damn, yall went from spraying dicamba to using johnson Su? I used to work for monsanto and Land O Lakes and now I grow regenerative. The world can change, there are so many examples!
Thank you for sharing this modified design for the bioreactor. It gave me some great ideas to use when I'm making my own. I appreciate your work and the time you spent producing the video.
@@youngredangus6041 I'm applying the compost directly to an urban garden. I will directly apply most of the compost. I'm in Las Cruces in southern New Mexico with 1/3 acre. About 180 degrees from your operation. Our native soil typically has less than 1% organic matter. I've been searching for ways to improve the health of the soil in my garden for small scale fruit and vegetable production. I've tried a variety of methods and have been impressed with the results from the bioreactor. Now, I'm trying to modify the design to better fit my needs. For me, space is precious and most work is done by hand. I must admit that I'm envious of the machinery you use to set up these bioreactors up in such a short amount of time. Depending on what materials I have and if they need to be run through a small chipper shredder, I can build and fill a bioreactor in ~1-2 days. I'm going to try to pick up several second hand ibc totes, modify a few things, and try again. My father and uncle (his brother) farm about 2-3 acres in Georgia on a ~6 acre plot. It was originally farmed by my grandfather, conventionally. I'm hoping to share what you're doing with them as well. Like you, to their advantage, they have the convenience of a front end loader on a tractor. You've given me the motivation to keep my pitch fork moving higher than I desire it to. I've subscribed to your channel and am looking forward to your updates on the bioreactor in the future. All the best to you, your family, and your endeavors.
You just answered all my questions that I had about trying to use something other than the metal The way that Johnson Sue bioreactors did. The space that I'm getting ready to use I would have to move it from time to time And I just didn't want to build it out of something that has a chance of being flimsy. Appreciate the video a lot.
We've got tree debris all over the piece of property that we are going to borrow a chipper. There's also a various amount of marijuana plant waste and a bunch of other overgrown grass. We have about 4 years until we could really get on the land and start doing things because of the lease. It's an older couple that are waiting to officially retire and move to their vacation home for good. There's a lot of areas that have just been let go and I figure if I start getting some good compost started now even if everything falls apart on the deal I will be able to have good compost Is that all my gardener friends will fight over. Or I spent about 250 bucks on a little hobby that didn't work out.
@6:35, you could always get a concrete mixer screw auger bucket to fill the compost piles or weld up a custom hopper to dump your bucket into and slide down into the bioreactor.
I think wood chips are always used as a "worst-case scenario" to demonstrate the efficacy of the Johnson-Su method. An inert pile of wood chips will compost *very* slowly so again, I think people like to show off "look, we can even turn a pile of woodchips into compost effectively." Using the Johnson-Su method is just good practice for any composting; the novelty is the airflow which basically just increases the surface area where composting takes place. They found that the most activity occurs within a depth of about 12 inches so if you have a huge pile that could be several or a dozen feet tall or across, the center of the pile will basically be inert because it's anaerobic (no oxygen for microbes to breathe). Anaerobic composting is "dangerous" and slow because it doesn't heat up like aerobic composting does, which helps to kill pathogens, weed seeds, and other nasties
The difference is fungal dominant composting vs bacterial.. both work, they are different processes. So no, anaerobic isn't harmful or dangerous and can be just as effective.. over time.
I'm wondering why you just don't use the existing bottom of the tote rather than taking off one bottom and putting on a pallet bottom? Thanks for the video. Nice Job.
Awesome upload and channel, new subscriber. I tried to comment on your video of 3 days ago, where you go and visit John's place and see application of the compost as a solution, but sadly comments seem to be switch off. Thank you for all your work on document this and greetings from the Highlands of Scotland! 👍 🏴
@@youngredangus6041 You've made a flying start into it for sure, some really informative content and some great saves through editing when you haven't always captured what you'd hoped to. Great use of voice over when the sound detracts from or doesn't explain the video or your intent. I'm looking forward to following your progress very much!
@@youngredangus6041 Many thanks, I've asked a question elsewhere regarding temperature. Thank you for being so proactive and helpful, it's very much appreciated. TH-cam on top of all you have to do on the land is quite a commitment I'm sure. Thank you for taking the time and effort to share your knowledge and experiences. I'm super fortunate to live among a whole host of like minded generous spirited neighbours equally eager to share their knowledge and experience when asked, its an amazing resource to have access to and certainly inspires me to give freely of my time and knowledge when and wherever possible. Farming folks are truly awesome! 👍
Thank a lot. The video editing does take time but I really want to get more people out there excited about soil health. Thanks for the encouragement. If you are on Facebook check out our page m.facebook.com/YoungRedAngus/ This is our webpage www.youngredangus.com
Do you ever run into problems with aminopyralids/grazon. I’m afraid to add any outside inputs from farmers and ranchers near me because most of the fields are tree treated with such weed killers and it got into my garden and killed everything. It took me several years to remedy the situation.
Very practical method. Well done. 2 questions. Would using a 1 Tonne bag (type used for sand/stone etc) be okay to use instead of the black material?, (they do fit the cage), it would be easier to remove the compost. Is vermin an issue, nesting in the compost?
Ned O'Brien As long as the fabric will let air through. Don’t over water them. Mine are going anaerobic. I’m in the process of fixing mine. I use the amount that David Johnson advised but I might not be getting as hot as he does. Make sure yours are not leaking water out the bottom. If they are then back off on the water.
Congratulations to you and your friends on adopting these amazingly beneficial farming protocols. I’m not a farmer, but am and ardent city gardener. Your garage is bigger than my garden :-)))) I only have room for about 1500 sq ft. but I do garden “naturally”, with great results. I think the use for the tank shells is brilliant, but I have one concern... I don’t have a fork lift of any sort (except for my arms lifting a garden fork... and my dinner fork :-)) Any suggestions for a city slicker emptying the reactor? Will you empty yours all at once, or will you just climb aboard and shovel out what you need at any point to create your spray inoculant?
I like your videos and your drive. I wish I had a farm where o could really Express myself instead of working in offices. With that been said, I was wondering why you guys dont catch the water dripping from the bioreactor instead of using fresh water? I am sure you can reuse that water( full of good micro/macronutrients) to rehydrate the biodigester. I am sure you are still bring fresh water to hydrate the biodigester and strip away the nutrients from the compost.
@@youngredangus6041 yes, the water dripping off from the bioreactor when you put fresh water. Why can't we have something on the bottom to catch the water and reuse it to rehydrate the bioreactor?
Are the holes in the pvc pipe necessary? I somehow thought those stayed in the pile throughout but learned you pulled them after 24 hrs. Secondly, is the weed barrier to block light? Thanks
Great video. I cant seem to find the answer regarding to where to keep these things. Inside or out? We have really cold winters (frèezing) here in Europe and I don't have the means to move such heavy objects. Would a indoor barn be ok for tje duration of the 12 month process?
kickuprumpus. The one I made in February I kept inside until it wasn’t freezing. The others were just insist until I could get the tubes out and could get a lid on them. It starts freezing here in October. At that time I’ll bring them into our heated shop or out shed that isn’t heated and I’ll put heat tape around them to keep them from freezing
@@youngredangus6041 i really need to rethink how I am using my soil. We have about 3300 blueberry plants as our main crop but we also do Red Khuri pumpikins/Butternut and also sweet potato. On top of that we have a large orchid of apples and plums.
I'm sorry, right at the end, did you say it broke down for a year? Is a year required or can you use the compost sooner? What is the payoff of using this method versus making large compost piles. (I definitely see no need to turn piles as one benefit). Thank you for that video!
Hi, I was going to build a Johnson-Su original design bioreactor but since seeing your design based on chemical shuttles (IBC containers in the UK) , I have acquired 3 IBCs to make two of the taller reactors, as your design looks more sturdy and less likely to collapse. My question is though, how do you empty the bioreactor after it's finished composting ? Thanks Ian
For me I can cut the zip ties that holds the fabric to the empty shuttle Shell then unscrew it from the bottoms and lift it up. Then I can use all the product at once. Or if you want to get a little out at a time you can always reach in and grab some.
@@youngredangus6041 Thanks for the emptying info! Do you add the final material like compost, i.e. in bulk, or do you make a "Tea" from it, dilute the tea and apply that, and if so at what rate. In many of the videos about using a J-S bioreactor for agriculture, they appear to make a liquid feed and then apply that at quite a dilute rate. Also thanks for posting the video as it is such a great idea!
Thanks for your videos! 2 questions, is it critical to have holes in your PVC pipes that only stay in the reactor for 24 hours? And, why not leave the floor right in the fertilizer shuttles and drill out holes for the PVC pipes thru the floor (that's covered with landscape fabric)?
Shorty Flees. Do you mean taking the bladder out cutting out the bottom and cutting hoes in the plastic bladder and place that on the bottoms over the pallet? Or take the bladder out and using the metal bottom? On the first one that might work. I’d be concerned about air flow through your holes so if you try that make them fairly big. On using the metal bottoms. I did see some people making these using the metal bottoms. They are galvanized metal. We don’t have a metal saw that works for the size of holes. We did use a blow torch but didn’t like the way that cut. After getting the holes out of the one I abandoned them and opted for the wood pallet.
I noticed that you have these filled reactors inside. This is something I don't see addressed that often, but would placing in the sun, shade or inside affect the process? Which would be the optimal place to put one?
Steve H You can’t let them freeze. The first 4 were inside because of weather The last 2 I put inside for the first day while we were making lids. I didn’t want the wind to dry out the top.
I'm a 5'2" grandma. This is a much easier design for me to handle. I would need to cut off the top 2 sections of the concrete wire just to see in. I plan to put these in the 2 north corners of a hoop house. I'm at 8500 ft in the Rockies, and it could frost any night, so I hope the compost heat helps.Thanks!
@@youngredangus6041 I have a pickup and Craig's list often has them. I would prefer the food grade ones...just because. I can think of a lot of uses for them. But this one looks great! I'm on 100 acres west of Pikes Peak, so no one will complain about how anything looks.
@@youngredangus6041 First year for the hoop house. We have such wonderful intense sun and I stole some fantastic, black dirt from the valley floor below the dam to grow in. Everything grows beautifully, however, we have a really short season. My hoop house should be primarily a season extender. I need to protect my garden from deer, elk, every kind of rodent from prairie dogs to chip-rats...also known as chipmunks, and bear. So it's a wild frontier. The soil here on the mountainsides is really poor, unless you count the beautiful, almost peat, soil in the valley. So this year I can plant beyond the beets, turnips, and cabbage that will make it even if we have a frost. We had snow one year on July 4th. It's not like Kansas City where I grew up. But it is beautiful. This year, I will plant everything from tomatoes and squash, to potatoes, onions, and beans. Some in the hoop house, some out. Busy summer ahead. We had a 30 degree night last week, so the hoop house looks smart.
Hi, thanks for a great video.. question, can you tell me how many kg you get from one of these bioreactors? You have 2 sizes, how do they compare to Dr Johnson's design in terms of volume? He says you get about 700lbs (about 320kg) out of one of his. thanks v much
Jeremy Hoffman red wigglers are the type of worms you need. What state are you from? Also My piles have gone anaerobic. I’m in the process of making a video on my mistakes and how to fix them. 1. Don’t get them over 70% moister 2. Don’t let them dry out. 3. Try to get a carbon source like wood chips that will help with airflow. The video will have more details into what I think when wrong and what we are doing to fix them so others don’t make the same mistakes
Jeremy Hoffman Sorry I forgot to answer 100 words. I can get you the contact of a guy from Nebraska that will sell you some if you’d like. youngredangus@gmail.com
You can remove the shell and harvest the product. If you want to use a little and you don’t want to bind over into the bioreactor you can remove the shell and replace it with one that isn’t as tall.
Don't perforate your pipe! It's not necessary. The original inventor used pipe he had on hand which happened to have perforations. You will find the unperforated pipe is easier to slide out.
@Justin Kayz the pipes are put in place until the entire bioreactor is filled then the pipes are pulled out and the structure of the fill will keep the column holes open. This maximizes airflow from top to bottom.
@Justin Kayz here is the original inventor of the Johnson- Su bioreactor. He explains the oxygen flow that is required and that the pipes are only used as forms. th-cam.com/video/MuW42tFC4Ss/w-d-xo.html
Justin Kayz , I'm by no means an expert. But maybe they pull them out because its PVC or plastic which will enter the amendment and thus create impurities. My 2 cents
I do have a question. What happens to the worms once the compost is fully broken down after 1 year and you go to use the compost, is there a way that you can extract them to use in other bioreactors?
What I do Is I save a few shovel fulls of dirt in a 17 gallon plastic tote and move them indoors over winter. Feed an water once a week, add shredded cardboard re apply in spring (April). In your case you can just transfer with a 5 gallon bucket into the next reactor. you aren't going to get a ton of worms as its a random sample of soil. Just do your best and make the transfer over. The microbes are going to make a big difference too. Its good to get both worms and microbes
No idea where to get one of these containers, but I did make my own JS bioreactor today out of fencing. Any tips on where to get one of these shutte tanks? I searched marketplace, Craigslist... no luck
Great video! I notice none of the Bioreactors have a traditional compost pile ingredient list, Dr. Johnson even mentioned straight manure in one of his videos. Does the feed material matter? Looking to do a few this year.
Travis Dykstra all that matters is good air flow through the pile. Too much carbon like straight wood chips will take longer to break down. I just asked him if I could use ground oat hey and he said that would be great
Brian Stahl 4 inch. If you want to buy a circular wood it will help with making the holes. You will want one that is 4 1/2 inches wide. Cutting the holes will go faster and putting in the tubs will go a lot smoother.
Wood chips, chicken litter, silage straw bedding that was used for calving. We have a turner and we are thinking pre composting in a window first. Any thoughts?
Thanks for this video. In north England and going to build an IBC version next week - with the extension - in a barn. In David Johnson's video they washed all the compost material before adding it to the bioreactor - to get ride of inorganic material like grit, stones, sand, and also to make sure everything is made wet. Do you do the same in that feed truck?
Mark Shipperlee Thanks for the questions No I didn’t. It might be a problem. I had most of mine go anaerobic. It was from not washing the material or over watering. I have a neighbor that used a feed truck that didn’t have any issues Planning on making an update video.
@@youngredangus6041 thanks for your reply. I think we are going to use the plastic part of IBC, cut down, to make a washing tank, and then we will also have a tap for draining off. I look forward to seeing your update video. We have a team of four of us on Monday - cages are separated,, space cleared in barn, pallet identified, composting material all identified. We will be loading be hand - and washing so will see what we can achieve in the day (short daylight now!) I look forward to your update video - just about to start the training course with Elaine Ingham
Why do you need the PVC pipe to have holes in it. It seems to me that the pipe is inserted into the biomass and left there for 24 hrs., at which time they are removed, leaving the biomass with several 4-5' long 4" holes (providing air). Couldn't non-perforated PVC pipe do the same thing? The amount of air circulation perforated pipe contributes during that 24 hrs. must be minimal. They are merely forming the walls of an airway while the biomass solidifies a bit.
Kevin Nelson I did it to get more oxygen coming up through the bottom. But if you line the bottom of it with a layer or two of pine cones I’m sure the oxygen would flow fine
Ya right. I have a hard time just finding pallets, these would be impossible to get without having to go buy them which probably cost a fortune. I would like plastic pallets and these cages then nothing would rot but I am stuck using wood pallets and wire fencing.
Robert Frisby Are you in the USA? Call a local John Deere it Case Dealer. Ask them if they know the local business that custom spray crops for people. Call them ask ask if you can get empty chemical shuttles. I have 3 companies in my area that just give them to us. Hope that works if not good luck.
@@youngredangus6041 Thanks. I will have to look into it and find out if they know who might have them. I live in Sandy Utah, part of the Salt Lake Valley. When I was young most of the valley was farms but now it's all city. What farming is still being done is way out from where I live. Suppliers like John Deere, Case, Intermountain Farmers are all switching from heavy farm equipment and supplies to back yard gardening supplies. There used to be a John Deere dealer here in the valley, I used to get parts from them but that was years ago, not sure if they are still here or not. Have to look them up.
Not a big fan of the J Su so called bioreactor where heat isn’t really sought after. Why call it a bioreactor in the first place if heat only lasts a week, or so? Traditional composting is more a bioreactor than the J Su method is? Way too many steps to make compost, get biodiversity than necessarily IMO. Your bins here makes more sense for a few reasons IF heat is actually sought after and to be continuously maintained like I feel composting should be all about. I feel the J Su bin is more about intellectual soil words the average person is enchanted with rather than compost having more biodiversity than other composting methods. I feel David’s end results are more about worm castings mixed with compost used and any composting bin can achieve. If my assertions are true than again waaaay too many unnecessary steps, sending people down silly composting rabbit holes.
Thank you for the encouragement. I am interested in learning other methods after I have mastered the Johnson Su. Right now farming 10,000 acres, raising cattle and being active with my kids and the church makes my time limited. Thanks for your thoughts.
damn, yall went from spraying dicamba to using johnson Su? I used to work for monsanto and Land O Lakes and now I grow regenerative. The world can change, there are so many examples!
You farmers with the courage, fortitude and brains to switch methods are my Super Heros!!!
Thank you for sharing this modified design for the bioreactor. It gave me some great ideas to use when I'm making my own. I appreciate your work and the time you spent producing the video.
Devin thank you for your kind words. Are you applying compost to a garden or to your farming operation?
@@youngredangus6041 I'm applying the compost directly to an urban garden. I will directly apply most of the compost.
I'm in Las Cruces in southern New Mexico with 1/3 acre. About 180 degrees from your operation.
Our native soil typically has less than 1% organic matter. I've been searching for ways to improve the health of the soil in my garden for small scale fruit and vegetable production.
I've tried a variety of methods and have been impressed with the results from the bioreactor. Now, I'm trying to modify the design to better fit my needs. For me, space is precious and most work is done by hand.
I must admit that I'm envious of the machinery you use to set up these bioreactors up in such a short amount of time. Depending on what materials I have and if they need to be run through a small chipper shredder, I can build and fill a bioreactor in ~1-2 days.
I'm going to try to pick up several second hand ibc totes, modify a few things, and try again.
My father and uncle (his brother) farm about 2-3 acres in Georgia on a ~6 acre plot. It was originally farmed by my grandfather, conventionally. I'm hoping to share what you're doing with them as well. Like you, to their advantage, they have the convenience of a front end loader on a tractor.
You've given me the motivation to keep my pitch fork moving higher than I desire it to. I've subscribed to your channel and am looking forward to your updates on the bioreactor in the future.
All the best to you, your family, and your endeavors.
Davin Stogner that’s awesome thanks so much for you response.
You just answered all my questions that I had about trying to use something other than the metal The way that Johnson Sue bioreactors did. The space that I'm getting ready to use I would have to move it from time to time And I just didn't want to build it out of something that has a chance of being flimsy. Appreciate the video a lot.
Morgan O thanks. What are you using to fill yours?
We've got tree debris all over the piece of property that we are going to borrow a chipper. There's also a various amount of marijuana plant waste and a bunch of other overgrown grass. We have about 4 years until we could really get on the land and start doing things because of the lease. It's an older couple that are waiting to officially retire and move to their vacation home for good. There's a lot of areas that have just been let go and I figure if I start getting some good compost started now even if everything falls apart on the deal I will be able to have good compost Is that all my gardener friends will fight over. Or I spent about 250 bucks on a little hobby that didn't work out.
@6:35, you could always get a concrete mixer screw auger bucket to fill the compost piles or weld up a custom hopper to dump your bucket into and slide down into the bioreactor.
I thought it was interesting you didn't use wood chips and it encouraged me to try different mixes. Great work and thanks for sharing in You Tube.
Nelson Olivera thanks
I think wood chips are always used as a "worst-case scenario" to demonstrate the efficacy of the Johnson-Su method. An inert pile of wood chips will compost *very* slowly so again, I think people like to show off "look, we can even turn a pile of woodchips into compost effectively." Using the Johnson-Su method is just good practice for any composting; the novelty is the airflow which basically just increases the surface area where composting takes place. They found that the most activity occurs within a depth of about 12 inches so if you have a huge pile that could be several or a dozen feet tall or across, the center of the pile will basically be inert because it's anaerobic (no oxygen for microbes to breathe). Anaerobic composting is "dangerous" and slow because it doesn't heat up like aerobic composting does, which helps to kill pathogens, weed seeds, and other nasties
The difference is fungal dominant composting vs bacterial.. both work, they are different processes. So no, anaerobic isn't harmful or dangerous and can be just as effective.. over time.
Thanks for posting this! I love the reuse of the chem shuttles!
I'm wondering why you just don't use the existing bottom of the tote rather than taking off one bottom and putting on a pallet bottom? Thanks for the video. Nice Job.
I would like to see a video on how you harvest the compost when it’s ready to be used.
Nick Rigas coming in March 2021
I am wondering the same thing.
You gotta love a bobcat!
Awesome upload and channel, new subscriber. I tried to comment on your video of 3 days ago, where you go and visit John's place and see application of the compost as a solution, but sadly comments seem to be switch off. Thank you for all your work on document this and greetings from the Highlands of Scotland! 👍 🏴
J W
Thanks. I think I fixed the problem. Sorry about that. I’m new to making TH-cam videos.
If you have a question about the compost extract feel free to ask it. If I can’t answer I’ll ask John.
@@youngredangus6041 You've made a flying start into it for sure, some really informative content and some great saves through editing when you haven't always captured what you'd hoped to. Great use of voice over when the sound detracts from or doesn't explain the video or your intent. I'm looking forward to following your progress very much!
@@youngredangus6041 Many thanks, I've asked a question elsewhere regarding temperature. Thank you for being so proactive and helpful, it's very much appreciated. TH-cam on top of all you have to do on the land is quite a commitment I'm sure. Thank you for taking the time and effort to share your knowledge and experiences. I'm super fortunate to live among a whole host of like minded generous spirited neighbours equally eager to share their knowledge and experience when asked, its an amazing resource to have access to and certainly inspires me to give freely of my time and knowledge when and wherever possible. Farming folks are truly awesome! 👍
Thank a lot. The video editing does take time but I really want to get more people out there excited about soil health. Thanks for the encouragement. If you are on Facebook check out our page
m.facebook.com/YoungRedAngus/
This is our webpage
www.youngredangus.com
Do you ever run into problems with aminopyralids/grazon. I’m afraid to add any outside inputs from farmers and ranchers near me because most of the fields are tree treated with such weed killers and it got into my garden and killed everything. It took me several years to remedy the situation.
I have @ 1 acre garden can I add the compost directly to the soil ? If that works can I apply it with a manure spreader ?
Yes you can do that and treat your seed and you can do foliar application
How do you get the finished compost out? With a shovel, or tip it over with the front end loader?
R Gray John uses a shovel and mixes it pound by pound in water. I’ll try to get to his place the next time he makes the finished product
Very practical method. Well done. 2 questions. Would using a 1 Tonne bag (type used for sand/stone etc) be okay to use instead of the black material?, (they do fit the cage), it would be easier to remove the compost. Is vermin an issue, nesting in the compost?
Ned O'Brien
As long as the fabric will let air through.
Don’t over water them. Mine are going anaerobic.
I’m in the process of fixing mine. I use the amount that David Johnson advised but I might not be getting as hot as he does. Make sure yours are not leaking water out the bottom. If they are then back off on the water.
Congratulations to you and your friends on adopting these amazingly beneficial farming protocols. I’m not a farmer, but am and ardent city gardener. Your garage is bigger than my garden :-)))) I only have room for about 1500 sq ft. but I do garden “naturally”, with great results. I think the use for the tank shells is brilliant, but I have one concern... I don’t have a fork lift of any sort (except for my arms lifting a garden fork... and my dinner fork :-)) Any suggestions for a city slicker emptying the reactor? Will you empty yours all at once, or will you just climb aboard and shovel out what you need at any point to create your spray inoculant?
I like your videos and your drive. I wish I had a farm where o could really Express myself instead of working in offices.
With that been said, I was wondering why you guys dont catch the water dripping from the bioreactor instead of using fresh water?
I am sure you can reuse that water( full of good micro/macronutrients) to rehydrate the biodigester. I am sure you are still bring fresh water to hydrate the biodigester and strip away the nutrients from the compost.
Johnny Erinn
Thank for the encouragement.
I’m not following your question on the bioreactors. The water that is dripping off as we fill them?
@@youngredangus6041 yes, the water dripping off from the bioreactor when you put fresh water. Why can't we have something on the bottom to catch the water and reuse it to rehydrate the bioreactor?
@@Tate.TopG. There is no runoff. You’re maintaining that ~70% moisture and it is staying all in the pile.
What's the video link from Ron that you mentioned? Thanks!
How do you “harvest” the pile, once material is ready?
th-cam.com/video/taRx0BVjjFA/w-d-xo.html
The new design we came up with makes for easier access.
Also i had my kids fill all of them this year.
Are the holes in the pvc pipe necessary? I somehow thought those stayed in the pile throughout but learned you pulled them after 24 hrs. Secondly, is the weed barrier to block light? Thanks
no the holes are not needed
What a redemptive project!
Thanks!
That sweet I’m doing it! Blessing brother
Great video. I cant seem to find the answer regarding to where to keep these things. Inside or out? We have really cold winters (frèezing) here in Europe and I don't have the means to move such heavy objects. Would a indoor barn be ok for tje duration of the 12 month process?
kickuprumpus. The one I made in February I kept inside until it wasn’t freezing. The others were just insist until I could get the tubes out and could get a lid on them.
It starts freezing here in October. At that time I’ll bring them into our heated shop or out shed that isn’t heated and I’ll put heat tape around them to keep them from freezing
kickuprumpus
You don’t want it to freeze so make sure if you make it in your barn it won’t freeze.
@@youngredangus6041 many thanks for your reply. Good luck! Keep us posted!!
kickuprumpus are you wanting to apply compost to your garden or to your farm?
@@youngredangus6041 i really need to rethink how I am using my soil. We have about 3300 blueberry plants as our main crop but we also do Red Khuri pumpikins/Butternut and also sweet potato. On top of that we have a large orchid of apples and plums.
I'm sorry, right at the end, did you say it broke down for a year? Is a year required or can you use the compost sooner? What is the payoff of using this method versus making large compost piles. (I definitely see no need to turn piles as one benefit). Thank you for that video!
It is more fungi in it doing it this way
Hi, I was going to build a Johnson-Su original design bioreactor but since seeing your design based on chemical shuttles (IBC containers in the UK) , I have acquired 3 IBCs to make two of the taller reactors, as your design looks more sturdy and less likely to collapse.
My question is though, how do you empty the bioreactor after it's finished composting ? Thanks Ian
For me I can cut the zip ties that holds the fabric to the empty shuttle Shell then unscrew it from the bottoms and lift it up. Then I can use all the product at once.
Or if you want to get a little out at a time you can always reach in and grab some.
@@youngredangus6041 Thanks for the emptying info! Do you add the final material like compost, i.e. in bulk, or do you make a "Tea" from it, dilute the tea and apply that, and if so at what rate. In many of the videos about using a J-S bioreactor for agriculture, they appear to make a liquid feed and then apply that at quite a dilute rate.
Also thanks for posting the video as it is such a great idea!
Thanks for your videos! 2 questions, is it critical to have holes in your PVC pipes that only stay in the reactor for 24 hours? And, why not leave the floor right in the fertilizer shuttles and drill out holes for the PVC pipes thru the floor (that's covered with landscape fabric)?
Shorty Flees. That’s a great question on the holes. I would error on leaving the holes in the tubes. If you try it without let me know.
Shorty Flees. Do you mean taking the bladder out cutting out the bottom and cutting hoes in the plastic bladder and place that on the bottoms over the pallet? Or take the bladder out and using the metal bottom? On the first one that might work. I’d be concerned about air flow through your holes so if you try that make them fairly big. On using the metal bottoms. I did see some people making these using the metal bottoms. They are galvanized metal. We don’t have a metal saw that works for the size of holes. We did use a blow torch but didn’t like the way that cut. After getting the holes out of the one I abandoned them and opted for the wood pallet.
Shorty Flees if end up making them a different way send me some pictures. youngredangus@gmail.com
The holes are not necessary. The original inventor used pipe that he had on hand which happened to have perforations. You don't need to drill holes
Hi .. fantastic .. tx .. love from South Africa x
Thanks Love from Kansas!
Do you accept visitors on your farm?
Dan Quinn
Absolutely. I did a small tour last year.
Do you have links to the dude in Colorado thats built a huge one? Would love to see what scale thats on
youngredangus@gmail.com. Send me an email and I’ll get you his number if you want to talk to him.
MrFarva85
He doesn’t have content out on what they are doing yet.
I noticed that you have these filled reactors inside. This is something I don't see addressed that often, but would placing in the sun, shade or inside affect the process? Which would be the optimal place to put one?
Steve H
You can’t let them freeze. The first 4 were inside because of weather
The last 2 I put inside for the first day while we were making lids. I didn’t want the wind to dry out the top.
I'm a 5'2" grandma. This is a much easier design for me to handle. I would need to cut off the top 2 sections of the concrete wire just to see in. I plan to put these in the 2 north corners of a hoop house. I'm at 8500 ft in the Rockies, and it could frost any night, so I hope the compost heat helps.Thanks!
R Gray do you have access to any shuttles?
@@youngredangus6041 I have a pickup and Craig's list often has them. I would prefer the food grade ones...just because. I can think of a lot of uses for them. But this one looks great! I'm on 100 acres west of Pikes Peak, so no one will complain about how anything looks.
R Gray that’s awesome. What do you grow?
R Gray that’s awesome. What do you grow?
@@youngredangus6041 First year for the hoop house. We have such wonderful intense sun and I stole some fantastic, black dirt from the valley floor below the dam to grow in. Everything grows beautifully, however, we have a really short season. My hoop house should be primarily a season extender. I need to protect my garden from deer, elk, every kind of rodent from prairie dogs to chip-rats...also known as chipmunks, and bear. So it's a wild frontier. The soil here on the mountainsides is really poor, unless you count the beautiful, almost peat, soil in the valley. So this year I can plant beyond the beets, turnips, and cabbage that will make it even if we have a frost. We had snow one year on July 4th. It's not like Kansas City where I grew up. But it is beautiful. This year, I will plant everything from tomatoes and squash, to potatoes, onions, and beans. Some in the hoop house, some out. Busy summer ahead. We had a 30 degree night last week, so the hoop house looks smart.
Hi, thanks for a great video.. question, can you tell me how many kg you get from one of these bioreactors? You have 2 sizes, how do they compare to Dr Johnson's design in terms of volume? He says you get about 700lbs (about 320kg) out of one of his. thanks v much
How do you empty your Compost from RTK frames?
th-cam.com/video/taRx0BVjjFA/w-d-xo.html
This is what we are doing now. This makes for super easy access
Do you have access to an empty shuttle like that?
How many worms do you put in each one? Can you go to bait shop and buy night crawlers or what kind of worms work best?
Jeremy Hoffman
red wigglers are the type of worms you need. What state are you from?
Also My piles have gone anaerobic. I’m in the process of making a video on my mistakes and how to fix them.
1. Don’t get them over 70% moister
2. Don’t let them dry out.
3. Try to get a carbon source like wood chips that will help with airflow. The video will have more details into what I think when wrong and what we are doing to fix them so others don’t make the same mistakes
@@youngredangus6041 South Dakota
Jeremy Hoffman
Sorry I forgot to answer 100 words. I can get you the contact of a guy from Nebraska that will sell you some if you’d like. youngredangus@gmail.com
How do you empty these out? Thx
You can remove the shell and harvest the product. If you want to use a little and you don’t want to bind over into the bioreactor you can remove the shell and replace it with one that isn’t as tall.
Do you need to water the bio reactors the whole years or is it only necessary for the first months? If so how long?
Steve lightning
th-cam.com/video/DxUGk161Ly8/w-d-xo.html
The whole year it need to stay wet. Colder months require less water
Don't perforate your pipe! It's not necessary. The original inventor used pipe he had on hand which happened to have perforations. You will find the unperforated pipe is easier to slide out.
@Justin Kayz the pipes are put in place until the entire bioreactor is filled then the pipes are pulled out and the structure of the fill will keep the column holes open. This maximizes airflow from top to bottom.
@Justin Kayz here is the original inventor of the Johnson- Su bioreactor. He explains the oxygen flow that is required and that the pipes are only used as forms.
th-cam.com/video/MuW42tFC4Ss/w-d-xo.html
Justin Kayz , I'm by no means an expert. But maybe they pull them out because its PVC or plastic which will enter the amendment and thus create impurities. My 2 cents
@Kim X Thanks for the info!
How close to the start of freezing winter time temps can you load the bioreactor?
What did you put in the grass
I’m not following you
I do have a question. What happens to the worms once the compost is fully broken down after 1 year and you go to use the compost, is there a way that you can extract them to use in other bioreactors?
What I do Is I save a few shovel fulls of dirt in a 17 gallon plastic tote and move them indoors over winter. Feed an water once a week, add shredded cardboard re apply in spring (April).
In your case you can just transfer with a 5 gallon bucket into the next reactor. you aren't going to get a ton of worms as its a random sample of soil. Just do your best and make the transfer over. The microbes are going to make a big difference too. Its good to get both worms and microbes
No idea where to get one of these containers, but I did make my own JS bioreactor today out of fencing. Any tips on where to get one of these shutte tanks? I searched marketplace, Craigslist... no luck
Phil K. James
Where do you live?
@@youngredangus6041 Central Iowa
Phil K. James
620-376-8593
Call me I know I can help you find one.
What happen if You don't add worms? What is the difference in the final product, when You don't use worms
The worms help with the break down process
You really need worms. The microbes from the worm castings is amazing
I know you used oat hay. Can you use wheat straw as well? Great video. I’m going to make some of these soon.
Yeah it needs to be ground up
I think you can use the spent compost again so try not to have bail twins in it
About how long do the bioreactors maintain 120 to 150 degrees?
James Baker 1-2 days
For me the next day it’s usually 120
Great video! I notice none of the Bioreactors have a traditional compost pile ingredient list, Dr. Johnson even mentioned straight manure in one of his videos. Does the feed material matter? Looking to do a few this year.
Travis Dykstra all that matters is good air flow through the pile. Too much carbon like straight wood chips will take longer to break down. I just asked him if I could use ground oat hey and he said that would be great
Thank you!
I am planing on making a bioreactor in the next few days and defianlly not filling it by hand lol.
Millennial Homesteaders - Journey Back to Basics
How are you filling yours?
Millennial Homesteaders - Journey Back to Basics
How has your bioreactor doing?
Are you using 4inch or 6inch pipe? Thanks
Brian Stahl
4 inch. If you want to buy a circular wood it will help with making the holes. You will want one that is 4 1/2 inches wide. Cutting the holes will go faster and putting in the tubs will go a lot smoother.
Brian Stahl
What materials are you going to use for your bioreactor?
Wood chips, chicken litter, silage straw bedding that was used for calving. We have a turner and we are thinking pre composting in a window first. Any thoughts?
Brian Stahl
How long will you have it in the wind row?
2 weeks
Thanks for this video. In north England and going to build an IBC version next week - with the extension - in a barn. In David Johnson's video they washed all the compost material before adding it to the bioreactor - to get ride of inorganic material like grit, stones, sand, and also to make sure everything is made wet. Do you do the same in that feed truck?
Mark Shipperlee
Thanks for the questions
No I didn’t. It might be a problem. I had most of mine go anaerobic. It was from not washing the material or over watering.
I have a neighbor that used a feed truck that didn’t have any issues
Planning on making an update video.
Mark Shipperlee
The good news is though they went anaerobic. I’m not having issues with them now.
@@youngredangus6041 thanks for your reply. I think we are going to use the plastic part of IBC, cut down, to make a washing tank, and then we will also have a tap for draining off. I look forward to seeing your update video. We have a team of four of us on Monday - cages are separated,, space cleared in barn, pallet identified, composting material all identified. We will be loading be hand - and washing so will see what we can achieve in the day (short daylight now!) I look forward to your update video - just about to start the training course with Elaine Ingham
th-cam.com/video/DxUGk161Ly8/w-d-xo.html
The original Johnson Su Bioreactor mentioned in the video.
Why do you need the PVC pipe to have holes in it. It seems to me that the pipe is inserted into the biomass and left there for 24 hrs., at which time they are removed, leaving the biomass with several 4-5' long 4" holes (providing air). Couldn't non-perforated PVC pipe do the same thing? The amount of air circulation perforated pipe contributes during that 24 hrs. must be minimal. They are merely forming the walls of an airway while the biomass solidifies a bit.
I agree
I don’t believe you need holes. At the time I made this video that is the way David Johnson was teaching how to set up your pipes.
@@youngredangus6041 Great. Thanks for the reply.
Those could probably provide a lot of heat for a small greenhouse as well.
As long as they are in the heating process it would be.
Why do they use a wood pallet and not the metal one that comes with the tote?
Kevin Nelson I did it to get more oxygen coming up through the bottom. But if you line the bottom of it with a layer or two of pine cones I’m sure the oxygen would flow fine
Ya right. I have a hard time just finding pallets, these would be impossible to get without having to go buy them which probably cost a fortune. I would like plastic pallets and these cages then nothing would rot but I am stuck using wood pallets and wire fencing.
Robert Frisby
Are you in the USA? Call a local John Deere it Case Dealer. Ask them if they know the local business that custom spray crops for people. Call them ask ask if you can get empty chemical shuttles. I have 3 companies in my area that just give them to us. Hope that works if not good luck.
@@youngredangus6041 Thanks. I will have to look into it and find out if they know who might have them. I live in Sandy Utah, part of the Salt Lake Valley. When I was young most of the valley was farms but now it's all city. What farming is still being done is way out from where I live. Suppliers like John Deere, Case, Intermountain Farmers are all switching from heavy farm equipment and supplies to back yard gardening supplies. There used to be a John Deere dealer here in the valley, I used to get parts from them but that was years ago, not sure if they are still here or not. Have to look them up.
We know them as IBC butt's in England.
Intermediate bulk containers
love it
thanks D
Great!
Frode Haugsgjerd thanks
The texture of this finished product looks more like dirt than Johnson's. Have you done a test on biology?
Looks like normal compost to me
Julie N Toby Fullmer I havnt tested the ones from the video. They will be done on April.
Not a big fan of the J Su so called bioreactor where heat isn’t really sought after. Why call it a bioreactor in the first place if heat only lasts a week, or so? Traditional composting is more a bioreactor than the J Su method is? Way too many steps to make compost, get biodiversity than necessarily IMO. Your bins here makes more sense for a few reasons IF heat is actually sought after and to be continuously maintained like I feel composting should be all about. I feel the J Su bin is more about intellectual soil words the average person is enchanted with rather than compost having more biodiversity than other composting methods. I feel David’s end results are more about worm castings mixed with compost used and any composting bin can achieve. If my assertions are true than again waaaay too many unnecessary steps, sending people down silly composting rabbit holes.
This comment should in no way diminish the importance of this well done video!
Thank you for the encouragement. I am interested in learning other methods after I have mastered the Johnson Su. Right now farming 10,000 acres, raising cattle and being active with my kids and the church makes my time limited. Thanks for your thoughts.
@@youngredangus6041 you just need three days at temperature to kill off any human pathogens