From: Jason Austin (jason.austin@shaw.ca)
Date: Sun Apr 20 2003 - 09:44:41 EDT
I have just made my own brewer
- 500 gallons - round tank with flat bottom. Approx 5' diameter.
- 1/2 hp Gast air pump
- for aeration I ran a 1 1/2" sched 40 pipe into the tank, formed a
cross at the bottom, and drilled a series of 1/16th holes along one edge
of each leg of the cross. It boils magnificently!
I am waiting for a heater element to arrive so have been experimenting.
First I tried water for 24 hours to test the air blower and some small
aquarium heaters that I had been assured would heat the water. The
aquarium heaters only got the water temperature up 2 degrees C in 24 hours.
Then I tried 10lbs of alfalfa pellets in 400 gallons of water.
After 18 hours there was a 5 degree C rise in the water temperature
(still with the aquarium heaters) and 4" foam.
After 24 hours (midday) both air temp and water temp had risen to 18
degrees C - I added 1/2 cup of mollasses.
After 36 hours (10pm) air temp had fallen to 11 degrees C but water temp
was still at 18. 6" foam
After 44 hours (6am) air temp down to 8 degrees C but water still at 18!
Now a pleasant healthy earthy smell around the brewer.
The tank is under cover in my open tractor shed. It is not insulated
and is completely open at the top, so I must be losing heat, but despite
that it has kept up at 18 degrees C.
It seems to me there must be some considerable bacterial action taking
place even though I have no compost or activators. So far only alfalfa
pelets and mollasses.
Jason
Jeff Lowenfels wrote:
> Jason,
>
> I have made both alfalfa and Kelp teas....using compost as well. I
> just add powdered kelp or alfalfa meal to my teas. Both add nutrients
> to the tea, so you have to back off on other nutrients so the tea
> won't go anaerobic.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jeff
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