One of my students did the same thing you did. his 55 gal steamer was running and he forgot to turn on the water. When he turned on the water it pullee a vacuum and crushed the drum. Steam is some powerful stuff! Those fittings are bulkhead or weldless fittings and the quick connectors are called cam locks for anyone looking into it.
Hey man I finally got round to building one of these setups myself and I just wanted to thank you as your video here was instrumental. Works pretty well since brewing equipment is high quality. Thick Stainless was a ball ache to drill though!
Hey dude! Glad you could find my videos educating enough that you went and built one! I stuffed one drill bit before I learnt that you need to drill stainless very slowly to stop it from hardening!
@@OakandSpore I had to work a few things myself out in the details but the video is certainly educational. Understanding all the brewing equipment and feeling confident to do the wiring on the heating element and PID controller was steps not included. Even tips on drilling stainless pots, the info is out there it's just all scattered, which is why a video like your where is useful. If you ever make another video on these I think others would find those things useful. Hail to small grows!
Get in there mate! Loved the safety crocs.... Really appreciate your to the point and generous sharing of techniques. This is what RUclips should be about...
Nice system, thanks for the video. To prevent dry run, you might want to look into adding a thermal fuse at 130C/150C. I have one on my barrel sterilizer and it saved my unit already once when the valve disfunctioned.
3:36 Early warning 20kg weight plate system installed there as well, basically if one of those plates hits the roof, you know something has gone wrong with the sterilizing rig.
Oak and Spore - the answer to the question "How do I learn about growing mushrooms AND laugh my ass off?" Thank you Tom! I'm sat here watching all of your videos rather than other mushroom channels, because they're the most fun :)
Thank you for linking all the parts! Best mush channel on RUclips. So excited to up my game, I will be using my pressure cooker filled with water and a propane burner as my boiler instead tho
That's a pretty nifty system you've built there. 30 years ago I made something similar for generating steam to pasteurize straw and compost. Set a 30 gallon metal trash can I'd insulated and brazed a steam output tube to, on a propane burner and ran a hose into an insulted box I'd built that could handle a whole bails worth of chopped/wetted straw or hundreds of pounds of compost. Yours is much more professional looking I have to say. 🍄
Thanks for posting this! I am making one with an 80 qt pot and a 1" steam pipe. I'll be using steel pipe between the pot "boiler" and pasturization chamber. I'm hoping to use it in conjunction with an old deep freeze to sterilize mushroom bags for my mushroom business. We'll see what happens. Either way it will work with a drum if the freezer doesn't work out. I appreciate your efforts!
What type of barrel did you use? I noticed the lid looks like it has dome shape on the underside of it. I am looking at purchasing a used 55gal food grade barrel
This is what I've been looking for. Thank you so much. I can't wait to bring gourmet mushrooms to my area. How much did that this your electric bill and how many days a month do you run it.
@@OakandSpore is there no scope of solar or some alternative renewable power source . Cost could be a factor but I hope over time it will be economical
I have a 150L autoclave with the element in with the water and substrate (ie a pressurized bubba's barrel). I am terrified of the water level. Luckily it only uses about 1/2 cup of water a cycle (no constant venting as it is in my house!) and takes 7 gallons of water as a reservoir so I can forget about adding water for weeks. Dirt cheap from alibaba. Healicon brand. I'll make a video of it for you
I'm sure its amazon mixing things up But did you now on the items list that the element is a 2" link now and the tri-clap items show up as 1.5"? Also a few dead links ;)
Hey @OakandSpore, Thanks for all the info and the videos, really helpful! I’ve got a question, if you’ve got the time and knowledge, I’d be thankful for your reply. I’ve built an as exact replica as I could of yours. I’ve tried it a few times (with an empty barrel), but never gotten up to a 100c. My analog thermometer measure 97c and my digital one (PID) measures 92c(set the PID at 100c). My question is, if I’d fill the barrel full of bags. Would that help bringing the temperature up? I’m thinking less space to fill with steam and once the bags get hot, they help keeping the barrel warm. Please correct me if I’m wrong and what I can do to solve the problem, if it is a problem. Many thanks, Martin
Hello! Thank you for the video! Mush appreciated. I am trying to place a Amazon order so I can replicate this setup. I have locally sourced a 55 gallon drum. But plan to order everything else. Just to be certain before I place the order. Do I need 1 of everything in the list? Or is there some doubles? Thanks!
What is the surface area of your safety valve and how many PSI have you calculated to vent at with your ballast weight? I need to build a larger output unit (oil fired) that needs to run at 3 psi or less and considered the same gravity/ballast relief plate. It’s explosion proof! Thanks for your reply.
Thanks for your work and videos..I just don't understand where your PID is connected, to the barrel or to the steam generator? Thanks for advance for the answer, it will help a lot.
My bets: 1) it would wear out the larger fancier barrel faster, small pots are cheap to replace and 2) you could not use it while it's cooling down. Having the boiler separate means it would cool faster than the grain barrel and you could start a second grain barrel while the first cools.
I think you might want to turn the wrap around? The metallic part does IR reflection, so I'd think that would be a better internal layer, and then the closed cell foam on the outside to prevent conduction and convection? Maybe some ME that knows thermodynamics better could chime in and help? Either way, really awesome setup mate!
The link for the triclamp fitting is not the same size as the heating element! Triclam is 1.5 inches and heating element is 2 inches.... Am I missing something here?
i think this is better than a bubbas barrel. you can seal it which is great if you cant let the sterilizer cool down in a lab while the bags cool since they be sucking in air during that cool down. also you can make more than one barrel an rotate them out which is amazing. also you dont have the element an so forth in the same container as your substrate so you get more volume out of you barrel and can load more grain.
Bubbas barrells have their purpose and niche. I originally made one like bubbas, but after I nearly set fire to the substrate on the inside I decided to make the boiler separate.
I would still think you wouldn't want to completely seal it during cool down or the air inside shrinking as it cools would create a negative pressure issue - similar to what happened to the collapsing boiler but much less extreme and sudden (I imagine?). But maybe it isn't getting hot enough for that to be an issue? But I had the idea to seal it up completely with the exception of a small port with a filter on it to allow a small amount of air exchange just so that pressure can equalize but still keeping contams out of even that little opening... On the flip side, having it opened up more to the surrounding air would help it cool down faster if you were in an environment where you weren't worried about contams.
If ya cant tell ive been working on my own. Thanks so much for this video and the others. Theyve been a big help. One more question for you....what caused you to use that size pot for your streamer? Would you see a benefit of a smaller or larger one?
I used it because it was large enough that I could easily attach fittings to the side. Any smaller and the curvature of the pot stops a bulkhead from making a snug fitting, and they tend to leak.
@@OakandSpore thanks for the response. That makes sense. So a larger pot with less of a curvature would be better for the seal. I appreciate your videos. They've helped alot. Thanks
Cool video! Slowly getting everything I need to start growing. Quick question for you if you don’t mind, have you ever heard of someone adding spawn to sterilized grain instead of using a inoculation syringe or culture?
Oak and Spore Mushroom Farm thank you so much! I didn’t know if it would be to high of a contamination risk. I’ve only used pre bought syringes. It seems like it might be easier to just grow culture and leave it in the fridge so I can always have fresh spawn and not have to worry about the old stuff breaking down. I can also still use the syringes so I don’t have to worry as much about contamination
Ark Survivor there’s definitely contam risk if you’re doing a (colonized) grain-to-grain (sterilized) transfer so be sure use a flowhood or still air box and not to leave the jars open any longer than you need to! Happy growing🤘
How did you get the pid sensor into the steam barrel? Drill a hole and RTV silicone in place? Also I guess RTV silicone fine for the boiler lid as well?
May be building myself a simular setup, I am curious as to what those stainless barrels are used for, to give me a idea where to go looking for them... Brewing industry I am guessing?
They were for honey I believe. But they were far to expensive, I have a new plain old steel barrel which I am going to turn into a third steam drum. Steel does rust, but It should last a year or two, and it was only $20.
Awesome! Are you planning on showing us your PID control box/setup? Also, what size fittings are you using for your water inlet and Tri-clamp? This is fast becoming one of my favourite channels. Cheers.
I actually had filmed it but it was really out of focus, so I figure I will make a seperate video showing it. It's a copy of Myers Mushrooms PID controller, so I can't really take all the credit for it. The braided pipe should connect to the back of the float valve.
Can you tell me how high the intake hole from the bottom is? I found a brewery pot that has a precut whole 5.5in (14cm) from the bottom. Would that be to short for the same ballcock valve design you have?
What is the contamination rate of the bags when you do low temp sterilization like that, compared to pressure cooking, in percentage? I finally made boiler inspired by you. 2821 liters capacity steam room reached 99c in 50 mins with two propane burner boilers, and so I built 3626 liters room this time.
Citizen 2020 he said he is using a pid controller. You can buy a prefab one or kit off amazon. The heater would just be wired to a wall plug and plug into the pid. The pid plugs into the wall. The thermocoupler monitors the temp. The pid modulates power to maintain the temp.
Do you every get substrate batches contaminated with bacteria or other fungi/mold? I was under the impression that to fully sterilize the substrate, you need to expose it to high pressure and high temperature?
I never get contam. Most contaminants can generally be killed at a lower temperature, you just need to apply the heat for longer. Google Thermal death time.
Hey mate, what would you do If I don't have a quick source of water? I can store water in barrels, but currently don't have the option of taking a water hoe.. thank met, love your content!
Hey bro I have copied your setup exactly, I’m just wondering what temp do you set the PID at and and how often does the element turn on and off or is it constantly on? And where do you mount the probe for the PID I couldn’t see it mentioned in video, you have brewing thermometer and pressure valve on top but where does probe go? Thanks a lot love the videos
Mount the probe at the top of the steam barrel, not the boiler barrel. I set mine to 95c, and it runs for about 4-5 seconds, then turns off for about 5-10 seconds. If its really cold outside it turns on more often. When its heating up it's in constantly till it gets to 95.
@@OakandSpore thank you very much for the fast reply brother, I have 1 more question for you, if I am doing a grain batch and just sterilizing grain in this thing do you think a 24 hour run time at 93C + will suffice or should I go longer? I have a solar array so power is free and consumption isn’t an issue
Possibly, you always want to be more careful with grain spawn as it contaminates easily due to the high nutrition. You will just need to try and see how you go. I use an autoclave for my grain spawn.
Hey mate , made one of your steam boilers , thanks for sharing your knowledge , mine has a small hole to allow steam to escape , it seems to reach a maxium of about 92 degrees celsius , was wondering on what sort of temperature your aiming for and how long at the temp to sterilize , thanks in advance , keep up the good videos, have learnt so much from them , thanks
Hey dude, glad to see you made one! I set mine to 95c, and keep it there for aroudn 24 hours. I tested it at 92, but found I got a bunch of contam, so put it back to 95. If you want hotter try to insulate more. Otherwise just sterilise it for maybe 26-30 hours at 92.
@@OakandSpore , Thanks , will insulate it , to push the temp up a bit , was happy with the trail run , can't wait to fill her up , she's sitting nicely at 93 celcius and have it controlled of a brewing controller that's rated to 140 celcius powering a 2200 watt element , keep up the good work love your channel
Spoiler alert, It failed. But I have managed to grow from the spores of a dried morel which looks to be growing sclerotia on a petri dish, so it'll be round two of the experiment!
@@OakandSpore there are a few patents on proper cultivation of Morel, one in US and one in Asia somewhere, as far as I’m aware, slight adaptations of these patents are necessary not to infringe but if I remember correctly; one of the patents is about to run out (; I’ll race ya!
Hold on... Isnt this a pateurisation setup, if you treat your substrate only once? Or am i misunderstanding "sterilization"? Because the way i see it you need about 2 bar pressure to reach 121°c steam. And you would need to hold that temp for a while to kill spores... Or are you actually tyndallizing? Or am i just too nitpicky about the choice of words for the video title, because pasteurisation is "good enough" for substrate, and its more interesting for agar, liquid culture mix and grain spawn?
Pasteurization is usually done to a lower temperature, perhaps 80c, and only kills bad pathogens/bacteria. What I am doing with these barrels is heating them up to a few degrees below boiling, and keeping there there for a long enough period that It hits the thermal death curve, in an attempt to kill everything in the bag. I could be wrong, but that is my understanding.
Hi thanks for the detailed build info I have been using a similar build using a tea urn as a steam generation that also works fantastic I have now decided to install a pid I used the ink bird one but the settings are a little confusing could you list your settings please 👍
Writing from Argentina, South América (yeah: Messi, the Pope, etc). The elements within and the construcción itself of the boiler do not (at least to us where language might be the gap) show that clear to us. Is there any video of yours showing that in detail with some more description on parts and specs of elements therein? Thanks in advance for your help about this particular item. Best regards!!
You can use elements that are used in water heaters. Here in the US, home improvement stores sell replacement elements at different power ratings. Only problem is they are usually threaded into the tank and come with a gasket on the outside so you will have to find a nut, washer, and gasket to thread into the inside or a proper sized bulkhead to thread into. Check out these links and you should get an idea of how it works. Hope this helps. www.amazon.com/Camco-Screw-Foldback-Heater-Element/dp/B0002YUDSI/ www.amazon.com/Bulkhead-Connector-Stainless-Thru-Bulk-Fitting/dp/B07X41NXN3?th=1&psc=1
Super video Mr olympia , what if the tank is made from plastic? U know the blue tanks for rain water, .. could that do the thing? Or would the steam make it melt? I wil find this out, no need to answer on that, anyway, cool video
One of my students did the same thing you did. his 55 gal steamer was running and he forgot to turn on the water. When he turned on the water it pullee a vacuum and crushed the drum. Steam is some powerful stuff! Those fittings are bulkhead or weldless fittings and the quick connectors are called cam locks for anyone looking into it.
I am thinking a thermal fuse submerged underwater might be a good idea. One that will melt at 110c and kill the power if the water boils dry.
@@OakandSpore if your going that route, have it be the signal for your SSR not the high volt load wire. Should be a lot cheaper that way too.
No, you want to use a proper autoclave for that.
Hey man I finally got round to building one of these setups myself and I just wanted to thank you as your video here was instrumental. Works pretty well since brewing equipment is high quality. Thick Stainless was a ball ache to drill though!
Hey dude! Glad you could find my videos educating enough that you went and built one! I stuffed one drill bit before I learnt that you need to drill stainless very slowly to stop it from hardening!
@@OakandSpore I had to work a few things myself out in the details but the video is certainly educational. Understanding all the brewing equipment and feeling confident to do the wiring on the heating element and PID controller was steps not included. Even tips on drilling stainless pots, the info is out there it's just all scattered, which is why a video like your where is useful. If you ever make another video on these I think others would find those things useful. Hail to small grows!
Get in there mate! Loved the safety crocs.... Really appreciate your to the point and generous sharing of techniques. This is what RUclips should be about...
Nice system, thanks for the video. To prevent dry run, you might want to look into adding a thermal fuse at 130C/150C. I have one on my barrel sterilizer and it saved my unit already once when the valve disfunctioned.
That is a good idea. Do you have any specific ones you can reccomend?
@@OakandSpore I used 10A 150C, because it fits in the thermostat hole of my 2kw heating element. For your bigger one you'll need 16A/20A.
@@themushroomcircle-3995I'd like to see a video on it
3:36 Early warning 20kg weight plate system installed there as well, basically if one of those plates hits the roof, you know something has gone wrong with the sterilizing rig.
Chernobyl all over again...
I can't breath
Wish u went over how the thermocouple and PID are hooked up and work
Im having issues
Oak and Spore - the answer to the question "How do I learn about growing mushrooms AND laugh my ass off?" Thank you Tom! I'm sat here watching all of your videos rather than other mushroom channels, because they're the most fun :)
Thanks Corina! I am glad you enjoy my videos :D
Thank you for linking all the parts! Best mush channel on RUclips. So excited to up my game, I will be using my pressure cooker filled with water and a propane burner as my boiler instead tho
That's a pretty nifty system you've built there.
30 years ago I made something similar for generating steam to pasteurize straw and compost. Set a 30 gallon metal trash can I'd insulated and brazed a steam output tube to, on a propane burner and ran a hose into an insulted box I'd built that could handle a whole bails worth of chopped/wetted straw or hundreds of pounds of compost.
Yours is much more professional looking I have to say. 🍄
This is an awesome setup! Also, I LOVE your t shirt!
Cheers mate!
Thanks for posting this! I am making one with an 80 qt pot and a 1" steam pipe. I'll be using steel pipe between the pot "boiler" and pasturization chamber. I'm hoping to use it in conjunction with an old deep freeze to sterilize mushroom bags for my mushroom business. We'll see what happens. Either way it will work with a drum if the freezer doesn't work out. I appreciate your efforts!
Great vid mate. Very helpful. Where did you source the stainless barrel from?
Your a mad genius, I love your stuff !! Thank you for the video !!
Nice mussels mate, if you keep it up you will me Mr Olympia in no time.
This video features no seafood, sorry Mr Capon
@@OakandSpore Lol, sorry my spelling is not so good. Maybe you need some mussels to help build those muscles.
great vids, Im just starting out with buying kit - now added crocs to the list.
What type of barrel did you use? I noticed the lid looks like it has dome shape on the underside of it. I am looking at purchasing a used 55gal food grade barrel
What is the coldest outside temps you've ran this setup? Wondering if it would be struggling in very cold temps.
This is what I've been looking for. Thank you so much. I can't wait to bring gourmet mushrooms to my area. How much did that this your electric bill and how many days a month do you run it.
Thanks mate I run it twice a week, and my power bill is maybe 120usd per month for my whole operation.
@@OakandSpore is there no scope of solar or some alternative renewable power source . Cost could be a factor but I hope over time it will be economical
Is this sterelizer still recommended by you after 3 years for a beginner? Any changes that you would make?
Excellent. Keep working hard
Thanks for the support!
I have a 150L autoclave with the element in with the water and substrate (ie a pressurized bubba's barrel). I am terrified of the water level. Luckily it only uses about 1/2 cup of water a cycle (no constant venting as it is in my house!) and takes 7 gallons of water as a reservoir so I can forget about adding water for weeks. Dirt cheap from alibaba. Healicon brand. I'll make a video of it for you
Please do! This is what I need. I have an All American autoclave that uses like a cup of water each time, it's brilliant.
I'm sure its amazon mixing things up But did you now on the items list that the element is a 2" link now and the tri-clap items show up as 1.5"? Also a few dead links ;)
Hey @OakandSpore,
Thanks for all the info and the videos, really helpful!
I’ve got a question, if you’ve got the time and knowledge, I’d be thankful for your reply.
I’ve built an as exact replica as I could of yours. I’ve tried it a few times (with an empty barrel), but never gotten up to a 100c. My analog thermometer measure 97c and my digital one (PID) measures 92c(set the PID at 100c).
My question is, if I’d fill the barrel full of bags. Would that help bringing the temperature up? I’m thinking less space to fill with steam and once the bags get hot, they help keeping the barrel warm. Please correct me if I’m wrong and what I can do to solve the problem, if it is a problem.
Many thanks, Martin
Can you up the temperature with that set up? Around 121°c with the controller/programmer??
Hello! Thank you for the video! Mush appreciated. I am trying to place a Amazon order so I can replicate this setup. I have locally sourced a 55 gallon drum. But plan to order everything else. Just to be certain before I place the order. Do I need 1 of everything in the list? Or is there some doubles? Thanks!
What is the surface area of your safety valve and how many PSI have you calculated to vent at with your ballast weight? I need to build a larger output unit (oil fired) that needs to run at 3 psi or less and considered the same gravity/ballast relief plate. It’s explosion proof! Thanks for your reply.
I use a new unit now, I have it in a later video. It uses weight as well, and will vent even with a small amount of pressure. Very safe.
Thanks for your work and videos..I just don't understand where your PID is connected, to the barrel or to the steam generator?
Thanks for advance for the answer, it will help a lot.
Great video!
What kind of pressure regulator are you using on the end of that braided hose that’s attached to the float valve
Awesome, thanks for sharing
is there any reason we couldn't just use a pressure cooker attached to the barrel instead of a DIY boiler?
My bets: 1) it would wear out the larger fancier barrel faster, small pots are cheap to replace and 2) you could not use it while it's cooling down. Having the boiler separate means it would cool faster than the grain barrel and you could start a second grain barrel while the first cools.
I think you might want to turn the wrap around? The metallic part does IR reflection, so I'd think that would be a better internal layer, and then the closed cell foam on the outside to prevent conduction and convection? Maybe some ME that knows thermodynamics better could chime in and help?
Either way, really awesome setup mate!
I would defiantly like to know of that's the case! I would have thought the foil side would still reflect the IR even through the foam.
Great video. very informative.
Thanks for watching :)
Absolutely love it sir, what kind of heating elements did you use in the heating side??? Budget diy is my specialty so this is just epic 😎 👌 😍
Do you have to worry about that ball valve lowering and touching the element? If it touches will it short the unit?
The link for the triclamp fitting is not the same size as the heating element! Triclam is 1.5 inches and heating element is 2 inches.... Am I missing something here?
Did you use any kind of special fitting for securing the float valve to the stockpot?
How big is the hose for the steam pipe? Is the diameter of the Steam pipe important for efficiency ?
i think this is better than a bubbas barrel. you can seal it which is great if you cant let the sterilizer cool down in a lab while the bags cool since they be sucking in air during that cool down. also you can make more than one barrel an rotate them out which is amazing. also you dont have the element an so forth in the same container as your substrate so you get more volume out of you barrel and can load more grain.
Bubbas barrells have their purpose and niche. I originally made one like bubbas, but after I nearly set fire to the substrate on the inside I decided to make the boiler separate.
I would still think you wouldn't want to completely seal it during cool down or the air inside shrinking as it cools would create a negative pressure issue - similar to what happened to the collapsing boiler but much less extreme and sudden (I imagine?). But maybe it isn't getting hot enough for that to be an issue?
But I had the idea to seal it up completely with the exception of a small port with a filter on it to allow a small amount of air exchange just so that pressure can equalize but still keeping contams out of even that little opening...
On the flip side, having it opened up more to the surrounding air would help it cool down faster if you were in an environment where you weren't worried about contams.
new zealand humour are the best!
I loved you in “District 9”.
i love the OSHA approved steel toe crocs lol
Wouldnt be that barrel turned into an autoclave be more efficient?
Thanks . What temperature programs do you use? Or does the serializer run continuously for 24 hours? Thank you with best regards Ruslan from Hamburg
I use a PID to control temperature
Is your stock pot boiler aluminum?
Hey man. Great set up! Jw if you've finessed the sterilisation time yet? If so what have you got it down to? :D
If ya cant tell ive been working on my own. Thanks so much for this video and the others. Theyve been a big help. One more question for you....what caused you to use that size pot for your streamer? Would you see a benefit of a smaller or larger one?
I used it because it was large enough that I could easily attach fittings to the side. Any smaller and the curvature of the pot stops a bulkhead from making a snug fitting, and they tend to leak.
@@OakandSpore thanks for the response. That makes sense. So a larger pot with less of a curvature would be better for the seal. I appreciate your videos. They've helped alot. Thanks
loved the vid, i'm thinking about building one just like yours, thanks a bunch
Go for it!
@@OakandSpore cheers, can i ask a few questions, if you ahve an email id like to follow your template :-)
This will sterilize grain bags too right?
I really like this safe approach. Do you think the boiler is enough to steam 2 barrels at once?
No, really only 1 barrel. My bottle neck is that I can only do a single 55 gallon drum at a time.
with a bigger element sure you could hook up 2 or 3 drums. You would want at least 1500-2000w per drum.
Wouldnt a 55 gallon resealable lid drum be better for the boiler And even cheaper?
Love the vids Bro, question. Can you use a steel drum? Notice your one is stainless?
Cheers
You can, it'll just rust out fast.
Cool video! Slowly getting everything I need to start growing. Quick question for you if you don’t mind, have you ever heard of someone adding spawn to sterilized grain instead of using a inoculation syringe or culture?
Yes you can inoculate sterile grain with existing grain spawn! You don't want to keep doing it too many times though.
Oak and Spore Mushroom Farm thank you so much! I didn’t know if it would be to high of a contamination risk. I’ve only used pre bought syringes. It seems like it might be easier to just grow culture and leave it in the fridge so I can always have fresh spawn and not have to worry about the old stuff breaking down. I can also still use the syringes so I don’t have to worry as much about contamination
Ark Survivor there’s definitely contam risk if you’re doing a (colonized) grain-to-grain (sterilized) transfer so be sure use a flowhood or still air box and not to leave the jars open any longer than you need to! Happy growing🤘
@Oak and Spore Mushroom Farm
How much time do you run it now?
Awesome video thanks man
Very nice!
Does it work for grain as well ?
How did you get the pid sensor into the steam barrel? Drill a hole and RTV silicone in place? Also I guess RTV silicone fine for the boiler lid as well?
The thermo probe is threaded, so I drilled a hole and placed a small nut on it to hold it in.
Crocs? My good sir, it's your short shorts that are distracting me. All joking aside, I love your set up. Cheers.
We call them stubbies. Google 'kiwi stubbie' and you'll see them and their glory
What kind of tape did you use to stick it all together?
What type of bits did you use to drill stainless steel?
Where did you get the main stainless sterilising drum from?
What float valve are you using? Have you had any problems with it? I am looking at these online and it's hard to know which are complete junk.
I think I have a link to it in the about section.
May be building myself a simular setup, I am curious as to what those stainless barrels are used for, to give me a idea where to go looking for them... Brewing industry I am guessing?
They were for honey I believe. But they were far to expensive, I have a new plain old steel barrel which I am going to turn into a third steam drum. Steel does rust, but It should last a year or two, and it was only $20.
@@OakandSpore, add a zinc anode to prevent rusting. Just like your water heater in the house.
Is this efficient enough to sterilize grain?
Awesome! Are you planning on showing us your PID control box/setup? Also, what size fittings are you using for your water inlet and Tri-clamp?
This is fast becoming one of my favourite channels. Cheers.
I actually had filmed it but it was really out of focus, so I figure I will make a seperate video showing it. It's a copy of Myers Mushrooms PID controller, so I can't really take all the credit for it. The braided pipe should connect to the back of the float valve.
ruclips.net/video/uCx61lK7MdI/видео.html
How long do you steam your substrate bags?
About 24 hours
What kind of 240v PID controller do you have and where do I get it?
Home made
Can you tell me how high the intake hole from the bottom is? I found a brewery pot that has a precut whole 5.5in (14cm) from the bottom. Would that be to short for the same ballcock valve design you have?
Have you run into any contamination issues with steam sterilisation vs pressure sterilisation for slower growing mushrooms such as shiitake?
What is the contamination rate of the bags when you do low temp sterilization like that, compared to pressure cooking, in percentage? I finally made boiler inspired by you. 2821 liters capacity steam room reached 99c in 50 mins with two propane burner boilers, and so I built 3626 liters room this time.
my contam rate is near zero. I find spawn contams easy, mushroom substrate bags are more resistant to contams.
Where do you plug in your PID sensor, the 10-gallon kettle or the 55-gallon barrel? Do you make an extra hole for it or slip it under a lid?
It's in the 55 gallon, with a small hole drilled through the side about 2 inches down from the lid, with a small nut holding it in place.
Ok do you cool your bags infront of flow hood or just in the drum? Seems like some people want there drums in same room as the flow hood
Just the drum. My drums are on castors so I wheel them into the clean room.
Can you use a setup like this to sterilize bags of grain spawn? Second question: Does it not need to be pressurised to sterilise properly? Cheers!
Yes you could. You do not need pressure, you just need to cook it for longer if you don't use pressure. Google search the thermal death curve.
excelent
How did you wire up the heating element? Did you use a thermostat? Or did you sinply just wire it to a 110 outlet without a thermostat?
Citizen 2020 he said he is using a pid controller. You can buy a prefab one or kit off amazon. The heater would just be wired to a wall plug and plug into the pid. The pid plugs into the wall. The thermocoupler monitors the temp. The pid modulates power to maintain the temp.
How many gallon s is the steam tank barrel?
Do you every get substrate batches contaminated with bacteria or other fungi/mold? I was under the impression that to fully sterilize the substrate, you need to expose it to high pressure and high temperature?
I never get contam. Most contaminants can generally be killed at a lower temperature, you just need to apply the heat for longer. Google Thermal death time.
God I am so jealous of your setup
Hey mate, what would you do If I don't have a quick source of water?
I can store water in barrels, but currently don't have the option of taking a water hoe..
thank met, love your content!
Sorry maybe dumb question but you didnt show what heats the stock pot? Where is the heating elements?
There is an element inside.
What kind of temperature controller are you using?
Hey bro I have copied your setup exactly, I’m just wondering what temp do you set the PID at and and how often does the element turn on and off or is it constantly on? And where do you mount the probe for the PID I couldn’t see it mentioned in video, you have brewing thermometer and pressure valve on top but where does probe go? Thanks a lot love the videos
Mount the probe at the top of the steam barrel, not the boiler barrel. I set mine to 95c, and it runs for about 4-5 seconds, then turns off for about 5-10 seconds. If its really cold outside it turns on more often. When its heating up it's in constantly till it gets to 95.
@@OakandSpore thank you very much for the fast reply brother, I have 1 more question for you, if I am doing a grain batch and just sterilizing grain in this thing do you think a 24 hour run time at 93C + will suffice or should I go longer? I have a solar array so power is free and consumption isn’t an issue
Possibly, you always want to be more careful with grain spawn as it contaminates easily due to the high nutrition. You will just need to try and see how you go. I use an autoclave for my grain spawn.
Hey mate , made one of your steam boilers , thanks for sharing your knowledge , mine has a small hole to allow steam to escape , it seems to reach a maxium of about 92 degrees celsius , was wondering on what sort of temperature your aiming for and how long at the temp to sterilize , thanks in advance , keep up the good videos, have learnt so much from them , thanks
Hey dude, glad to see you made one! I set mine to 95c, and keep it there for aroudn 24 hours. I tested it at 92, but found I got a bunch of contam, so put it back to 95. If you want hotter try to insulate more. Otherwise just sterilise it for maybe 26-30 hours at 92.
@@OakandSpore , Thanks , will insulate it , to push the temp up a bit , was happy with the trail run , can't wait to fill her up , she's sitting nicely at 93 celcius and have it controlled of a brewing controller that's rated to 140 celcius powering a 2200 watt element , keep up the good work love your channel
Nice setup!
What's the status on your morel experiment? Is a video coming soon I hope 😎
Spoiler alert, It failed. But I have managed to grow from the spores of a dried morel which looks to be growing sclerotia on a petri dish, so it'll be round two of the experiment!
@@OakandSpore there are a few patents on proper cultivation of Morel, one in US and one in Asia somewhere, as far as I’m aware, slight adaptations of these patents are necessary not to infringe but if I remember correctly; one of the patents is about to run out (; I’ll race ya!
Hold on... Isnt this a pateurisation setup, if you treat your substrate only once? Or am i misunderstanding "sterilization"? Because the way i see it you need about 2 bar pressure to reach 121°c steam. And you would need to hold that temp for a while to kill spores... Or are you actually tyndallizing? Or am i just too nitpicky about the choice of words for the video title, because pasteurisation is "good enough" for substrate, and its more interesting for agar, liquid culture mix and grain spawn?
Pasteurization is usually done to a lower temperature, perhaps 80c, and only kills bad pathogens/bacteria. What I am doing with these barrels is heating them up to a few degrees below boiling, and keeping there there for a long enough period that It hits the thermal death curve, in an attempt to kill everything in the bag. I could be wrong, but that is my understanding.
Had a flick through all the component links. I got a figure of about $300 AU. Does that sound about right?
Yeah sounds about right. You'll need the pot and large stainless drum also, as well as a false floor which I don't think is listed.
Oak and Spore Mushroom Farm really want to make one.
Hi thanks for the detailed build info I have been using a similar build using a tea urn as a steam generation that also works fantastic I have now decided to install a pid I used the ink bird one but the settings are a little confusing could you list your settings please 👍
Do you have a link to the tea urn?
What is the PID controller and how can I get one
What are good substitutes for steam tank other than stainless steel? Can regular steel barrels work or how about plastic like trash cans?
They would work, just might rust out fast...
Are you the guy from the movie district 9? You look and sound identical
Can I use this to sterilise grain bags ?
Ha bud not sure if anyone has asked but how many substrate bags do you fit in your drum Also what size is the bag
Thanks
I would fit 21x 5kg bags in my 200L stainless drums.
Hello, can you share please some bag with filters suppliers? Thank you!!
Just wandering if you've had any problems with heat damaging the seal in the float valve?
No. It has degraded a little, and leaks if I keep the hose connected when it's not running. Otherwise the float valve is still going strong.
Thanks for the prompt reply. I'm a big fan from Tasmania, new Zealands ugly step sister.
Tasmania is ways welcome into the bosom of NZ. Together, we can throw stones at Victoria.
Writing from Argentina, South América (yeah: Messi, the Pope, etc). The elements within and the construcción itself of the boiler do not (at least to us where language might be the gap) show that clear to us. Is there any video of yours showing that in detail with some more description on parts and specs of elements therein? Thanks in advance for your help about this particular item. Best regards!!
You can use elements that are used in water heaters. Here in the US, home improvement stores sell replacement elements at different power ratings. Only problem is they are usually threaded into the tank and come with a gasket on the outside so you will have to find a nut, washer, and gasket to thread into the inside or a proper sized bulkhead to thread into. Check out these links and you should get an idea of how it works. Hope this helps.
www.amazon.com/Camco-Screw-Foldback-Heater-Element/dp/B0002YUDSI/
www.amazon.com/Bulkhead-Connector-Stainless-Thru-Bulk-Fitting/dp/B07X41NXN3?th=1&psc=1
Sonia, messi? We play rugby here, not soccer! I will look at doing a video update in due course.
What kind of valve is that on your barrel behing the quick connect? The connection for the steam line to the barrel. Thanks.
It's called a bulkhead. Search websites for home brewing equipment, that's where i get all my fittings from.
@@OakandSpore i did. Thanks. Ive already ordered it. Was supposed to be here yesterday. But shipping is all messed up currently
Wouldnt be better if the pipe is at 45 / 75 ° going up to the steam tank?
Becouse of the condensation in the curve of the pipe (?
yeah boi!
I've read a little about using fermentation process to part sterilise substrate, ever experimented with that?
No. Using steam is easy and straightforward.
Can you set a psi?
Super video Mr olympia , what if the tank is made from plastic? U know the blue tanks for rain water, .. could that do the thing? Or would the steam make it melt? I wil find this out, no need to answer on that, anyway, cool video
It will melt