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President - GPC

Interested in learning more from experienced growers creating their own compost tea maker......Need ideas for this years Wiz project......creating a tea brewer for aroebic brewing,...... instead of buying one.......
Also looking for a catchy name to go with it.......

Im thinking I can use a live well bubbler for the O2 pump, a 30 gallon barrel for the tank, fish tank heater...timers etc........other suggestions from those with experience.....looking to make the caddilac of brewers....

This device will be used to deflate potential beachball stories from you know who......

Hook a wizard up......

1/22/2007 10:08:33 AM

President - GPC

Does it just need to maintain tempeture, circulating the brew contents, introducing oxygen? for a period of 48 hours.......

1/22/2007 2:44:59 PM

Dummer Twp - Ontario

Here are a few sites worth looking at.

dchall.home.texas.net/organic/teamaker to learn how to make your own. Then have a look at the others to help you along. also so a search on the GVGO website for more info.

deuleysown.com
dirtdoctor.com
soilsoup.com

Good luck and happy brewing

1/22/2007 5:58:47 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

The catchy name will be easier....Compost Wizzer?

Make sure it can produce a good dissolved oxygen content. 6ppm is the minimum. Nothing else really matters much so long as you can fill, empty & clean it easily.

1/22/2007 8:06:10 PM

Montoursville, PA

Watch out for words with duel meanings. Taking a wizz is one thing while I suspect the wizzer is related.

1/22/2007 8:53:46 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Wizanator? Peace,Wayne
5 gal bucket, air pump, 3 or 4 airlines with bubblers....Wizanator!!!!!!!!!!!

1/23/2007 12:50:47 AM

President - GPC

The Wiz's "Compostanator" ....doesnt appear to be too difficult to make, I like to bobulator construction but it looks like a tea bag does the same trick and lots of areation and key ingedients is the trick.....
With pumpkins do they perfer a balanced tea? Fungal or bacterial tea? Also have questions about adding humic and fulvic acid....I still have to get reading my book so many questions should be answered there....but I think the ACT will be a BIG key with going after bigger weights.....and better balanced soil, cant wait for the spring soil test results for the patch.......

1/23/2007 9:20:30 AM

Montoursville, PA

Would better ballanced soil rather have a ballanced tea additive rather than a low fungi and high bacterial content?

I would like to read the test results rather than guess that a bacterial favored tea was best. Guess the question is what if.............(you finish the sentence). One can not read results or symptoms if only one example exists and no comparisons are offered.

A question: What prevents the fungi from showing or not showing an increase in anyones brewer? Worm casts do have fungi content.

How could a bubble flow running past or passing by a stationary mass be equal to a bubble flow that tosses and turns through the mass as the bubbles rise?

How could anyone develop a meaningful study or growing experiment when the contents of a major additive are not known? I fear that Mickey Mouse Advertising based on emotional comments with or without a champion of the moment is not enough for today's growers. Yes it may be just fine but how can it become better when the user is lost for lack of knowlege or knowlege not shared?

I find that when these basic questions have answers others will pick up the pace and grow the product to a higher level and value. Untill this happens there is only one small patch brewer with test reports up and available,for all to see. Those are found on North Country Organics site as produced from the Bitti Bobolator using proven compost and booster elements. The Bitti Bobolator is reported to be off the market....purchased by another brewer firm and burried in the back of the barn.

1/23/2007 1:52:46 PM

Dummer Twp - Ontario

After looking at the bobalator what is the function of the bolt on the bottom, is it to let the air circulate or create flow over the compost?

1/23/2007 3:44:29 PM

Montoursville, PA

There is no bolt on the bottom of the Biti Bobolator. The compost is inside the tube. A simple air line releases air in the bottom of the tube. The air rolls and bubbles its way to the top of the tube at 3.5 cfm working its way through the compost or earth worm casts. Water circulation is flowing from the bottom to the top of the tube. Water re-enters the bucket or barrel through a screen held in place on the side of the tube near the top of the tube. The only nuts and bolts involved are the four holding the screen holder to the tube or towers side.

1/23/2007 5:23:41 PM

Montoursville, PA

Oops..........I missed one nut and bolt that holds a hanging hook onto the tube. This is only used when going for the thirty to forty gallon batches. It hooks the brewer onto the side of the barrel.

1/23/2007 5:30:20 PM

southwest MO

I think the folks with home made brewers would be suprised to see the amount of oxygen in the brewers 6 to 12 hours in when things really start to peak. I'm not knocking home made it is what I use. Even if your D.O. falls real low you still are extracting solubles and such just from moving water of the material. I use a 1/8 hp blower rated to deliver 13 cfm at 20". Depending how much you break it down and how technical you get thats the equivilent of 300-400 aquarium air stones. This is for about 35 gallon of tea. Even at that if you go to heavy on the compost or especially the additives (molases ect.) your D.O will be less than one.

1/23/2007 7:54:55 PM

southwest MO

Sorry, if You estimate .05 cfm per stone, 13 cfm would be 260 air stones.

1/23/2007 8:21:25 PM

Dummer Twp - Ontario

Dogpipe, on the diagrams of the bobi it shows a bolt on the bottom of the long tube, It didn't make sense to me but it does show it on the diagram. very good design and will build one very similar I think. Thanks

1/23/2007 10:06:26 PM

Montoursville, PA

Mine has no bolt. It was likely there to hold the end cap onto the main body tube. It is not needed and furthermore no cement is needed because there is very little pressure or vibration. I operate at 3.5 cfm as designed by the original maker. 18 hours does it at 76 degree starting water. The blow holes in the bottom of the air delivery system are 1/8" eyeballed in about a quarter inch apart. The bottom of the air delivery tube is just above the holes in the main body end cap. This sets up a venturi effect as the bubbles rise pulling in water at the bottom and ejecting it through the screen. Once you see the rolling boil and the compost or casts boiling and swirling you will know.........well you will just know that brewer is the best small brewer out there.

1/24/2007 1:32:37 AM

Dummer Twp - Ontario

Dog, what prevents the material in the tube from falling through the holes in the bottom or is screen placed over them? Should be the last question I think

1/24/2007 6:24:28 AM

President - GPC

Its great Doc that you have one of these as I wanted to make my own based similarly on their design as it does look to be much more efficient than others tea bagging. I have lots of left over parts from salt water reef breading that I can use to mimick their design. How big is the intake at the bottom? Appears to be using 8" CPVC? & 3/8" dia air hose inside to the bottom? How big is the screening material? Could one use plastic netting that the ladies use in hobbies to make those tissue holders or are they using screen door screening? ALso how tall is the unit? Tell me a bit more about you air liberation device......lol manufacturer? RU going to Niagara? I got lots of ?'s huh......LongBeard dont got no compostanator still.....email comming Doc, Im very interested in learning more.......

1/24/2007 9:21:11 AM

Montoursville, PA

Still debating with no knowlege concerning the transportation of liquid oxygen rules of both countries. My liquid oxygen tank looks like a bomb. I do not look like an
Arab or whatever. Won't chance that issue. Secondly I'm not sure I want that much activity over two days. I surely would tend to overdo it. Yep I would. :))

1/24/2007 12:11:03 PM

President - GPC

Doc I hope you show up, I would love to meet you in person and share a few pints......

1/24/2007 2:16:44 PM

Follansbee, Wv

I'm not going to get involved in all the crap posted here, but I will offer some of my own.

A bubbler is not enough. The tea should be circulated as well as aerated.

Here is one I made in '05:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=32588

Circulate and aerate.

1/27/2007 4:32:52 PM

President - GPC

Thanks Monty, I checked it out. Once the tea is brewed does one need to use it up within 24 hours? I have read that one can not over apply tea???

1/29/2007 8:47:32 AM

Follansbee, Wv

Once the tea is finished it needs to be used immediately. Even 24 hours could be too long to keep it around since the aerobic bacteria will quickly die without a fresh supply of oxygen. Also, once the O2 level drops enough, the anaerobic bacteria will begin to multiply.

1/29/2007 4:12:51 PM