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Shroomburger
Stranger



Registered: 07/10/11
Posts: 95
Loc: Central NY
Last seen: 5 years, 2 months
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Barrel for Pasteurization
#17551312 - 01/15/13 09:58 AM (11 years, 14 days ago) |
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Hello All,
I'm looking to get a barrel, drum, cask, can... in which to pasteurize substrate, and a propane burner with which to heat it. I would like to know, where is a good source to purchase such a barrel (roughly ~55 gallons) and/or burner? Also, what must the barrel be made out of so as to be safe to use (inert)?
Thanks all, SB
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arago
Mr. Wind Up Bird



Registered: 02/07/06
Posts: 828
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There was a recent thread on this which recommended food grade or stainless steel barrels. I've been using a burn barrel which was originally used to store linseed oil. Some have mentioned heavy metals being introduced to your substrate, if it isn't a food grade barrel
Those turkey roaster-deals that run on propane work great to heat it up. What are they called: Bayou cookers?
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t3chnobily
Strangest


Registered: 02/04/12
Posts: 651
Loc: As Seen In VT
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Re: Barrel for Pasteurization [Re: arago]
#17553427 - 01/15/13 06:09 PM (11 years, 14 days ago) |
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Try a commercial bakery or large scale food processor for food grad 55 gal drums. Metal ones are getting harder to find these days. Also a well scorched/cleaned barrel that didn't have anything TOO nasty in will probably be safe but thats your call
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Spawny
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Registered: 12/11/12
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Last seen: 8 years, 5 months
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Re: Barrel for Pasteurization [Re: t3chnobily]
#17553888 - 01/15/13 07:49 PM (11 years, 13 days ago) |
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Go to the local flea market for a burner.Chinese wok burner.
-------------------- Trolls are trolly.
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necrosxiaoban
Stranger
Registered: 01/14/13
Posts: 43
Last seen: 4 years, 1 month
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Re: Barrel for Pasteurization [Re: Spawny]
#17553938 - 01/15/13 07:57 PM (11 years, 13 days ago) |
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Would an electric heating element work for you? Homebrewers use them often, and it may allow you to use plastic instead of steel/aluminum. You'd also be able to wrap a blanket around your vessel, which'd really help hold in the heat, reducing your energy consumption.
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Humbled
Local Budtender




Registered: 01/19/08
Posts: 1,903
Last seen: 3 days, 10 hours
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I went to my local junkyard and found a 55 gallon drum with a lid that is labeled ORGANIC. It doesnt say what exaclty the barrel contained, except that it was something to do with a food product.

$5.00 and I've used it for years now. Great investment.
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Jeff
Addict



Registered: 10/06/12
Posts: 1,488
Last seen: 6 years, 1 month
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Re: Barrel for Pasteurization [Re: Humbled]
#17554415 - 01/15/13 09:16 PM (11 years, 13 days ago) |
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That's a butt load of peat moss there bro!
-------------------- Myco-tek
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Humbled
Local Budtender




Registered: 01/19/08
Posts: 1,903
Last seen: 3 days, 10 hours
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Re: Barrel for Pasteurization [Re: Jeff]
#17554585 - 01/15/13 09:46 PM (11 years, 13 days ago) |
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We have 4 or 5 pallets stacked like that one to make our springtime potting soil. We mix large batches; each batch is a pallet of 6 Peat Moss blocks and 6 Bags of composted Cow manure(40lb. bags) as well as lime/fertilizer/perlite.

For a more complete view
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RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure



Registered: 03/26/03
Posts: 42,214
Loc: Seattle
Last seen: 11 months, 2 days
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Re: Barrel for Pasteurization [Re: Humbled]
#17558247 - 01/16/13 05:43 PM (11 years, 13 days ago) |
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Every city has a steel recycling yard or two, so check your local yellow pages. They're often just called junkyards and most have lots of barrels. The one I go to in Spokane, WA has decent food grade barrels for $29 and non food grade for twenty dollars. Non food grade is fine unless it had fuel or other toxic substances in it.
You might find some of the equipment I've built with 55 gallon drums interesting, such as the propane fired boiler and sterilizer, and wood fired steam boiler. Our entire mushroom farm has a carbon-negative footprint and runs totally free of fossil fuels. RR
-------------------- Download Let's Grow Mushrooms semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat "I've never had a failed experiment. I've only discovered 10,000 methods which do not work." Thomas Edison
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necrosxiaoban
Stranger
Registered: 01/14/13
Posts: 43
Last seen: 4 years, 1 month
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Re: Barrel for Pasteurization [Re: RogerRabbit]
#17558451 - 01/16/13 06:15 PM (11 years, 13 days ago) |
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Quote:
RogerRabbit said:
You might find some of the equipment I've built with 55 gallon drums interesting, such as the propane fired boiler and sterilizer, and wood fired steam boiler. Our entire mushroom farm has a carbon-negative footprint and runs totally free of fossil fuels. RR
What do you synthesize your propane from?
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Versicolor
♖♘♗♔♕♗♘♖



Registered: 05/04/11
Posts: 2,268
Loc:
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Quote:
necrosxiaoban said: What do you synthesize your propane from?
I believe he uses only the wood fired boiler now. I'm building a propane fired boiler now. Thanks for the link RR.
-------------------- My Trade List
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Humbled
Local Budtender




Registered: 01/19/08
Posts: 1,903
Last seen: 3 days, 10 hours
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Re: Barrel for Pasteurization [Re: RogerRabbit]
#17558521 - 01/16/13 06:24 PM (11 years, 13 days ago) |
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I'd love to make even the manual version of your 55 gallon steam sterilizer RR. I have the facility to construct it but I know it couldnt be used at the garden center I grow at. Regulations...
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Shroomburger
Stranger



Registered: 07/10/11
Posts: 95
Loc: Central NY
Last seen: 5 years, 2 months
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Re: Barrel for Pasteurization [Re: Humbled]
#17567380 - 01/18/13 11:28 AM (11 years, 11 days ago) |
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Well thanks for all the suggestions, lots of good ideas. I ended up finding a good barrel dealer out of Tennessee. I talked to the owner on the phone and he said the open top stainless barrels have never had anything toxic in them. They've only had sugar cane and corn husks in them (just what I intend to put in them anyway!). He said he has sold several to mushroom farmers in different parts of the country. I have been looking all of the internet for dealers and have talked to many over the past few days but this was the cheapest and it was only $41.50 to ship to NY. To future barrel seekers, I recommend Bubba's!
http://www.bubbasbarrels.com/
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Spawny
Stranger
Registered: 12/11/12
Posts: 193
Last seen: 8 years, 5 months
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Jeeze that's pretty expensive for a barrel no? It says 190 for a 55gal then 40 to ship. They look very nice though, but seems expensive.
-------------------- Trolls are trolly.
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urbanshroom
Stranger

Registered: 09/01/11
Posts: 71
Last seen: 10 years, 2 months
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Re: Barrel for Pasteurization [Re: Spawny]
#17568789 - 01/18/13 04:08 PM (11 years, 11 days ago) |
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Start calling around to major food manufacturers in your area. I got a food grade steel barrel (painted, not stainless) that held some sort of fruit syrup off craigslist, but it was originally from a Kellogg's plant nearby.
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Humbled
Local Budtender




Registered: 01/19/08
Posts: 1,903
Last seen: 3 days, 10 hours
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Re: Barrel for Pasteurization [Re: urbanshroom]
#17570210 - 01/18/13 08:57 PM (11 years, 10 days ago) |
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Considering the size of a 55 gallon drum, that doesnt sound so bad for shipping. I still say your local junkyard is a good bet. Mine had plenty of clean barrels to choose from.
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Shroomburger
Stranger



Registered: 07/10/11
Posts: 95
Loc: Central NY
Last seen: 5 years, 2 months
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Re: Barrel for Pasteurization [Re: Humbled]
#17604537 - 01/24/13 06:28 PM (11 years, 5 days ago) |
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I like the turkey roaster-idea because I have gift cards to Gander Mt. and they sell them. Does anyone know what size would be appropriate? One [fish fryer] says 41,000 BTUs. Will that do the trick? I don't understand how that measurement is meaningful because it is apparently a unit of energy not energy/time, and I want to know, if it will heat 45 gallons of water in a reasonable time. Can anyone tell me? This is the one actually: Fish fryer
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Shroomburger
Stranger



Registered: 07/10/11
Posts: 95
Loc: Central NY
Last seen: 5 years, 2 months
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For future reference, I discovered that a BTU rating means BTUs per hour. I ended up with this burner:
Backyard Pro Single Burner Outdoor Patio Stove
It burns at 185,000 BTU/hr, which is sufficient, it still takes quite awhile though.
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