This is the most comprehensive video on building a bio reactor that's out there. Thanks Diego.
@halcobb16274 жыл бұрын
Kudos, I never see the kind of thoughtful coverage of 'design requirements' that you give at the beginning of the video. Right up front, you covered where to put it, what does it look like, dispensing finished product, recurring maintenance etc. Most people just jump straight into 'watch me fabricate this thing' without any encouragement to think about what you're doing. Excellent video.
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
This is the value of observation
@moncefboulares3905 Жыл бұрын
Excellent video thank you
@sacajun9344 жыл бұрын
The sticking point for most will be the reinforcing mesh. There are not vendors set up to sell this of small scale use. And it is difficult to transport and work with (angle grinder). BUT here comes the Interweb to the rescue. I have been using SILT FENCE for my compost bins for years before I saw the Johnson-Su video. Look it up at Home Depot. ~$90 US gets you 100 LF. a roll will fit in the trunk of a car and you can cut it with hand snips. It is 3ft tall and has the fabric already woven on. I wire two pieces together with the top piece overlapping the bottom on the inside. I converted my bin to a Johnson-Su this spring. Waiting for the results before a become an acolyte for them.
@bigwooly80144 жыл бұрын
Lowes and home depot sell the concrete mesh in sheets kinda like bull panel. It's cheap and can be transported on top of a car with a piece of cardboard or old blanket and some rope.
@Wildwwill Жыл бұрын
@SA Cajun Have you completed any compost? If so, how were the results?
@frankreading80384 жыл бұрын
Hey Diego, Built 1 last year and filled it with chopped leaves on bottom and Ramial wood chips for the remaining 3/4. Emptied it 9 months later... Results were good and progressive...Leaves composted beautifully. Rich dark compost at the bottom 1/4. Wood chips were definitely more composted than at time of filling, but still “chips”. Lots of worms through the reactor, moist material. I’d say to compost the wood chips to the point of use in a market garden, the total static compost time might need to be 18-24 months. I’m in Virginia so during the cold months of the year things slow down. For my purposes the 2 reactors I have I’ll be filling with shredded leaves
@benthere80513 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much for Dr. Johnson's work to us. You need to review his work to see just how pertinent that work is. It is incredibly important on a very personal level.
@skymax15074 жыл бұрын
Your videos help me learn English! I understand about 75% of the words you say. thank!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
@alshalakaed8573 жыл бұрын
That's great now you are smarter than 80% of America !
@courtneybronnerwilliams57712 жыл бұрын
I really hope the follow-up/results video is coming soon! 🤞🏼 I’m on the edge of my seat to see how it worked!
@SpringwaterParkcc3 жыл бұрын
Diego, Thank you so much, my friend. Have built a S-U in mid Oct, 100 km north of Toronto Canada. Gonna try two runs of 120 foot of roofing ice cables (120 run just up and down inside the 6 vent shafts), and R22 Roxul to keep my red wigglers active during our 5a zone. Handwatering every second day, 8 litres.
@Rubibi-saltwaterjim2 жыл бұрын
Haha I’m from Australia and our coldest temp is 20degC, I felt like I was translating your post.
@NorthernThaiGardenGuy3 жыл бұрын
Very cool. I think your modified one does look better though (that one video of just a larger center hole in the middle and no landscape fabric). I have always done fungal compost piles. I live in Thailand and have one going now from a fallen Jack fruit tree and just cover it with a garden tarp. Works wonders. KNF and Natural farming in general is all about the microbes and if you manage it from the Fungal level, everything else falls into place. Great stuff.
@feltingme2 жыл бұрын
That is what I am wondering. Since wood chips are course, they probably have enough air between them without pipes. So we can just them high, cover, water occasionally and they will decompose without any building. But I don't know, maybe tht specific way has higher fungal population thean regular decomposed woodchips?
@Horse2372 жыл бұрын
Using Korean Natural Farming will produce diverse soil biology. This will improve your Bioreactor. As per Arden Andersen MD who also has a PhD in biophysics, build an electromagnet and run your water through it to magnetize it. The water becomes paramagnetic which increases crop biomass. These nearly free inputs greatly increase yields while reducing the growing period. Plants have no endocrine system so there is no reason why zucchini can't reach maturity in 30 days in your garden even if all the gardeners you know take 60 days in theirs. Also check on Boron. It protects plant cell walls against disease and pests. It also makes roots grow. The best practice in seed soaking is to soak your seeds in clean water for 24 hours with Manganese, Cobalt, Zinc, Copper and Boron. Also check out the Jena project and Quorum Sensing. gsmgardening.wordpress.com/.
@simongooder6644 жыл бұрын
The leftover concrete reinforcing mesh can be used to make a high-tunnel greenhouse!
@geraldwood54363 жыл бұрын
If you have a stump you want to get rid of, situate the reactor on top of it.
@Katydidit3 жыл бұрын
I am going to try that!!
@tepeassydac4 жыл бұрын
Very good instructional video. If you aren't a professional instructor...you should be! You explained location requirements clearly, and the functions of the components were easily understood. I'll never have accumulation enough for a bio-reactor of this size, but I can easily scale it down. Thanks!
@paulwest67424 жыл бұрын
Many thanks for this video Diego, finished my first reactor this week and will start the 2nd reactor today. A tree cutter gave me three loads of chips so my end goal is 4 reactors.
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
Fantastic!
@Urkuwayku4 жыл бұрын
I've built about 100 of these at our farm in Ecuador. Beyond the construction, it would be useful to understand the why behind it. Would recommnd looking up David Johnsons's relevant publications. In this case, it's about promoting a stable, high lignan/fungal compost, rather than a high N/bacterial based system. We have isolated a population of white fungi from the local highland forest, capable of degrading fibrous and resistant eucalyptus bark -- a readily availabe source of C in the area. White fungi uniquely produce a series of enzymes capable of breaking down lignan. We seek about 400 parts carbon to one part N in the bioreactor to produce a very stable compost with a high F:B ratio. We primarily use the resulting material to innoculate the growth medium in our green houses.
@jesseolivarez14934 жыл бұрын
Stephen, where in Ecuador are you?
@Urkuwayku4 жыл бұрын
@@jesseolivarez1493 Yep. Been here for 25 years.
@jesseolivarez14934 жыл бұрын
Stephen Sherwood Thanks. We want to build one of these bioreactors soon. We moved to Vilcabamba 8 months ago. What part of Ecuador are you in?
@Urkuwayku4 жыл бұрын
@@jesseolivarez1493 You live in a lovely place! We are basedI in the Los Chillos Valley outside of Quito, so unfortunately quite far away... You can see images of our farm at @urkuwayku. As you may know, Ecuador has a very lively alternative food movement, including in the south. You can follow some of the activity at: www.quericoes.org
@sacredcowbbq13264 жыл бұрын
Stephen, appreciate your comment. However, can you say that in plain, 5th grade English for me?
@VENZUL04 жыл бұрын
Anxious to see the inevitable follow-up when you go to retrieve your compost. I suppose the easiest way to go about it would be to disassemble the wire frame but then you've got compost everywhere. Great work!
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
I think that will be the plan. We'll see.
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Just leave it you just built a raised bed plant into the sides and top there by increasing your grow space several times over vertical farming man
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Save your back use your head
@sbarr104 жыл бұрын
This is amazing. I can say from experience here in very dry northern Utah, that it can take three or more years for a huge pile of wood chips to break down enough (without any work or interference on our part) to even start incorporating them into our regular compost piles.
@flattail3 жыл бұрын
Starting with moist materials is important (David Johnson throws them in water first), and then the daily irrigation to maintain that moisture. I think if you do that it will progress quickly, though I am inclined to mix manure in with my woodchips rather than going with straight chips.
@JohnMarsing4 жыл бұрын
Chico state University has a registry of people using the Johnson Su Bioreactor FYI
@chadeller55884 жыл бұрын
Thanks! They've got a lot of good info that was easy to find by searching your entire sentence :-)
@hbrws8134 жыл бұрын
This is going to be my winter time project. Thanks for all the info!!! Very encouraging!
@Sunshine_Daydream2224 жыл бұрын
Super easy and functional! Just what I was looking for to up my compost game! Thanks so much for making this video!!!
@miguifly30954 жыл бұрын
Excellent video man. Clear, specific and to the point!
@lionscircle47004 жыл бұрын
An extra thumbs up for your article in Acres this month. Hope to see more written material from you on it in the future. Looking forward to updates on the bioreactor as well.
@johnsavchak82024 жыл бұрын
How is that magazine? Been thinking about subscribing...
@lionscircle47004 жыл бұрын
@@johnsavchak8202 I'll renew the subscription to Acres, but find Mother Earth News and Permaculture to be too beginner oriented. Picked up Hobby Farms recently just to see if it catered in anything beyond intermediate and haven't been heavily impressed yet.
@carolynk75603 жыл бұрын
Eric Collins )l
@TS-vr9of4 жыл бұрын
looking forward to the irrigation set up video. Thanks for sharing.
@dallasmccann2 жыл бұрын
Hi Diego. Have you seen or considered using GEO-BIN as an alternative to building the cage? There's a height and build time advantage to the GEO-BIN, unless there's an better advantage to the height of the bio-reactor. GEO-BINS sell on Amazon for $40 on Amazon. Thanks.
@deinse824 жыл бұрын
Great video, thanks. And thanks even more for the hard work the two researchers put into developing this technology. As for some in the comment section: Regenerative farming relies on our ever growing understanding of some very complex processes. And when I say 'ever growing", I mean that we understand maybe 5% of them, which is more than the 0.5% where we were a few decades ago. And by "we", I mean the top few researchers and innovators in the field. And then there's the know-it-alls who go around saying that it's simple stuff, and all you need to do [insert simplistic, ineffectual nonsense, usually involving zero thinking and almost zero effort, here]. No, it's not simple stuff. Nor is it easy to do. If it was, farmers wouldn't have started looking for shortcuts, and spending massive amounts on machinery and chemicals, to begin with. Everyone would just be farming naturally. The reason why they're not is because it takes a massive amount of knowledge, thinking and effort to be able to mimic natural processes in an efficient, productive manner, on a farm. Three generations ago we didn't have that level of knowledge. Now we're starting to have it, and, if we make the required intellectual effort, we'll be able to dig ourselves out of the hole (aka the environmental disaster) the previous three generations dug. But every a-hole confidently declaring that this is as simple as "letting nature do its thing" without a clue of what's actually going on, is deep in the hole, shoveling dirt out of it. Guess what, a-hole: on average, nature has people dying at age 35 or so. Raw capitalism, the industrial revolution, the chemical-mechanical agro system, etc., more than doubled that. It's gonna take a lot more than just "nature knows best" like memes to progress beyond that. So, if you don't know what you're talking about, just shut up and let the people who do make that progress happen.
@giojared4 жыл бұрын
Great video! Sounds like a future project for myself. Grow on!
@richstone26274 жыл бұрын
Outstanding. I'll have to accumulate more material to fill one but when I do I'll be building at least one maybe more. Thank you for the sharing.
@sharonhampton51733 жыл бұрын
I have 4 compost bins 4x7x 3 ‘ cost me 0$. After watching your video I’m thinking of putting 4” pipes in them for air flow. Let me know what u think
@lisanelson66613 жыл бұрын
That's what I'm thinking. If you've already got a structure just add the airpipes.
@VigilanteJournalist4 жыл бұрын
I so want to make one of these. Johnson introduces worms too.
@lordbacon49723 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for making this video! David Johnson recommended adding earthworms, did you add them too? Also, can this bioreactor survive over winter (snow/ice, below 0 degrees temperature conditions)? Will the fungi, microbes, bio-mass survive outside during the cold winter months? How can we supply water/moisture to it during winter? Thanks!
@Horse2372 жыл бұрын
Johnson recommends Red Wigglers not earthworms. The Bioreactor is designed to have exposure to air so no need for earthworms as they are deep divers. Soil biology hibernates below 12 degrees C. Worms sluggish below 18 C.
@jaynebirkholz15962 жыл бұрын
@@Horse237 red wrigglers are surface dwellers, preferring to be in the top 4-5 inches of soil.
@JohnThomas-nn6qt3 жыл бұрын
Now it seems that the "NEXT BEST THING" would be to use ALFALFA HAY as the main source of materials in a bioreactor so that you can reap the benefits of both methods to make the very best compost/ compost tea/ seed innoculant. Guess I just need to build one and see.......looking forward to spring of 2022...lol
@lisanelson66613 жыл бұрын
Careful, the nitrogen content of alfalfa is high enough that you can get spontaneous combustion when it is wetted down. I've seen haystacks catch fire because the alfalfa wasn't fully dry when baled. :-o
@gusbisbal98034 жыл бұрын
I am glad to see that Freddy Mercury's brother is getting into organic gardening so much.
@6liquid6black64 жыл бұрын
Have some respect. The man has been a huge influence in the permaculture community
@gusbisbal98034 жыл бұрын
@@6liquid6black6 please explain how this is disrespectful?
@dnldhttnjr3 жыл бұрын
lmao...too funny
@andrewyates18193 жыл бұрын
you can get that build time down to a couple of hours.. and the materials can be collected from scraps.. great vid tho...your good at this bro. respect.
@Hapotecario4 жыл бұрын
Thank you diego! This is great work and you are very good at explaining things. I have some questions. If this compost serves mainly to restore soil funghi and innoculating seeds and plants. What other kinds of compost generating method do you use or recommend as an alternative to this one in therms of more nitrogen rich compost, or other important properties plants need. And, if this reactor serves to create a medium for funghi breeding or attracting would it be a good idea to find a forrest, or some place that is all year damp and full of life, maybe somewhere where mushrooms sprout and extract a piece of that soil to add to the bioreactor?
@flattail3 жыл бұрын
David Johnson's presentation on static compost shows that with this compost the fungi and bacteria are able to provide the plants with everything they need-the compost does not itself need to be rich in nitrogen or other nutrients. I think starting with some inoculant from a forest would be a good idea, but it was surprising how many species showed up in the compost over time.
@elenikokodrouli44873 жыл бұрын
Hi Diego. I love what you are doing. Do you thingthat I could use olive tree leaves for this. If yes would it be better to have a mixture of different types if tree leaves to have diversity. Thanks and looking forward to your videos!
@JanWagner77 Жыл бұрын
Is there a reason why there are so less holes in the pipes? Why not adding more holes or even a wired construction.
@xxsmasherxx2 жыл бұрын
Beast mode switch 'on' lol
@yochanontheseeker19422 жыл бұрын
Any chance you checked the temp the bioreactor was putting off? I’m trying to build something to have inside a greenhouse to boost the temp 10 or so degrees
@yurtman65483 жыл бұрын
I make these and other composting bins. I found that using the wire stitching method to be to tedious and left the fabric too loose. MY technique is to use *hog rings and the hog ring pliers to cinch the fabric to the wire cage. I also use the hog rings when I make shade cloth bed covers over cattle panels. Also attaching ends of chicken wire fencing. and for patching those mysterious holes that randomly appear in the hen house. I typically use 3/4 inch rings with the spring open handle ( straight or right angle pliers ). Don't use the Dewault ones that have the hog rings on a strip because the nose and design of these wont allow for the correct angle to attach the ring and cinch tightly. The spring loaded handle just makes it easier on the hands and wrist to load the rings. One less step of inserting a ring.
@ronaldingleby81582 жыл бұрын
Great detailed video. Glad I have gardens growing and ahead of the curve...as the presidente said food shortages are coming. The sheeple are going to panic buy veggie seeds, plant and find mediocre yields that takes years to figure out what works.
@lauramcgrael48424 жыл бұрын
Should put caps on top of pipes so u can chuck in your material
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
It’s a good idea and I have noticed that when filling. It would help.
@jacobite1017 Жыл бұрын
Rylock stock fence instead of reinforcing mesh- huge savings.
@clergh4 жыл бұрын
Good to see you’re still doing permaculture stuff, Diego!
@danielroux16002 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the great video. I am busy building a bioreactor and am wondering if anybody has some results on inoculating the bioreactor with mycorrhizal fungi and trichoderma? I want to use the compost to create an extract or tea to use in my commercial vineyards.
@yurdlum92 жыл бұрын
I would reccommend adding mycorrhizal fungi once the compost has cooled. It's worth adding malted barley and mslted corn while it's composting to up the enzymes and also helps aid breakdown and with other fungal growth in my experiences.
@nicolamoelter2341 Жыл бұрын
I don't recommend trichoderma. Those are parasitic fungi and will consume your beneficial fungi.
@GroProOrg2 жыл бұрын
Solid state fermentation or solid substrate fermentation. Awesome 👌
@prahe86 Жыл бұрын
Great video, thank you.
@from2Dto3Dto4D2 жыл бұрын
hey there, a voice from Ukraine's village, thanks to your vids I've re-thought the word agri-culture, especially the last part of it. btw, what is the reddish pile of compost to your right hand at 12:55 ?
@kickuprumpus4 жыл бұрын
Great vid! A few questions that I can't seem to find the answer to in all the other vids. What amount of worms to add? Also will the worms die if you have a cold winter and the bioreactor stays outside? How will a cold winter affect the reactor (snow falls on it). What about watering during winter months. Thanks for any help.
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Don't add worms til the internal temp drops the worms should be good given ( it's a pretty thick winter coat) snow would plug the holes in a blizzard and then thaw and melt but also act as a insulator at the same time. Biological activity is dramatically reduced in cold temps after thermophilic stage but weatherment will continue to work it
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Oh and 500 worms
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
500
@philandhannahslittlefarm14644 жыл бұрын
At 21:36 I thought you were going to whisper lol really dont want that hole collapsing! Thanks for a great video! I've had a bioreactor on my project list for a while and I plan on making one with my chicken coop bedding...
@tiffisfine16652 жыл бұрын
Enjoying your bioreactor videos. Can you put grass clipping in a modified Johnson Su? I've not seen any comment on this . Thanks
@DiegoFooter2 жыл бұрын
Yes, but I would blend it with some more mature carbon.
@1MonthNoRegrets4 жыл бұрын
Awesome work Diego! Great to see the Bioreactor getting built.
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Johnson tzu reactor they invented it they should get the credit he should get the credit for bringing it to y'all
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Why wouldn't it work. Are you sure? Did you test it out? Or do you just love turning handles
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
See this is why we like Diego he is a little more sientific he will actually put it to the test then make a statement
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Some one from dacota needs to test this
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
@assassinlexx okay so you like mechanizing things that has nothing to do with south Dakota
@katiegreene39604 жыл бұрын
Now add a copper or lex or landscape tubbi.ng in a coil in the reactor and you have y,our self a water heat source. Compost hot tub or other water heat use. Its basically a ultra slow burn of the material and you can get some crazy heat off it. That's why they had barn fires sometimes in the old days if they stored hay in the barn when it was too wet it would actually spontaneously combust.
@jaswindersoin44104 жыл бұрын
I'd like to know more on the water heat source .
@katiegreene39604 жыл бұрын
@@jaswindersoin4410 do a few you tube searches for compost heating, compost water heater, compost hot tub, there are only a few videos out there. I think this is one of the most underused energy sources out there. Its amazing, tons of benefits and get 4 main things and can be done from super rustic to highly sofisticated. 5 main benefits 1. Disposal of food and other biodegradable waste, anything compostabe. 2. Of course resulting in usable compost. 3. Very cheap to free "fuel source" 4. Great addition to passive homes that depend on sunlight or wind since this adds a source that is independent. 5. Long lasting, can produce stable molucle by molecule low burn heat for up to 24 months. 6. For higher lvl sophisticated system can even have methane capture for additional heat or energy production. This system has in my opinion the most future potential, because almost zero being done with it. Has even a few more potential possibilitys to such out every btu out of the biological process that I have developed, but I'm not currently in the position to experiment :(. If you have the means please experiment I think the potential is phenomenal.
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
I think it will work but it is more experiment that practical water heater. The problem is you will likely draw water out at a rate that doesn’t allow new water to heat up. So you get a small amount of hot water then cold water.
@katiegreene39604 жыл бұрын
@@DiegoFooter yes this is true, you do lose an amount of btu thru usage draw, but it does work 100% the only part that needs experimentation is your system and application for your exact circumstances. Simple solution to the problem you posed it a few ways 1. Multiple compost bins and valves so you can alternate your draw. 2. A pump on a timer and properly timed based on needs and fuel( compost amount) . 3.multiple loops within same pile( really same as #2 just in one relative stack vs multiple.) 4. Use expectations, meaning to be used as supplemental heat, or even preheating water similarly as many solar hot water heaters are used to preheat water then boosted to desired temp. This system will have peaks and valleys but can be optimized for sure, and 95-140f degree output isn't nothing.
@larimej3 жыл бұрын
According to your instructions, a 40"×48" pallet is required but a 12.5 circumference makes a 4 foot circle which means it won't fit on a 40"×48" pallet. Why am I the only one noticing this? Am I misunderstanding something? I'm in the middle of the build and need help as quickly as possible to continue. Thanks!
@DiegoFooter3 жыл бұрын
Pull the ring of mesh tighter (overlap it more) to get it to fit onto a 40/48. It doesn't have to be a specific diameter. 48/48 pallets are harder to find, but would be perfect.
@markprescott20114 жыл бұрын
Looking forward to seeing the results. You think this will be ready for spring? You used wood chips. Would this work as well with grass clippings? Would grass clippings decompose faster?
@flattail3 жыл бұрын
If you had grass clippings I would suggest mixing in a coarser material. The grass clippings might compact too much and go anaerobic. Other than that they would be very good, I think. The other thing to watch out for is that so many people spray things on their lawn that you would want to avoid, but unsprayed grass would be fine.
@moochythecat343511 ай бұрын
Great video!
@rosaloving91064 жыл бұрын
At end of year how will you access compost? Undo wire and fabric?
@blueking2122 жыл бұрын
He says in the beginning. You have to undo everything. Then you pull it all out.
@sam65gto4 жыл бұрын
The whole point is it's passive so no turning and watching the originators (Johnson and Sou) they explained how you leave it for 12 months to mature. Sounds good and am building one today
@Doitallgp3 жыл бұрын
How did it go?
@EarlybirdFarmSC3 жыл бұрын
I think Geotextile fabric would work great for this project.
@gomo78334 жыл бұрын
Would you suggest making a cover for in in case of heavy rains?
@mmac40474 жыл бұрын
GO MO7 yes
@kloss2134 жыл бұрын
Wonder if one could do wide and low BR with the center one larger center tube? Tall is not OG friendly.
@robertfrisby32013 жыл бұрын
I live in Sandy Utah, Salt lake Valley. We have cold winters, snow, frost, temps during the day can be as low as 10 degrees or as high as the 40's and night temps as low as single digits. Do these reactors need any care during the winter? I'm sure for the most part they just freeze and sit there until the temps warm up.
@ricerealtor9804 жыл бұрын
Can we see the resulting compost?
@Doitallgp3 жыл бұрын
Considering it is supposed to take 12-18 mos, it might be a while. But I’m also looking forward to seeing it
@danam25844 жыл бұрын
Good work Diego. I need to make 2-4 of these bad boys. Maybe put them in a high tunnel or something?
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Make sure it is ventilated or where p.p.e because of the toxic gasses produced however they can be filtered and converted through fineshed compost with a carbon base layer like bio char
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
What I I did was a work around. I built a row outside the North face of my green house to insulate from the north wind and to keep as much sun on the Southside as possible then Ran stainless steel conduits through it like a radiator and used the natural flow of the water being heated to make it flow through a main line with multiple radiators through my green house no pump
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Then I used the compost created to expand my green house system
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Salts will start to develop throughout the process be mindful
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Also they make pretty good raised beds ready to go
@ezequielyrurtia91224 жыл бұрын
I have a quick question, How is the best whay to use the compost after the process. do you have to desamble the hole thing? you have to go inside with a shovel? Thank you!
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
Undo the size to get access.
@judyvance15564 жыл бұрын
Can I modify the height to 4’, I’m very short.
@BaddhaBuddha3 жыл бұрын
Livestock fencing might be cheaper. Thinner but I'm sure it'd stand the pressure.
@antoniobennett53304 жыл бұрын
Good work man
@ufohakunamaka60493 жыл бұрын
Hi Diego, nice video. Please can I use black plastic or jute bag instead of landscape fabric as it is not not readily available in my locality
@dare3694 жыл бұрын
Nice video! Just in time as I scale up my compost system.
@kathytaylor97984 жыл бұрын
How do you empty this? The sheer size of it tells me to go rent a crane.
@Doitallgp3 жыл бұрын
@@kathytaylor9798 you dismantle them
@yiqingzhang5812 жыл бұрын
I do not use PVC piles, too expensive. I used a bundles of tree branches. It is common in countryside, farmers insert bundles of tree branches to help air going through. This design is not easy to load and unload compost. I use jumbo bags which soil providers use to package compost.
@anakamhi70973 жыл бұрын
Can this be done in a smaller scale for urban backyard ?
@DiegoFooter3 жыл бұрын
Yes, you can use an IBC or trash can. Video on that coming up.
@anakamhi70973 жыл бұрын
@@DiegoFooter wonderful!!! Will watch and share ASAP 🙏🏼
@ourhomesteadjourney17754 жыл бұрын
Could I use 8 pallets stacked vertically and screwed together to create a box instead of using the wire concrete mesh and then duplicate everything else and get the same results?
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
Probably, but that sounds difficult. The mesh is just the structure so I think you could sub-out as needed.
@NordboDK4 жыл бұрын
That's how I dry my firewood. But with an open front.
@mmac40474 жыл бұрын
Our Homestead Journey yes
@aaronsoule84844 жыл бұрын
I think so as long as humidity and aeration is good, right? Gonna slowly rot starting after a few years, though. Hardwood pallets better than softwood. Wind could be an issue, and shapes make a difference, round best for wind. Make sure it won't all get knocked over in a 70mph 💨
@Doitallgp3 жыл бұрын
Did you ever make one of these with pallets? I’m toying with the idea right now 🤔
@robertfrisby32013 жыл бұрын
Wish I had access to free plastic pallets.
@DiegoFooter3 жыл бұрын
If you were near me I would give you as many as you wanted. Can't hardly get rid of them.
@robertfrisby32013 жыл бұрын
@@DiegoFooter If shipping wasn't so expensive I would say send me a few. Even trying to get wood pallets here is not easy. Everyone recycles them for money. My brother works for a company called Douglas Metals and he never sees plastic pallets and they have a guy that comes and pays them for their wood pallets and then they use the money to refill the pop machine. My brother saved me some pallets so I could make both my reactor and some compost bins. I just wish I could get the plastic ones so they will not rot.
@xaviercruz47632 жыл бұрын
Can tris be done in a bucket?
@nbo3042 жыл бұрын
can i use 2x4 wire fencing instead of the concrete mesh?
@das2502504 жыл бұрын
Have you tested ,examined under a microscope the difference in compost between a mound dropped versus this bio reactor after 1 year ? It is a pretty expensive alternative to normal compost mounds so the returns should reflect that.
@MrPhatties4 жыл бұрын
I would think putting the tubes in a normal pile would get you most of the benefits here... Along with some regular irrigation, and would cost almost nothing if you use the pipes again in the next pile
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Yes it would as long as air can penitrate
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Air can effectively pen one foot in so design of that knowledge
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
The higth of it causes a chimney effect sucking air through it it's like a rocket stove
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
This way you eliminate the air pump
@andrewhague15212 жыл бұрын
Why do you drill holes in the pipe if it's going to be removed after a couple of days?
@Wildwwill Жыл бұрын
I'm guessing to prevent the center from going anaerobic.
@froggyhurdt2442 жыл бұрын
Is there a way to make this but on a smaller scale?
@cp-ug2tw3 жыл бұрын
What kind of water do you use? Is it tap water with chlorine?
@bren01104 жыл бұрын
I'm wondering if anyone has experimented with a different base than a pallet. It seems like a lot of work to drill holes into the pallet and cover them with fabric and all that. If there were a base that has large enough holes in it already, or could you put more and smaller pipes into the setup that could fit between the slats of the pallet? Also, has anyone tried the silt fencing that someone else mentioned? I'm also wondering if jute netting would work or if it would decompose too quickly?
@SomewhatLazy3 жыл бұрын
Is there a follow-up video to this showing the results?
@DiegoFooter3 жыл бұрын
Yes
@mycahlaine2 жыл бұрын
Do I need to do a certain combo of nitrogen to carbon for bioreactors?
@potatoface27594 жыл бұрын
what are the benefots of landscape fabric as opposed to just using a finer mesh cage?
@flattail3 жыл бұрын
It may hold the moisture in better.
@tomv70174 жыл бұрын
beautiful man
@K3Flyguy2 жыл бұрын
How can I do this in Wisconsin without a dedicated greenhouse in the winter? I'm sure it would freeze in the winter here. Help?
@DiegoFooter2 жыл бұрын
Just let it freeze and go dormant.
@xikano85736 ай бұрын
Damn...A WHOLE YEAR?!? 😅 "Ain' nobody got time for that!"
@ferretfather20004 жыл бұрын
Could you theoretically use a compost pile as a heat/energy source?🤔
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
Yes. The trouble is keeping it hot for a long time. Warming the water or area is more likely than really pumping out heat.
@BonnieBlue2A4 жыл бұрын
Christian Shiels I believe both Geoff Lawton and Paul Wheaton may have info/videos on using compost piles to heat water. Some people also build a compost pile on one side of their greenhouse in the winter to heat it.
@mmac40474 жыл бұрын
Christian Shiels - yes
@olafelsberry92714 жыл бұрын
I'd love to see a follow up video
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
There is a follow up video. :)
@aphleesegurtra28204 жыл бұрын
I've got a surplus of woodchips, and this is a brilliant idea... I was going to make biochar but if this can create compost in half the time, well... I thikn it just might be worth the invest.
@briansmith68244 жыл бұрын
Aphleese Gurtra - the compost you make from the wood chips will last 2 to 4 years in the soil. Biochar you make from the wood chips will last a few thousand years in the soil.
@aphleesegurtra28204 жыл бұрын
@@briansmith6824 Now I'm pumped to get my worms juice into the char!
@briansmith68244 жыл бұрын
@@aphleesegurtra2820 Worms won't eat char, it is pure carbon with no nutrients. They might eat innoculated biochar if it is fine enough but just incidentally. Biochar is usually mixed 50/50 with compost as a soil ammendment. There are plenty of videos here on KZfaq about biochar. Try some from Living Web Farm.
@aphleesegurtra28204 жыл бұрын
@@briansmith6824 Haha, Yea, I didn't mean go imply that they would, lol!!
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
@@briansmith6824 and you need both
@FreeCanadian764 жыл бұрын
How much water is too much?? Thinking that installing it at the back of the house and use the downspout to keep it watered, could save water and it's automatic. Warmer water too in the summer. Thoughts?
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
Not much. A few drip emitters for 1 minute per day. A downspout would be too much.
@Stasis12345678904 жыл бұрын
Could you make a shorter version of this reactor? Or does the height play a factor in the way the bio reactor works? Also I am wondering if you could inoculate the bio reactor with a few techniques from Korean natural farming or some bokashi?
@ayileenenga96704 жыл бұрын
Yes you can do all what you are suggesting. Since it will lose water over time
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
Bokashi won't help because there aren't really anaerobic conditions in this pile. You could shorten the height. The height isn't really a factor. The key here is the amount of air being introduced to the system and the distribution of that air throughout the pile. Given all of that the pile has to be big enough to matter, but you could probably shorten to 3 feet high.
@Stasis12345678904 жыл бұрын
Thanks everyone.
@davinblake4 жыл бұрын
Hi Colin. I have created several modified versions of a bio reactor. I used 2" x 4" wire mesh that is 4' high. I then was able to cut the full length of septic pipe in half and use both sides avoiding the med to glue pipes or paying for extra lengths, like Diego did. I also built them reactors a little wider with a 14'6" circumference. This requires additional pallets to section off, but the advantage is having extra space to step on assisting with infilling the reactor. The 4' height avoids the need for creating a platform to step on during infilling as well.
@pinjarela4 жыл бұрын
Update us acordingly to se the results!
@JayKughan4 жыл бұрын
What's the difference between this & building a compost tumbler? The tumbler looks like it'll be far easier to build & manage.
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
You are making a different style of compost. A tumbler makes "hot" compost. This makes "cold" compost. They are different end products. Also you could never fit this much in a tumbler nor would wit work on more mature carbon like wood.
@fancentral46623 жыл бұрын
I’m not convinced. Does this compost faster than simple compost pile and turning ? Seems a lot of extra work and expense.
@DiegoFooter3 жыл бұрын
The variable being compared isn't time - it's final result and maintenance work. They are different methods and involve different steps and processes.
@DavidLaFerney4 жыл бұрын
I've been using a wire mesh cylinder - without pallet, pipe, or landscape fabric - for years. The mesh contains everything just fine, anything that does leak out just gets shoveled back in the top. As long as the mix is good its pretty much finished compost in a few months. How is the bioreactor better?
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
I wouldn't say it is better, but it is different. Your method only allows airflow from the top and sides. This allows air from the top, bottom, sides, and within the pile through the air channels.
@singhispraise3653 жыл бұрын
There are only wood chips in the bioreactor?
@DiegoFooter3 жыл бұрын
Yes
@DawnaRo2 жыл бұрын
Why pull the pipes out? Why not just leave them in when they have holes for aeration?
@dnldhttnjr3 жыл бұрын
Where is the video revealing the final product?
@das2502504 жыл бұрын
Wouldn't it be possible to just fill it as you accumulate the material and then pull pipes after its full , possibly giving a more complete cycle then switching to the second bin?
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
Yes but the wait would be way longer
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
And only if the pipe we're screen material it has to be breathable
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
It is a batch system so that's why it's not such a good Idea to slowly fill it
@jerrymaxey7824 жыл бұрын
However it is scaleable so build a smaller one that fits your material needs then another then another and so on
@scarrie542 жыл бұрын
@@jerrymaxey782 I was wondering about making smaller scaled ones.
@divitoman4 жыл бұрын
So you have about 5 inches from the outside of the ring of pipes, to the outside surface, to fit on the pallet. So if you had a bigger pallet you could go for up to a foot? What's the maximum distance to air for good composting again?
@DiegoFooter4 жыл бұрын
Correct, 12".
@rolandoriggio50263 жыл бұрын
This is badass but one question: Does it leak or does it shed any form of water or juices?
@DiegoFooter3 жыл бұрын
Not unless you add too much water. It it was a wet climate you could tarp the top. You are adding more brown type material so it is less wet to begin with.