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Okla

I was wondering how those that use this homemade system clean your sprinkler/soaker hose that lays in the botton of the barrel that the air comes out of. I know a lot of growers use this system so give us some ideas on cleaning it for next time. What type cleaners is best for cleaning?
http://www.fisher5.org/brewer.htm
Thanks

3/15/2009 5:16:39 AM

Flat Rock, Michigan

i use water pressure from the hose and a scrub brush. when im done cleaning i fill the barrel up with water then turn on the air comp. for a minute then let it go till the next batch. then the water has time to warm up temp. for next batch or if i need some water for other plants .john

3/15/2009 7:40:03 AM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

Jeff Lowenfels recomends oxy-clean

3/15/2009 5:46:17 PM

Pleasant Hill, Or

I do exactly what Polarbear suggests, then I go one step further. I will disconnect the air hose from the soaker hose and connect the garden hose to it and run more water through it to give it a final clean. This gets the really hard to clean stuff out of the the crevices.

Thad

3/16/2009 9:08:00 AM

I do the same as Thad,,and I will add this for those that aren't familiar with these brewers. Clean them as soon as you can when the batch is done,,makes for a much easier job each time.

3/16/2009 9:33:07 AM

Seattle, WA

I'd recommend using some sort of anti-microbial besides just water. People have used everything from hydrogen peroxide, bleach, oxy-clean, even dish soap on the smaller brewers. If you are using air stones, you will need to use a stronger acid to clean the stones thoroughly.

You can probably just flush your sprayer and hose lines, but what you're actually brewing the tea in should get a more thorough cleaning.

3/16/2009 1:36:10 PM

Pleasant Hill, Or

One thing that continually perplexes me, and assuming that you clean your brewer thoroughly soon after your last brewing, is why some people say the brewer needs to be so clean, sterile even. Why does it need to be cleaner than the products we are putting in it to brew? Compost and castings aren't sterile not even clean, heck I sometimes put Alaskan Humis in, which is basically dirt.

As long as you have not brewed a toxic, anaerobic tea (which is difficult), just scrub out the slime and crusties, rinse well and go grow a pumpkin.

Thad

3/19/2009 1:07:10 AM

southwest MO

Why not just keep it going and make a mixed liquor of sorts like in waste water treatment?? There are not many systems on this earth with more biological power than a good aerated mixed liquor.

3/19/2009 8:56:51 AM

Seattle, WA

The reason it needs to be cleaner than the products we put in it is due to the fact that after you're finished brewing, the brewer is just sitting there and any remaining microbes will go anaerobic or become food for anaerobic microbes. Some organisms such as e. coli, are facultative anaerobes, which means they can survive in aerobic conditions, but prefer low to no oxygen conditions. When the oxygen is removed, these organisms will be able to outcompete the aerobic organisms for any remaining foods and the bacteria also form glues that allow them to stick to the container or inside of your pipes. When you go to brew again, you will have a lower quality tea if these organisms are allowed to sit in the brewer from your previous batch. Dr. Ingham has found that certain brewer designs that are hard to clean thoroughly will make a good tea for the first few batches, but the quality will continue to decrease over time because you're unable to reach all the spots where biofilm can build up.

As for keeping it going, what I've found with the microscope work I've done, and what I've heard from others is that you see a huge decrease in diversity over time. Think of it in Darwinian terms. A particular species over time will be able to process the resources in the brewer more efficiently than others and will eventually dominate the tea (ex. one or two species of protozoa or bacteria). You also lose the fungal hyphae after awhile, as certain bacteria will feed on it after other food resources have been exhausted.

~Tad

3/19/2009 2:29:52 PM