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Marty Mycfly
Time Traveler


Registered: 12/16/13
Posts: 976
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Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner
#23355853 - 06/17/16 07:46 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Have any of you guys used this simple setup? 55 gallon drum, propane burner and a foot of water? I read about this a while ago and can not find the thread about it, any experience guys?
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PsilocyBen17
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Registered: 10/20/13
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: Marty Mycfly]
#23356269 - 06/17/16 10:48 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Its one of the more common set ups for commercial grows.
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Marty Mycfly
Time Traveler


Registered: 12/16/13
Posts: 976
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: PsilocyBen17]
#23356407 - 06/18/16 12:15 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Do you have any reference or threads to the use of one? I just see designs with the boiler or a heat element and float. I plan on building a nice one like that but was just wondering how well the more "primitive" design works to get me through a couple of runs, such as steam time, water level and such.
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Mattisfat
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: Marty Mycfly]
#23356763 - 06/18/16 04:22 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Sorry to hijack the thread but do people use the same setup to pasteurise? as as Marty says all i find are people who use the heating element like in gr0wers videos
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Gr0wer
always improving



Registered: 09/16/03
Posts: 6,056
Loc: El Paso, TX
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: Mattisfat]
#23357202 - 06/18/16 08:33 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Sure, you can put it up on blocks or a steel rack then light a wood or gas Fire under it. The amount of water will depend on how long your steaming. The reason I use a float valve is to leave more room for substrate using minimal water. The valve, high temp hose and adapter is only about $50 and well worth it. If your using a flame you will want a heat shield under the valve on the outside so it doesn't overheatake or melt the hose.
The reason why I use electric is because it's cheaper and real easy to rig. Propane will probabbly run you 2-4 cycles per batch and at $13 a tank plus transport and labor hours getting it filled it adds up quick $$. The only thing cheaper than electric heating would be natural gas but plumbing that can be pricey. The element even with the fancy brew hardware enclosure will only run you about $40. You don't need a enclosure on the wiring of the element but I wouldnt recommended it for safety reasons.
One drawback of using a steel drum is rust. It will stick to your bags if there is direct contact with rusty drum walls. You will want to line your drum with a canvas drop cloth or old sheet to prevent the bags from getting dirty.
Yes you can heat a drum of water for pasteruzation. Just have a simple temperature probe thermometer monitoring the water tem and set an alarm for around 165f. From there transfer the water into a drum with a lid filled with your substrate in laundry bags. That's a lot easier than trying to shove straw into a 165f drum. The straw expands as it gets wet and you will never get as much into the drum as pumping or gravity feeding from one drum to the next.
Edited by Gr0wer (06/18/16 08:42 AM)
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Gr0wer
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Registered: 09/16/03
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: Gr0wer]
#23357797 - 06/18/16 11:37 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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This guy says 3" of water at the bottom. it all depends on your heat control, and length of cycle. A open top drum with lid would make this guys life a lot easier but they can be harder to find especially in an underdeveloped country.
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drake89
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Registered: 06/26/11
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: Gr0wer]
#23357851 - 06/18/16 11:50 AM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Hot water sucks try to use hydrated lime+detergent if you can make it work.
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Marty Mycfly
Time Traveler


Registered: 12/16/13
Posts: 976
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: drake89]
#23358086 - 06/18/16 01:39 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Hey Gr0wer, I think it will definitely be worth it to rig up like you for an extra 50 bucks or so, I also can get one of those food grade drums like you have cheap and easy. Is their any way if you get the time to write out a material list? And also I have a welder friend, would it be good to have a false bottom made out of metal rather than wood?
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Ferather
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: Marty Mycfly]
#23358422 - 06/18/16 03:31 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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I need to fill one of these buckets, Its 13 liters in total. I will be adding a few holes at the bottom.
Whats the best way to fill it?
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Gr0wer
always improving



Registered: 09/16/03
Posts: 6,056
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: Ferather]
#23358624 - 06/18/16 04:58 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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If your going plastic you need to drill and tap the plastic. You will need a 1/2 ss float valve from ebay then a 1/2 to 3/4 garden hose adapter and a hi temp red hose. For the heater you will need a 1500w 120v element and an enclosure from brewhardware.
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PsilocyBen17
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: drake89]
#23358837 - 06/18/16 06:08 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
drake89 said: Hot water sucks try to use hydrated lime+detergent if you can make it work.
why do you say this? hydrated lime seems finicky and time consuming to me.
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Gr0wer
always improving



Registered: 09/16/03
Posts: 6,056
Loc: El Paso, TX
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: PsilocyBen17]
#23358925 - 06/18/16 06:40 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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I'm a huge fan of hot water pasteurization. Also no caustic powders to deal with. Yea potential to burn yourself but the runoff is good tea for the garden once cooled. Lime leaves the seeds to germinate which sprout and give you grass sprouts growing out your holes that later get caught in your fruit clusters.
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drake89
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Registered: 06/26/11
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: PsilocyBen17]
#23360849 - 06/19/16 01:20 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
PsilocyBen17 said:
Quote:
drake89 said: Hot water sucks try to use hydrated lime+detergent if you can make it work.
why do you say this? hydrated lime seems finicky and time consuming to me.
Well if you can get some IBC totes and soak overnight it's no big deal. I just hated hoisting hot ass bags of straw in and out of the barrells. And lime is way cheaper. Not finicky since you can't add too much. Only $10 for 50lbs
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MMG
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: drake89]
#23365300 - 06/20/16 10:49 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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speaking of non-heated pasteurization techs, Drake have you had any experience using the wood ashes in combination with lime or by itself for raising PH? Aloha made some tests with it and they reported getting an increased BE from it too. Should be real cheap to find if you know a business that burns wood for fuel.
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drake89
Mushroom Magnate



Registered: 06/26/11
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Re: Single drum sterilizer with a propane burner [Re: MMG]
#23365363 - 06/20/16 11:28 PM (7 years, 7 months ago) |
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it is pretty well useless compared to hydrated lime. damn near impossible to dissolve and doesn't bring the pH up high enough. although you can get away with not pasteurizing at all if you spawn heavy enough
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