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Microbulator 50 gallon Brewer

growclean

growclean

Grow Clean.... Go Fast!
http://www.simplici-tea.com/microbulator.htm

So our 5 gallon brewer is NOT cutting it anymore. It works great, but 5 gallons is not enough at a time, so consequently we have it running continously right now, one batch after another. This makes our watering schedule a pain and I am sure that the little pump will not last long. So I am wondering if anyone has used the above brewer before? I am specifically wonder HOW loud it is. We would have it indoors. Also, how is the breakdown and cleaning. Any other comments?

Thanks!
 
Clackamas Coot

Clackamas Coot

Active member
Veteran
growclean

The gentleman who owns that company is a regular poster on this board, CT Guy.

If he made it - it will work flawlessly.

HTH

CC
 
growclean

growclean

Grow Clean.... Go Fast!
CC,
Yeah, thanks. It is the same company that I bought my 5 gallon brewer from too and I am sure that it will work great! I was just wondering more specifically how its use would relate more to a smaller, more contained indoor situation like ours rather than a farm or other type of situation. Maybe he will pop on here even and share his thoughts. I just thought that maybe another member may have already went through this situation and could share.

Thanks for the reply!
 
Trichgnomes

Trichgnomes

Member
To clarify, the brewers are made by different people, but CT Guy of KIS sells both, his and the one that Microbeman sells (Microbulator 50). I have not seen it in person, but the videos are pretty sweet, and once I outgrow my brewer, it seems the next logical step.
As far as how loud it is, I'm sure Mm will chime in at some point, but I imagine it is fairly loud. He states that he uses the Eco Plus Commercial 5 (4 CFM Max). I have the Eco Plus Commercial 3 for my 5 gallon brewer ( a bit overkill) which is really loud, and I am currently trying to build a muffle box for it. Even with it being on another floor with the door closed, I can still hear it when I am drifting to sleep.
I sort of got used to it, I just pictures waves crashing and microbes fornicating, having some good clean aerobic fun!
 
Microbeman

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I make and sell the Microbulator 50
It is fairly loud compared to the long lasting KIS pump but the ECO Comm 3, I've heard is louder (?).
You can see it in operation at www.microbeorganics.com I believe KIS has links to this site.

It takes about 20 minutes to dismantle and clean.
 
J

*Journeyman*

Aren't Alita pumps quieter? They're probably more expensive though.

Microbeman - what's your feedback on Alita air pumps?

Thx
 
C

CT Guy

I found it to be pretty quiet. MM and I did microscope work with it 6ft away in the same room and it didn't bother me. It's a little louder than our extended life brewing system, but much quieter than our regular 5 gallon brewing system. Just to clarify, we do carry MM's 50 gal. Microbulator on our website, it's the exact same as the one on his site and the price is the same on both regardless of who you order with.

50 gal. is a lot of tea though for the avg. grower. Application rates on tea is 20 gal./acre soil drench; 5 gal./acre foliar applications up to 5 ft. in height, so 50 gal. may be more than you need. That being said, you can't over apply it and you don't have to add water to it so there's no such thing as too much tea, short of overwatering your plant.

It's a good brewer. We added it mostly because I couldn't compete with it on price and the quality of the tea is excellent. Our 28 gal. brewer is now selling at cost, which puts it at $1,600 because we use a custom made tank and stand that have to be shipped to us, along with a much larger motor that retails for around $600. MM's design allows him to use a much smaller motor. Another advantage to the smaller motor is that if it does give out down the line, the cost to replace it is minimal compared to what it costs to replace the motors on our larger systems.

It's not too exciting of a brew asthetically, but it gets the job done quite nicely.
 
S

secondtry

Hey CT Guy,

How ya been? Nice to see ya again. The Microbuator 50 is on my to get list. Oh yea, are you no longer selling vermicast (EWC)?
 
C

CT Guy

secondtry said:
Hey CT Guy,

How ya been? Nice to see ya again. The Microbuator 50 is on my to get list. Oh yea, are you no longer selling vermicast (EWC)?
Click to expand...

I couldn't find an EWC source in WA State that didn't use manure based compost. There's Yelm Worm Farm, but they use manure. Our old source went out of business, so now we just use Alaska Humus and our own "Fungal Compost." I'm working on making improvements to our compost process and even getting it certified.

Clackamas Coot might have some recommendations down in Oregon....
 
guest2012y

guest2012y

Living with the soil
Veteran
CT Guy said:
I couldn't find an EWC source in WA State that didn't use manure based compost. There's Yelm Worm Farm, but they use manure. Our old source went out of business, so now we just use Alaska Humus and our own "Fungal Compost." I'm working on making improvements to our compost process and even getting it certified.

Clackamas Coot might have some recommendations down in Oregon....
Click to expand...
I'm not sure about the manure thing,but I recently picked up 3 bags fom a "wiggle worm" supplier down by the Olympia area...........I can get the # if you want,currently the Mrs. has it............wait here it is. http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/grd/1588762051.html
 
Clackamas Coot

Clackamas Coot

Active member
Veteran
There is a relatively new company over in Scio, Oregon called Marwest and the point person, Tim Clark, is an organic farmer. One of his partners sits on the board of directors of Organically Grown Company (OGC) which is the largest organic product supplier in the Pacific Northwest.

They have great materials to work with from OGC. I have been using this product for several months and I'm very pleased with the results.

EarthFort in Corvallis sells the Alaska Humus product that CT Guy mentioned. They have another compost product, Cascade Compost from Klamath Falls and it's made from fir shavings specifically that is also very good. At the link they have the test results if you're interested. It runs $22.00 per c.f. - same price as the Alaska Humus product.

RE: EWC - there is an interesting gentleman across the river from Oregon in Camas, Washington. Northwest Redworms carries worms, bins, EWC, etc. It is a very nice product and I don't believe that he uses any manure in his operation. I used to buy his EWC when they were/are available and I got my original batch of red worms and European nightcrawlers at his suggestion - something about the European worms do a better job at finishing the castings - his thoughts because I don't really know.

And Yelms Worm Farm products are available at a few of the farm stores - not hard to source.

HTH

CC
 
S

secondtry

@ CC,

Wow, thanks CC! Seriously, thanks. You have given me all I need to feel confident about growing out there and were to get the good stuff, thanks a million. Now I have to download all your posts so I can make a list of the companies you suggest and what they sell. I was also thinking about buying some the amendment you sell, I don't remember what was in it but it looked interesting.



@ CTGuy,

I assume you don't want EWC from manure due to human pathogen concerns? If so I have a few good studies on this very topic if your interested (...2ndtry rummages thru his references in Zotero). I guess to be certified you may be 'safer' with a near nil risk of human pathogen from non-manure sources. Anyway, it's interesting you wrote this because now I think about it I don't know of one local producer of EWC who does not use manure...it's like an oven to a chef around here. Anyway, thanks for the info.
 
Clackamas Coot

Clackamas Coot

Active member
Veteran
secondtry said:
@ CC,Wow, thanks CC! Seriously, thanks. You have given me all I need to feel confident about growing out there and were to get the good stuff, thanks a million. Now I have to download all your posts so I can make a list of the companies you suggest and what they sell. I was also thinking about buying some the amendment you sell, I don't remember what was in it but I looked interesting.
Click to expand...
You're welcome. One thing about the Willamette Valley is that you won't be searching for anything for organic growing.

Besides the basic components there are inexpensive classes conducted at organic farms through Oregon Tilth and other groups, i.e. produce co-ops, farm extension services, etc.

Here's my seed meal mix.............

Here's a mix that I made up and use as well as give to OMMP organic growers.

These are in 50 lbs. bags and all of the seed meals are organic and non-GMO varieties.........

Alfalfa Meal (Central Oregon) - 3-0.5-2.5 @ $16.80
Canola Meal (Montana) - 5-0-2 @ $35.00
Cottonseed Meal - 5-2-1 @ $$22.00
Linseed Meal (Flax, cold pressed) (Montana) 6-1-1 @ $23.00
Soybean Meal - 8-0-1 @ $42.00

The following are split-bags and are 25 lbs. units......

Kelp Meal (organic) (Acadian Seaplants, Ltd.) - 1-0-2 @ $30.50
Fish Bone Meal (organic) (Wilbur-Ellis) - 5-16-0 @ $10.80
Crab Meal (Marion Ag) (Oregon) - 4-1-0 @ $18.00
Fish Meal (organic) (Wilbur-Ellis) - 10-4-0 @ $18.50
Neem Seed Meal - (organic) (Down-To-Earth) - 5-1-2 @ $30.00
Archipelago Bat Guano - 0-7-0 @ $22.00

I add about 1 cup of this mix to 1 cf. of my soil mix.

There's also 2 cups of a mineral mix added to each cubic foot of potting soil.

I water with fish hydrolysate and some form of kelp/seaweed extract product once a week with added humic and fulvic acid.
Click to expand...
It's cheap enough..............

CC
 
C

CT Guy

Regarding using EWC for tea brewing that's manure based...if the material has been properly composted by the worms (you can get testing from the company, but you also have to trust that they're doing every batch the same), then it's fine to use. MM uses it all the time. Since part of our marketing is that you can spray it on your vegetables, we find it's not worth the risk associated with it and best avoided. If it's all you can find and you're still concerned, just do a soil drench rather than foliar. Finally, not all EWC is created equal, so sourcing this stuff can be tricky. Making it yourself is the best option as then you control all the inputs and you don't need much for brewing the tea.
 
growclean

growclean

Grow Clean.... Go Fast!
CT Guy said:
I found it to be pretty quiet. MM and I did microscope work with it 6ft away in the same room and it didn't bother me. It's a little louder than our extended life brewing system, but much quieter than our regular 5 gallon brewing system.

50 gal. is a lot of tea though for the avg. grower. Application rates on tea is 20 gal./acre soil drench; 5 gal./acre foliar applications up to 5 ft. in height, so 50 gal. may be more than you need. That being said, you can't over apply it and you don't have to add water to it so there's no such thing as too much tea, short of overwatering your plant.
Click to expand...

Well, I have the regular 5 gallon now and can handle that, so if this is quiter then I should be OK. I know 50 gallons is way more than we need at the moment, but the 5 gallon isn't enough unless I continually run it and stagger all my watering and even then I will be getting close. Right now our plants are taking a gallon each when watered and that is for the flowering plants. So with 18 plants that is already 18 gallons at a time. We have just added 2 more patients, so that will put us at 30 plants soon. Then I still need to brew for the vegging plants. Really even this 50 gallon model is big push budget wise, in fact I couldn't even consider it unless I really thought that we needed it and were doing the right thing. Aesthics aren't important to me in the least, in this case anyway.

So two questions:

MB, I saw on your site that you are developing a 10 gallon brewer. When might that be available and any idea on the projected cost?

What would be the consequenses of running this brewer only 1/2 full?
 
C

CT Guy

No real advantage to making 1/2 the brew. Might as well brew the full 50 gallons and then throw the rest out on your yard. The cost of materials that go inside the brewer are negligble between 25 and 50 gallons in my opinion.
 
growclean

growclean

Grow Clean.... Go Fast!
Yeah, but during winter there is nothing to throw it on outside and it is a hassle nevertheless. I would rather make a 1/2 batch if I can.

Oh and by the way. I am using the KIS 5 gallon as stated earlier and I kept having problems with overflow and foam. So I bought a 6.5 gallon bucket. They are the same diameter as the 5s, so everything fits the same, however there is more room for foam this way. Just an FYI.
 
Trichgnomes

Trichgnomes

Member
growclean said:
Oh and by the way. I am using the KIS 5 gallon as stated earlier and I kept having problems with overflow and foam. So I bought a 6.5 gallon bucket. They are the same diameter as the 5s, so everything fits the same, however there is more room for foam this way. Just an FYI.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not using a KIS, it's a DIY ( I just copied MM's 'whateveragon' model w/ PVC, but I ended up with a 7.8 gallon True Brew which is good for a 5- 5 1/2 gallon batch with no overflowing.
 
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