10 min $10 DIY aerated compost tea ACT brewer

[oscar169]

BF do you have a pic of the diffuser that you used,I just order the same 15 gallon tank that you have going to build a new brewer, but can't seem to find any pics of the diffuser

 

[Yeti]

As far as I know BF didn't use a diffuser. I don't use a diffuser in my two 5 gallon water cooler brewers with eco 1 pumps and have brewed over 50 teas in both of them. Thank you microbeman for everything. I would have ordered one from you, but I'm too DIY junkyard engineer to order much from anyone, and I like to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Also I used a check valve right at the brewer end of my braided air hose so as to never worry about back filling the airline. The check valves are very inexpensive here:
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23369&catid=489&clickid=searchresults

 

[Microbeman]

As far as I know BF didn't use a diffuser. I don't use a diffuser in my two 5 gallon water cooler brewers with eco 1 pumps and have brewed over 50 teas in both of them. Thank you microbeman for everything. I would have ordered one from you, but I'm too DIY junkyard engineer to order much from anyone, and I like to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Also I used a check valve right at the brewer end of my braided air hose so as to never worry about back filling the airline. The check valves are very inexpensive here:
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23369&catid=489&clickid=searchresults

If you use a check valve, I recommend these types or other flapper types which have no spring or other flow reducing components.

http://flexpvc.com/cart/agora.cgi?product=PVC-CheckValves-NoMetal

We measured the flow with a regular check valve and it was so reduced that we decided against using them.

 

[thewhitelotus]

Going to bring this thread back to life! I recently made a 4 gallon brewer out of a 5 gallon bucket, some 1" PVC, and an eco plus 1 commercial air pump. Instead of using the manifold with 6 small lines i decided to use just one large line and secured it into the PVC lift. When i fire it up it sputters and im not exactly sure if thats how its supposed to perform. Is this the best methodology for a small little 5 gallon and eco plus 1

I tested with an 18oz cup and it filled it in just over 4 seconds....which if my math is correct is a gallon every 28.4 seconds so roughly 2 gallons per minute. is this enough or should i try to increase?

 

[OrganicBuds]

Sounds like more than enough, and when my brewer is running it chugs. Pictures would help

 

[Microbeman]

Going to bring this thread back to life! I recently made a 4 gallon brewer out of a 5 gallon bucket, some 1" PVC, and an eco plus 1 commercial air pump. Instead of using the manifold with 6 small lines i decided to use just one large line and secured it into the PVC lift. When i fire it up it sputters and im not exactly sure if thats how its supposed to perform. Is this the best methodology for a small little 5 gallon and eco plus 1

I tested with an 18oz cup and it filled it in just over 4 seconds....which if my math is correct is a gallon every 28.4 seconds so roughly 2 gallons per minute. is this enough or should i try to increase?

As I've noted previously in one of these threads, when we experimented with 3/4 inch and 1 inch PVC we had a reduced flow from using 1.25 inch. How does your airline interface with the PVC? How does it attached to the pump?

You can find the original info that everyone is working from here;
http://www.microbeorganics.com/#So_You_Wanna_Build_A_Compost_Tea_Brewer

- just in case you did not know.

 

[thewhitelotus]

Thanks guys! MM i was hesitant to goto 1.25 simply due to the fact that im running an eco plus 1 and not a beefier one. Similar to heady blunts setup, but i have a single air hose coming from the pump to which i drilled a hole the size of the air tubing. one thing im going to do today is get a larger tubing so i can fit it directly over the nipple of the pump and not use the reducer

please excuse the poorly cut PVC....twas a piece i had laying around that happened to be the correct height.

thanks in advance

 

[Microbeman]

I use a comm 1 with 1.25 inch PVC in a 12 gallon airlift.

 

[Microbeman]

Thanks guys! MM i was hesitant to goto 1.25 simply due to the fact that im running an eco plus 1 and not a beefier one. Similar to heady blunts setup, but i have a single air hose coming from the pump to which i drilled a hole the size of the air tubing. one thing im going to do today is get a larger tubing so i can fit it directly over the nipple of the pump and not use the reducer

please excuse the poorly cut PVC....twas a piece i had laying around that happened to be the correct height.

View Image

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thanks in advance

Your flow looks okay. Good idea to go over the puny nipple.

 

[thewhitelotus]

thanks...im gonna swap that out tomorrow and also get a longer pvc pipe, as this one is about 2-3" from the bottom and all the compost i added, from what i can tell, is just sitting on the bottom.....the molasses mixed up fine. wouldnt mind getting more movement down at the bottom

 

[thewhitelotus]

should i be getting enough force that it will pull compost off the bottom of the bucket and run it through the airlifter?

thanks

 

[Microbeman]

should i be getting enough force that it will pull compost off the bottom of the bucket and run it through the airlifter?

thanks

This depends on how boyant your compost is. I get some sitting on the bottom but most circulates. I always give it a stir prior to using.

 

[meadowman]

any info anyone could give me on using beet pulp? comes with n without lasses. i was also thinking of using wheat bran in my soil mix. any info is appreciated!

 

[rik78]

here is my firts attemp to building a micro brewer, so far so good, only thing is that I have to check the air pump, as I was expting a little bit more of power, and because the pump is second hand...

I know that they are not the best pix, but I was rushing to get it up and running.... and yesterday I watered the plants with their first compost tea, hell yeah!!

For this first recip I use only EWC, molases and a animal food kelp.

Total capacity of the brewer is 5L, the pump is a 400L/h or 0.23CFM

All the pipes are just conected without glue, using a bit of cotton thread to get some preassure and avoid any leaking, the air tube, runs from inside the vertical lifter, just by the pipe end.

Price, was a bit more than $10, but not that much, pump was €15, and all the pipes and conector another €10, the box and container were recycled from the garbage

any comments, critics or general question welcome!!

 

[redclover]

Pretty cool Rik. Looks like you had fun with that one. I use a 1 gal Lipton Tea jug for small brews. I think the handle acts as a nice airlift.

 

[rik78]

thanks Redclover,

I did thought in big juice jugs with incorporate handle, but here in Germany they are not that common, (lost of glass and tetrabricks) and I wanted to keep cost down, and so, I found that one in the garbage.

 

[Bambøø]

Thanks !

 

[Applesauce]

What is the smartest use for a 1268 GPH (2.8 CFM) air pump? I was thinking a 5 gallon bucket with sweetwater air diffusers but noticed they have a cfm limit. My manifold has 8 nipples.

 

[analogcricket]

What is the smartest use for a 1268 GPH (2.8 CFM) air pump? I was thinking a 5 gallon bucket with sweetwater air diffusers but noticed they have a cfm limit. My manifold has 8 nipples.

what are sweetwater air diffusers? do you have a link?

 

[thelaughingman]

Hey! I have some EWC brewing in a 5gal hd bucket and.. im used to seeing a frothy top after 12hrs from using bat guano, but there is zilch.. so are these casting no good or is this normal? I'm using RO.. & airstone?