|
Fungify
Stranger

Registered: 04/11/24
Posts: 26
Last seen: 1 day, 17 hours
|
[Experiment] Solar Energy Sterilisation 2
#28757893 - 05/01/24 03:18 PM (1 month, 25 days ago) |
|
|
Hello everyone, I want to try to use as much as possible solar energy, as it has many advantages (price, pollution, fun).
I have in my possession solar tubes (big glass tubes that collect light and keeps the temperature inside), they can work the whole year if there is sun, obviously, and are said to achieve temperatures of ~200/250°C. Their size can accept 10cm diameter jars. Hence they're good candidates for sterilisation process.
After some search, I did not find any practical/convenient info and I did not want to bump 10-year-old thread , so here's this new thread.
Here's how I want to proceed:
- elaborate an as much as possible scientific protocol (with my little knowledge and materials), with your help - follow it and report it in this thread - show results and try a conclusion
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Objective(s)
- Use solar energy to sterilise future substrate
- Get a first view of pros and cons with respect to other techniques
- Validate, or not, the principle as a proof of concept
- Have fun
Protocol - draft
- Prepare 3 to 4 substrate jars. The number will be limited by the number of Petri dishes, the quantity of spelt, the size of the tube. - Wait for a sunny and not windy day - Heat the jars (since the heat is not equally shared in the tube, I don't know if I keep the jars in the same order or if cyclicly change it, TBD) - After cooling, retrieve the jars and pour some grain into the Petri dishes. Leave one empty to check if agar/inoculation condition were poorly handled. - Wait, and check and hope all won't be contaminated :/ - Write conclusions of the experiment, with open questions, mistakes, possible improvements.
Bill of materials:
- solar tube (dims : - ext diameter = 12.5cm /4.92 inch, - int diameter = 9.7cm /3.8 inch, - length = 80cm /31 inch - jars (qtity 3) - spelt (triticum spelta) qtity to be defined - Petri dishes with Sabouraud's gelose
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Useful links: - https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/1716466/fpart/1/vc/1 - https://www.fao.org/4/AB497E/ab497e07.htm#bm7.7 - https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/26107862#26107862
Comments and remarks are of course welcome !
Edited by Fungify (05/03/24 09:59 AM)
|
Yahra
Meow


Registered: 03/06/23
Posts: 2,627
Loc: Earth
Last seen: 44 minutes, 28 seconds
|
Re: [Experiment] Solar Energy Sterilisation [Re: Fungify] 1
#28757915 - 05/01/24 03:38 PM (1 month, 25 days ago) |
|
|
Interesting.
|
vicepope
The devils best grower



Registered: 04/15/24
Posts: 875
Loc: The fear that burns in the hea...
Last seen: 2 hours, 24 minutes
|
Re: [Experiment] Solar Energy Sterilisation [Re: Yahra]
#28759895 - 05/03/24 01:59 AM (1 month, 24 days ago) |
|
|
First welcome. Second there are ways using a solar oven 3 days in a row. Leads to dryer grain but sterile enough. This one hold 5 qt size jars. 
But remember it cost so little in energy to run 2 pressure cookers per hour. For me it's 16 cents per hour, pressure cooking never takes more then 3 hours start to finish.
![]()
Edited by vicepope (05/03/24 02:00 AM)
|
mush_monkey
Stranger



Registered: 03/23/24
Posts: 233
Last seen: 2 hours, 21 minutes
|
Re: [Experiment] Solar Energy Sterilisation [Re: Fungify]
#28759933 - 05/03/24 02:47 AM (1 month, 24 days ago) |
|
|
I love it!
Prolly, this is a stupid question but how are your going to control the temperature and time? Like in a PC you know you reach 120°C (or whatever it is) when it starts blowing off steam and can set your timer then. PP5 containers are fine at that temp.
Now, 200°c might be too much for some things, but say you know you need 200° for 20 minutes. When would you start counting. Or if you leave things for hours, won't they end up cooked?
-------------------- P. Cubensis Odisha
|
vicepope
The devils best grower



Registered: 04/15/24
Posts: 875
Loc: The fear that burns in the hea...
Last seen: 2 hours, 24 minutes
|
Re: [Experiment] Solar Energy Sterilisation [Re: mush_monkey] 1
#28760002 - 05/03/24 05:45 AM (1 month, 24 days ago) |
|
|
Quote:
mush_monkey said: I love it!
Prolly, this is a stupid question but how are your going to control the temperature and time? Like in a PC you know you reach 120°C (or whatever it is) when it starts blowing off steam and can set your timer then. PP5 containers are fine at that temp.
Now, 200°c might be too much for some things, but say you know you need 200° for 20 minutes. When would you start counting. Or if you leave things for hours, won't they end up cooked?
What are you talking about 200c nothing cheap solar gets to 392f. Your lucky to get 180f in it. If you boil jars 3 days in a row it works as well as 88% pressure cooker. This is the old ways, back when we had to write it all down on paper. Probably needs to in an updated textbook oh well. Go a head and try the solar way. I did pasteurization of straw in water this way, took 12 hours of daylight to reach the temperature. If you have the spread jars . Report back.
|
Fungify
Stranger

Registered: 04/11/24
Posts: 26
Last seen: 1 day, 17 hours
|
Re: [Experiment] Solar Energy Sterilisation [Re: vicepope] 1
#28760195 - 05/03/24 09:31 AM (1 month, 23 days ago) |
|
|
Quote:
vicepope said: First welcome. Second there are ways using a solar oven 3 days in a row. Leads to dryer grain but sterile enough. This one hold 5 qt size jars. 
But remember it cost so little in energy to run 2 pressure cookers per hour. For me it's 16 cents per hour, pressure cooking never takes more then 3 hours start to finish.
![]()

Thanks, and you're right, especially in my country where electricy is really not expensive.
I still do it for specific and personal reasons : - the pressure cookers I possess have defects and they're more cooker than pressure cookers ^^' - I wanted to try my solar tubes - it's just fun
Quote:
mush_monkey said: I love it!
Prolly, this is a stupid question but how are your going to control the temperature and time? Like in a PC you know you reach 120°C (or whatever it is) when it starts blowing off steam and can set your timer then. PP5 containers are fine at that temp.
Now, 200°c might be too much for some things, but say you know you need 200° for 20 minutes. When would you start counting. Or if you leave things for hours, won't they end up cooked?
Thanks, it ain't stupid as you pinpoint the major flaw: I don't have an exact idea of the temperature inside. I think I can find some people doing some research on it. >> I wanted to preheat the tube but they recommend not doing to avoid thermal shock. It will be glass, I'll provide picture of it.
As for the cooking risk, well, we'll see. I'm not confident enough to be sure it can work, especially on the first try.
Quote:
vicepope said:
Quote:
mush_monkey said: I love it!
Prolly, this is a stupid question but how are your going to control the temperature and time? Like in a PC you know you reach 120°C (or whatever it is) when it starts blowing off steam and can set your timer then. PP5 containers are fine at that temp.
Now, 200°c might be too much for some things, but say you know you need 200° for 20 minutes. When would you start counting. Or if you leave things for hours, won't they end up cooked?
What are you talking about 200c nothing cheap solar gets to 392f. Your lucky to get 180f in it. If you boil jars 3 days in a row it works as well as 88% pressure cooker. This is the old ways, back when we had to write it all down on paper. Probably needs to in an updated textbook oh well. Go a head and try the solar way. I did pasteurization of straw in water this way, took 12 hours of daylight to reach the temperature. If you have the spread jars . Report back.
Yes indeed, but I'm not talking about the classic solar cooker but solar tubes like this one (not the same dimensions but same principle) :

Thanks all for the comment and remarks. I will write some first draft of protocol in the original post. I'll add some pictures asap.
|
bjcm
Victimizer


Registered: 03/20/24
Posts: 354
Last seen: 1 month, 1 day
|
Re: [Experiment] Solar Energy Sterilisation [Re: Fungify]
#28760217 - 05/03/24 09:59 AM (1 month, 23 days ago) |
|
|
I'd be worried about it drying out.
|
vicepope
The devils best grower



Registered: 04/15/24
Posts: 875
Loc: The fear that burns in the hea...
Last seen: 2 hours, 24 minutes
|
Re: [Experiment] Solar Energy Sterilisation [Re: bjcm]
#28761091 - 05/04/24 12:35 AM (1 month, 23 days ago) |
|
|
I'm all in for this. Let do it. It doesn't matter if it's dryed out cause if enough lc and post grain colonized soaking before spawning it possible.
|
|