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10 min $10 DIY aerated compost tea ACT brewer
- Thread starter heady blunts
- Start date
Have learned a lot here on icmag, but I have to say this has been a great thread, and after learning to bubble my organic bottle feeds to bring the ph up has been helping already but this ACT makes a ton of sense to me, so I built one....
The GH pump was doing great with the big tube straight from the diaphragm to 6" air stones, but not enough for an air lift I figured so I grabbed a big one from the store today and built a super basic air lift brewer. Only had one 1 1/4 90* elbow but I made it happen.
I think the pumps to big so might use 2" when I buy some elbows. But got good flow and mixed up 2l of worm castings from the store with a couple scoops out of the compost bin, and some old leaf and wood chip mulch I grow mushrooms on mostly maple and alder.
Added 4 tbs of raw powder molasses and 250ml liquid weight that was the only other molasses I could get in short notice.
Anyways my main concern is I am only on site every second or third day, the water starts out cold at around 50* f but room is 73-79* steady. Will the extended time brewing be detrimental? Would more food be better or maybe using kelp to slow growth?
Thanks so much for the info you guys! I like things I can read that make sense, are almost free and make my plants happier more sustainably for less cost! Talk about a fricken win!
Thanks again
The GH pump was doing great with the big tube straight from the diaphragm to 6" air stones, but not enough for an air lift I figured so I grabbed a big one from the store today and built a super basic air lift brewer. Only had one 1 1/4 90* elbow but I made it happen.
I think the pumps to big so might use 2" when I buy some elbows. But got good flow and mixed up 2l of worm castings from the store with a couple scoops out of the compost bin, and some old leaf and wood chip mulch I grow mushrooms on mostly maple and alder.
Added 4 tbs of raw powder molasses and 250ml liquid weight that was the only other molasses I could get in short notice.
Anyways my main concern is I am only on site every second or third day, the water starts out cold at around 50* f but room is 73-79* steady. Will the extended time brewing be detrimental? Would more food be better or maybe using kelp to slow growth?
Thanks so much for the info you guys! I like things I can read that make sense, are almost free and make my plants happier more sustainably for less cost! Talk about a fricken win!
Thanks again
A good length of time to brew is 36 hours
Built a 30 gallon air lift using an Eco 5 last year, worked great. Thanks again for the design MM.
Planning to build a new larger air lift brewer this year. I am going to use the ECO 7, 200 l/min. Was hoping someone would recommend how large of a brewer this pump would work well with?
Thanks,
Mr^^
Planning to build a new larger air lift brewer this year. I am going to use the ECO 7, 200 l/min. Was hoping someone would recommend how large of a brewer this pump would work well with?
Thanks,
Mr^^
TheCatDaddy
Member
I have a small 45gph pump, but need a new one for my vortex brewer im building. I will only be brewing UP TO 3gal tops for now, as well as using the pump in a small cloner. Im looking at the pump at the bottom of this post, I was told its too big but whatz your opinions? I dont want to mess around with a small pump again.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002J...s=air+pump&dpPl=1&dpID=41o1RHxarXL&ref=plSrch
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002J...s=air+pump&dpPl=1&dpID=41o1RHxarXL&ref=plSrch
It is almost impossible to go too big. I posted in this thread some time back that I had dropped the ECO commercial pumps for the Elementals.
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=6809595&highlight=Elemental#post6809595
They are far superior for less $$ although the ECOs work. The company and their reps got big headed and sloppy, did not care about failing pumps, nor keeping commitments. They made what they called improvements which IMO had the opposite effect. The exception to this is the Eco 7 which has a higher CFM than any comparable Elemental.
http://www.amazon.com/Commercial-20...1456522959&sr=8-2&keywords=elemental+air+pump
Buildasoil also has these.
We have measured the Eco 7 at 7 CFM so based on my research an optimal size volume @ 0.08 CFM/gal: 7 ~ 0.08 = 87.5 gallons
Therefore say 75 to 85.
Thanks again MM, gonna jot down your equation just in case I need to figure it out again some day.
Ill look into the other brand pumps as well, have just gone with the Eco's in the past since they are easily available locally. Was thinking of ordering some cover crop seed from BAS anyways though.. so deff gonna give their pumps a look.
If all goes well, hope to be delivering tea to a nice thick cover crop before we even plant this year.
Thanks,
Mr^^
Ill look into the other brand pumps as well, have just gone with the Eco's in the past since they are easily available locally. Was thinking of ordering some cover crop seed from BAS anyways though.. so deff gonna give their pumps a look.
If all goes well, hope to be delivering tea to a nice thick cover crop before we even plant this year.
Thanks,
Mr^^
lil 20 gallon i put together last week (working volume 15 gallons---perfect for my garden).
I just got my vortex brewer going again but I can see the advantage in this simpler design. Does the water divide equally between the two spouts or do you find it chooses one?
seems to split evenly.
i'll get a video of it in action in the next couple days.
i'll get a video of it in action in the next couple days.
okay each nozzle is putting out 2 quarts every 15 seconds for a total of 4 gallons per minute being moved through the lift.
what do you think MM?
what do you think MM?
I wonder too does it split even?
yea i measured both sides and they fill up the container in the same amount of time
TheCatDaddy
Member
Any videos or good pictures of this in action? I like this design because it doesnt require a threaded barbed fitting/threaded female pvc. It seems so simple. Only question I have is..
How far up the airlift do the hoses go? Theyre just in there blowing air and the water shoots out ofnthe airlift? Seems almos5 too simple compared to others! I dig it if thats the case!!
How far up the airlift do the hoses go? Theyre just in there blowing air and the water shoots out ofnthe airlift? Seems almos5 too simple compared to others! I dig it if thats the case!!
so do you think the spin will structure my water? 
haha i know the split and spin situation looks gimmicky but i chose it as a compromise to cut down on sound since i often sleep close by.
i'm wondering if i've managed to make something with suitable flow and a relatively quiet gurgle or if i've sacrificed more than i can afford and i'll need to upgrade the pump or simplify the lift.
if you'd humor me with some generalizing, MM, will my 4 gallons a minute flow rate get me into the necessary dissolved oxygen rage? (~15 gallons total liquid volume)
haha i know the split and spin situation looks gimmicky but i chose it as a compromise to cut down on sound since i often sleep close by.
i'm wondering if i've managed to make something with suitable flow and a relatively quiet gurgle or if i've sacrificed more than i can afford and i'll need to upgrade the pump or simplify the lift.
if you'd humor me with some generalizing, MM, will my 4 gallons a minute flow rate get me into the necessary dissolved oxygen rage? (~15 gallons total liquid volume)
Honestly it is more the CFMs/gal and the use of an airlift which generate DO but in 15 gallons if I generalize I'd guess it will be good.
As you know the real magic comes from altering the water molecular structure
As you know the real magic comes from altering the water molecular structure
