Recommend shredding and then soaking leaves before adding to bioreactor. Add red wiggler worms on the fifth day to substantially increase material breakdown and microbial inoculation. Also cover the top to manage moisture in pile.
Great video! I read all of the comments and think many people don't know or understand the purpose of composting in this way. The purpose is to have a product with a higher fungi to bacteria ratio, which gives the soil the ability to feed plants and mimic a forest based soil, where plants and soil have a symbiotic relationship. The fungi do a great job at holding water in the soil to make it more drought tolerant. An upgrade I plan to add to my reactor is wrapping the pipes in a firm mesh to reduce the risk of collapse. Thinking chicken wire will do the job.
Hi! You need to soak the material completely then allow the excess water to drain to get it to ~70% moisture before adding into the pile. Also, you can stick a soil moisture meter into the pile to keep record and wire it to a solenoid valve to flip on the drip line. Or really just water 1 min per day no matter where you are, because it is an essential piece of the puzzle.
do you relize that you skipped a portion of Dr Johnsons instructions? Wet the material you are using to fill the bio-reactor before placing it in the system........very important to help start the process with a 70% moisture content....
It's a lot easier to dig trenches in the autumn place your compostable waste into trench back fill and plant in spring, very good for courgette pumpkin cucumbers,the following year plant spuds. Allotment holder Irish and EU Citizen
Thanks for the question, Richard. If you leave the inner pipes in the reactor then it restricts all the airflow into the pile, which is the whole point of the tubular holes. Hope that helps!
It may be worthwhile to get in touch with Georgia Organics or your local extension agent, as they're going to have a better grasp on the resources in Georgia than we will :)
Thanks for watching! The Johnson-Su bioreactor has a very short thermophilic phase (145-165 F) of 4-5 days, after which it is recommended that you add red wriggler worms. See this doc for more info: case.nmsu.edu/case/pasodelnorteagriculturalworkshops/documents/Johnson-Su_Bioreactor_BMP.pdf
Hi, good video thanks. Im about to make one of these bioreactors, and am wondering why the pipes need to have holes in them if, after 24 hours of settling, the pipes are removed? I'm a bit confused... is it so that the material starts composting immediately? Could I just use normal pipe and not go through the hassle of drilling all the holes?
Dr. Johnson said it doesn’t need to be perforated pipe. The instructional video he made showed that’s what he used but he said that’s only because that’s what he had on hand. I haven’t built one yet, so I’m in the same boat as you, but I have watched a whole bunch of vids on it. It could be argued that the perforated pipe gets some air into the pile sooner. But they’re typically removed after 24-48 hours and shouldn’t go anaerobic in that time. Best of luck!
@@Doitallgp Thank you, yeah that makes sense. It wouldn't be going anaerobic in just 24 hrs. the pipes are really just there for the structure and then they're removed. Off to make it today, best of luck to you too!
A lot of videos out on this but none show the end result. How is this better than my hot compost pile that's ready after only 6 of our coldest months? Why perforated pipe and not solid? Is 12" enough for air flow even at the bottom where it gets compacted? How is this better than my hot compost pile that's ready after only 6 of our coldest months?
The Johnson Su BioReactor is for those who wish to compost but do not want to turn their compost. The vertical tubes allow continuous aeration. In short, it is a longer decomposition process but does require any work (turning) after the material is added to the reactor. Decomposition in this system takes approximately 1 year to complete.
The goal is not to create compost in a hurry, but to allow it to mature once finished, the the fugal growth can really develop. I have seen videos of the end result and the material is indeed a thick almost clay-like texture. Your hot compost will be bacterially dominant, whereas the JS product will be more fungal dominant. The pipe does not need to be perforated. That’s just how the stuff comes as drainage pipe. Use what you have, or can get for cheap. Some people use fence posts... just a bit tougher to remove.
Awesome! Thank you for the video! I am reading What Your Food Ate where Dr. Johnson ‘s bioreactor is described.
Recommend shredding and then soaking leaves before adding to bioreactor. Add red wiggler worms on the fifth day to substantially increase material breakdown and microbial inoculation. Also cover the top to manage moisture in pile.
Thanks for the info!
Great video! I read all of the comments and think many people don't know or understand the purpose of composting in this way. The purpose is to have a product with a higher fungi to bacteria ratio, which gives the soil the ability to feed plants and mimic a forest based soil, where plants and soil have a symbiotic relationship. The fungi do a great job at holding water in the soil to make it more drought tolerant.
An upgrade I plan to add to my reactor is wrapping the pipes in a firm mesh to reduce the risk of collapse. Thinking chicken wire will do the job.
Thank you. That was quick, easy and to the point.
Hi! You need to soak the material completely then allow the excess water to drain to get it to ~70% moisture before adding into the pile. Also, you can stick a soil moisture meter into the pile to keep record and wire it to a solenoid valve to flip on the drip line. Or really just water 1 min per day no matter where you are, because it is an essential piece of the puzzle.
do you relize that you skipped a portion of Dr Johnsons instructions? Wet the material you are using to fill the bio-reactor before placing it in the system........very important to help start the process with a 70% moisture content....
I appreciate your video very! I’m a regenerative farmer in Cali and look forward to build this in my repertoire of responsibilities. Oh yeah!
Glad it was helpful!
th-cam.com/video/mdEElnIqV5I/w-d-xo.html
where ado you buy the mesh wire from?
I see you don't fill your reactor to the top. So do you leave it like that for a year
It's a lot easier to dig trenches in the autumn place your compostable waste into trench back fill and plant in spring, very good for courgette pumpkin cucumbers,the following year plant spuds.
Allotment holder
Irish and EU Citizen
That will work, but you won’t have anything with which to make an inoculant for the rest of your garden/farm.
DO NOT SKIP
ANY STEPS !!!
Mostly regarding the mix and moisture level.
any reason you shouldn't leave the inner pipes in the reactor? thanks, this looks great.
Thanks for the question, Richard. If you leave the inner pipes in the reactor then it restricts all the airflow into the pile, which is the whole point of the tubular holes. Hope that helps!
Hey, I want to start my own bioreactor. I live in Georgia, Do you know anyone who has a bioreactor that is ready and I could get a "seed" from?
It may be worthwhile to get in touch with Georgia Organics or your local extension agent, as they're going to have a better grasp on the resources in Georgia than we will :)
How hot does this pile get, and sustain itself once activated?
Thanks for watching! The Johnson-Su bioreactor has a very short thermophilic phase (145-165 F) of 4-5 days, after which it is recommended that you add red wriggler worms.
See this doc for more info: case.nmsu.edu/case/pasodelnorteagriculturalworkshops/documents/Johnson-Su_Bioreactor_BMP.pdf
great question and answer, I didn't even think to ask that
@@CFSACarolinaFarm I can no longer access this document. Is there another link I can use?
Hi, good video thanks. Im about to make one of these bioreactors, and am wondering why the pipes need to have holes in them if, after 24 hours of settling, the pipes are removed? I'm a bit confused... is it so that the material starts composting immediately? Could I just use normal pipe and not go through the hassle of drilling all the holes?
Dr. Johnson said it doesn’t need to be perforated pipe. The instructional video he made showed that’s what he used but he said that’s only because that’s what he had on hand. I haven’t built one yet, so I’m in the same boat as you, but I have watched a whole bunch of vids on it. It could be argued that the perforated pipe gets some air into the pile sooner. But they’re typically removed after 24-48 hours and shouldn’t go anaerobic in that time. Best of luck!
@@Doitallgp Thank you, yeah that makes sense. It wouldn't be going anaerobic in just 24 hrs. the pipes are really just there for the structure and then they're removed. Off to make it today, best of luck to you too!
@@Akira-tz4zd The perforated pipe is thinner walled pvc and is cheaper than its counterpart plumbing piece for a closed line. That’s the reason lol
A lot of videos out on this but none show the end result. How is this better than my hot compost pile that's ready after only 6 of our coldest months?
Why perforated pipe and not solid? Is 12" enough for air flow even at the bottom where it gets compacted? How is this better than my hot compost pile that's ready after only 6 of our coldest months?
The Johnson Su BioReactor is for those who wish to compost but do not want to turn their compost. The vertical tubes allow continuous aeration. In short, it is a longer decomposition process but does require any work (turning) after the material is added to the reactor. Decomposition in this system takes approximately 1 year to complete.
The goal is not to create compost in a hurry, but to allow it to mature once finished, the the fugal growth can really develop. I have seen videos of the end result and the material is indeed a thick almost clay-like texture. Your hot compost will be bacterially dominant, whereas the JS product will be more fungal dominant. The pipe does not need to be perforated. That’s just how the stuff comes as drainage pipe. Use what you have, or can get for cheap. Some people use fence posts... just a bit tougher to remove.
8 months?
What ingredients to put in it?
Anything that rots... she said it in the video. Wood chips should be less than 3/8” or 1cm
I just want to add, I think Su johnson bioreactor sounds better than Johnson su bioreactor
Thanks for your feedback!
Sue Johnson is a lady I know LOL. the inventors,. Drs. Johnson and Su, got to choose the name, not us.