questions.

I wanted to put my mix of compost, poo, or whatever in a steeping bag (paint strainer or whatever else)....would this design affect that in any way? Could I get away with running a hose right into the bag or do I need an airstone in there as well?

Also, I only wanted to brew 2 to 2-1/2 gal. at a time in a 5 gal. bucket. Could I keep the PVC full height incase I wanted to do a bigger batch or should I cut it down to stay a few inches above the 2 gal. mark?

if you want to use a bag you definately need to run an air hose in it. it should be alright without an airstone. they get clogged quickly in that environment anyway. also it's helpful to try and suspend the bag in the h20 rather than let it rest on the bottom.

one thing about using a tea bag is that paint strainers and stockings are too fine a mesh to allow fungal hyphae through. i personally find it easier to strain when i'm done with the brew than to use a bag.

as for the height of the airlift, it will work better if it's only a few inches taller than the water level.

good luck!

 

[Microbeman]

Most paint strainers actually are not that bad. The thing I don't like about them is that the openings are irregular but I have measured some under magnification and the opening ranges from 300 to 600 microns.

 

[burnerr]

Thanks Heady, not sure what way I wanna do it yet...I can do both whenever I want really...

I was actually thinking, if I were to go with the steeping method I could put a hose bibb or a small nozzle on the side of the bucket at the bottom to drain out the tea instead of trying to pour it out into something.

Think that would be fine? I think it would work as long as I use a bag so the valve won't get clogged up...

 

[rrog]

Bullfrog, do you have a good sized grow going? I do not (3-4 plants), and was looking at the 5 gallon system. I wouldn't need it that big, but it seems these get messier if they're small. With a small grow, would you still go 15 gallons?

I have a couple of 950 GPH air pumps so maybe I have to go larger due to the pump size?

Thanks for the thoughts

 

[mad librettist]

for a small grow 1 gallon does the trick

 

[rrog]

Geez, JayK said the same thing. Just use a bubbler(s),then?

EDIT: I'll build the 2 gallon version fro Heady Blunts. Last night when reading, I assumed it was a 5 gallon rig. I just hope my 950 GPH pump doesn't paint my room with poo

 

[Microbeman]

Geez, JayK said the same thing. Just use a bubbler(s),then?

EDIT: I'll build the 2 gallon version fro Heady Blunts. Last night when reading, I assumed it was a 5 gallon rig. I just hope my 950 GPH pump doesn't paint my room with poo

950 GPH = 2.1 CFM. That is good up to about 30 to 40 gallons but I used one with under 5 gallons with no issues.

 

[Bullfrog44]

Bullfrog, do you have a good sized grow going? I do not (3-4 plants), and was looking at the 5 gallon system. I wouldn't need it that big, but it seems these get messier if they're small. With a small grow, would you still go 15 gallons?

I have a couple of 950 GPH air pumps so maybe I have to go larger due to the pump size?

Thanks for the thoughts

I would not build a 15 gal brewer if I only had 3-4 plants. I have about 50 plants that get brews every watering, so some times the 15 gal is too small for me. (not all cannabis plants) However, I can run a 5 gal brew in my brewer no problem. I still get a vortex and my air lift runs with no problems all the way down to half a gallon. So if you think you might build a bigger garden in the future then the 15 gal may not be a bad idea. However a 5 would be just fine.

 

[rrog]

Thanks MM, if the thing is spitting out too much air, I can try putting the manifold on and diverting a couple.

Bullfrog, I have all of this equipment on hand to build a 2 gallon unit to try this out. You make excellent sense. For some reason I thought these systems needed to have a certain minimum volume. But if you're running as little as 1/2 gallon, that's very good to know. My thanks.

 

[Bullfrog44]

I don't believe all units are like this, but that is why I bought the commercial ecco 5 air pump. Microbeman has it rated up to 50 gal tanks, but they work down to .5 gal like I said. The key is for the pump to be powerful enough to push the air up the tube the extra amount. Good luck.

 

[DARC MIND]

my 5 gal brewer makes 10+ gallons of diluted tea
i inoculate a nice divers amount of soil with it & im using a eco 1

 

[tuinman]

How do you deal with excessive splash out? I have the output about 2" from the water surface and it's enough to lose a half gallon over night.

I took a piece of foam board and sliced a slot out of the middle to fit around the spout - unfortunately this means the splash hits the bottom of the foam and eventually rolls down the sides of the tank.