Designing a New Compost Bioreactor | DESIGN SPECS and QUESTIONS ANSWERED

[@danieltyrkiel6438]

Hi Diego. A guy who worked in our lab here in the UK got excited last year with your design, and we built one. We used some older pre-composted material and fresh ramial wood chips. Seven months on, and I asked one of the lab techs to do an assay. It achieved the highest fungal to bacterial biomass ratio we've ever seen - almost 16 to 1. I thought you might enjoy this little outcome. Best wishes.

[@mattmccoy7364]

Thank you for posting your results!

[@sleepersix]

So it takes 7 months to reach the most fungal mass?

[@danieltyrkiel6438]

@@sleepersix it's variable.

[@losclaveles]

Dr Johnson says leave it for a full 12 months, to get the most variety in species of beneficial microorganisms. 99+ species at 12 months.

[@hughstinnette1771]

Dr Johnson also said keep it aerated; all mass has to be within one foot of air to avoid anaerobic decomposition, not Diego’s two feet. Let’s see who am I going to go with: a PhD soil microbiologist who has spent the past five years of his working on these problems, or some KZbin creators quest to “reinvent the wheel.” … researcher or “novel-ist”? The real story here is how was some lab in the “UK” able to take an anaerobically static pile process and make it aerobic with their magic - wait for it - (current buzzword) “ramial wood chips.”

[@willwillis2381]

First time I saw the ....reactor, I knew there could well be some improvement (same as with anything). Love the ... reactor but a better mouse trap would surely come along. Im too old for Hard, I like Easy and by golly you nailed it. Been a farmer all 73 years on earth and this does help mother earth. Cant do 100 pushups anymore but can sure build this. Thank you, great vid. Keep em comin!😊

[@NaturesAlwaysRight]

Thanks professor Diego. That looks like a way better design I'm gonna try this! Thanks for all your work on this.

[@ForTheFuture50]

NAR, that's awesome that you love to learn from all of the others as well!!!

[@erbauungstutztaufgnade1875]

😊👍🏼

[@mattmccoy7364]

Hey Steven or Diego, Any update on how results are going for this new iteration of the Johnson-Su Reactor? Anyone done any microscopy yet? Can't wait to see it!

[@johnmcginnis5201]

Construction hint. Find a defunct childrens bike that has 20" wheels. Ziptie the wheels top and bottom to add rigidity. Run a single rod as a stake thru the bottom axle.

[@offgridcurtisstone]

Brilliant.

[@aphleesegurtra2820]

I'm here(again) because of you! Much morefree woodchips to make reactor for!

[@RejuvenateYourHealth]

Diego is amazing. Love all his numbers and stats to explain it all. So glad I haven't started my reactor yet. Planning to do the new and improved Diego one instead!

[@ftoftheX]

why not just make the inside screen cylinder a cone shape? seems it would make loading it a lot easier?

[@robdentremont1436]

@@ftoftheX That’s a great idea, not though that the mesh cone is so easy to make. How would you make one?

[@Mookummockup]

@@ftoftheX wouldn't that throw off the air penetration part of the design?

[@ryandoyle9674]

I've been looking for a creative trusted way to assemble a fungal / microbial dominant compost system and want to thank you for this design, thoughtful, simple, and sustainable ... I love it! I'm excited to get my own up and running, thanks Diego!!

[@nelsonolivera8059]

You are a great teacher! Thanks for taking the time to reveal the rationale behind the creation of the new project. I hope you make a bioreactor "slicing", separating portion of the compost horizontally by a foot or so in order the worms reside in an apt building complex.

[@dannycruz7968]

Recently discovered your channel and had to say that I appreciate what you're doing. There are so many ways for this to be utilized by enthusiasts and hobbyists alike. I think the real value with what you're doing will be seen in larger industrial farming. Good luck and keep up the good work!

[@broadforkacres4844]

Now I have a use for all this leftover hardware cloth laying around. Thanks for the idea!!!

[@Leeofthestorm]

I personally think that this is a huge potential improvement. I was leary of jumping into the original design because of all the plastic and it seemed super finicky to work with the way it was originally designed. I'd like to see the temp and biology stats done on the comparison, but I feel that it is likely not far off, given the spacing. Also, the worms will work their way in with that surface area/soil contact (rather than the pallet in the original design), aerating the bottom, and they will infiltrate the cooler outer zone even while the pile is initially hot. I think the latter can be improved by Inoculating the lower outer and inner edges of the pile rings with a bit more wet veg material and put the compost worms there right when you build it. They will climb the outer part of the pile as the composting begins, and then -when it cools- be in place, in volume to inoculate the full volume. The other improvement that might aid the system is planting potatoes all along the outside of the outer ring, and even the inside, and especially the top. (Further inoculation of worm food at these planting locations might be a good idea.) Plant every 1.5 feet (or so?), spaced alternate diagonally maybe as well as all around the top. Mulch with straw/hay/ramial chips or whatever as potatoes grow on the pile top. Plant the side ones about six inches in so they have space to root and tuber out a bit without being mulched outside. These are more the bonus crop that provides shade to the outer surface area. (an additional outer ring of concrete mesh filled with hay could also be put in place for the spuds to feed on and tuber out to, so, in that case you might get a large crop here too...?) These areas of the pile never get super hot in any compost and will give you a further incentive to water the thing, and the potatoes will tell you when they need water (by observation). The potato idea, as mentioned, will also reduce the evaporation/wind wicking problem that creates a hydrophobic biology on the exposed chips (which is why Johnson-Su has the outer landscape fabric). Thanks for your inspiring inovation and the seed for this brainstorm! I'll try to make it a reality in the spring! Peace.

[@xikano8573]

Spoken like a true engineering professor, Diego. Thanks! 🙏🏽

[@pauldoutsas8900]

Well done. Wish I had teachers like you in high school.

[@palitodeyerba]

It just makes all sense. Here in Colombia I found a mesh that can do all the job, it is used to sift sand; it is galvanized and strong enough to hold preasure and has much more than 80% of free space to let the air pass. Making a 5 feet with a one foot center by 3 feet high, its about a cubic meter of compost for just 10 dollar of material. Fair enough!!

[@Vinnie-cv5qv]

I wrapped mine with burlap fabric to keep it from drying and built it under a tree. I can water the siders through the burlap. I just loosely wrapped the burlap and held it in place with huge binder clips. The burlap looks nice.

[@StreetMachine18]

“Compost Doughnut!” Love it. i would make one this year. I have a roll of chicken wire fence i can use

[@ayalacrystal]

I'm thinking of building a similar bioreactor. But with welded fence, and cage clips to hold it in a circle. No bottom. I will hold the rings in place, at the bottom with long, homemade ground staples, like the ones you would use for landscaping fabric. But mine are about twice as long and made from coat hangers. I think, once it's filled, the top should hold itself. I'll let you know how it goes.

[@RJ_S_182]

agreed ... welded mesh is pretty strong .. not as strong as the reinforcement , but no need to tornado proof your compost.. hahah ....

[@kenbennett9818]

Anyone who says god doesn't give with both hands needs to take a look at this guy. Not only is Billy Corgan a hell of a song writer but now he's redesigning composting. Some people get it all smh.

[@edsaunders1897]

I actually laughed out loud.

[@keithbennett7514]

I bet he could really smash some pumpkins. Probably grows his own to smash. savage

[@junovhs4646]

You got me

[@monkeymanwasd1239]

the underlying talent is the same, creativity

[@lanesteele240]

Despite all his rage, it is still just some chips just to rot in a cage

[@tomahawkpermaculture6917]

Diego, thank you! Loving this breakdown and spreadsheet work! I also immediately thought of putting some 2 inch horizontal pipes at the bottom to improve an airflow chimney in the middle.

[@rubiccube8953]

We thought the same chimney effect use it.

[@krklsu9109]

THIS! The bioreactor needs something to allow air flow THROUGH the vent. His design will not work very well as designed.

[@mtlefty8687]

@@krklsu9109 I think his idea or horizontal pipes at bottom will take care or that issue.

[@HappySunshineDay]

I am SO glad I found this video before I went out and bought anything to begin building. Thanks, Prof. Diego, I'm subscribing!

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

You did a great job presenting your design and the idea behind it. I'm looking forward to trying out your variation come spring.

[@cchurch5037]

I love the no plastic option, have used chicken wire circles before but not the “Diego Donut” approach! Here in eastern Australia I find it very hard to keep the outer sections of my compost piles moist during much of the year - even with regular watering. wondering if get some large cardboard and tie it on to the concrete mesh on the outer ring to reduce wind drying effects - won’t last forever but should go a few months before it needs replacing?

[@vinceyong9561]

This video couldn’t come at a better time. I’m just about to start my 2nd batch. Thanks Diego. 👍

[@ronniemcmaster8657]

I have a few questions. If you've done both then and took the measurements while completing the composting. 1. Does the larger center hole and the lack of weed fabric prevent the outer areas from getting hot enough to burn off seed, ie 131F degrees? 2. Do the inner and outer surfaces end up having a harder time staying moist? 3. Does the lack of pallets hinder the natural flow of air created by the center air warming and rising to pull in the cool air, as it would be happening when using the pallet(s)? Thanks for the great ideas. My plan is to fill a reactor in the fall and again in the spring using the wood chips from the chicken pen, which will have the poop and the added leftovers of garden materials mixed in by the constant scratching.

[@erindepaz771]

I wondered the same thing (your #1 question) since everyone says “build your pile at least 3 ft high and 3 ft wide to give it enough mass to heat up properly.” Reading through the other comments, it looks like this style is better for a non-thermophilic compost pile. I was kind of hoping I could do a traditional thermophilic pile but without having to turn it (because of the center hole providing the airflow), but this method doesn’t even heat up that much. He did mention at the beginning that it tended to produce a more fungally-dominant compost in the end (hot piles tend to be more bacteria-dominant, although Dr. Elaine says you can balance out the bacteria-fungus ratio by adding fungal foods after the pile has finished/cooled off.)

[@shpuply]

I have no lack of inputs on my property,I do believe I'll be building one of your reactors when the snow abates here in Maine. Thanks again Diego!

[@lloydedmonds8775]

I have this material laying around and thought to use it for holding compost. Now, thanks to you; I have a plan! Thanks for sharing!

[@JorgePicco]

Calls your fear of using plastic unreasonable (phobia) then says "but I respect your feelings" Loved it.

[@courtneyheron1561]

I like how you have adapted the Johnson Su Bioreactor and came up with a version 2.0. I’ve been thinking about going more square/rectangular. Thanks for your contribution. Much appreciated Diego. 🙏. Also very grateful for Dr. David Johnson and his wife, the originators of the Johnson Su Bioreactor; their advanced biological expertise, original design concept and testing done to prove that this produces valuable fungal rich compost. Such a huge contribution in my book. Excited to see how your reactor, design upgrade, functions. Looks much easier and faster to build, fill and appears to possibly stay aerobic further along in the process. Collecting, preparing and filling these monsters sure take a bunch of time. I have to work on that part, especially because I plan to process many tons of leaves in the years to come. Thanks again 🙏😊

[@RobsAquaponics]

Nice one Diego. 👍👍Just finished ours off yesterday using an IBC cage as it's what I have laying around. Will post a pic & tag you it it in a tick. Any chance I can use some of this video as B-roll to point folks in the direction of your bioreactor playlist?

[@DiegoFooter]

Sure

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@DiegoFooter Thanks mate.😁 Also sent you an Email as I wasn't sure which you'd see. Cheers & have a top one.

[@robertmoats1890]

I like the design a lot. One issue you may run into is that you have a lot of wind and sun exposure on the outside, which bacteria and fungi don't seem to enjoy. One large benefit to your design that you didn't mention is that it would be very easy to water the material from the outside with a hose when it dries out too much. If I were building one of these, which I probably eventually will, I think I would still wrap the outside of the structure with some type of material, to block the sunlight and slow down the wind. I don't think there would be any type of exposure issue on the inside mesh - especially with some type of top covering. So I think just wrapping the outside mesh with any type of fabric would benefit the design. And you wouldn't necessarily need to sew the fabric onto the wire - you could just wrap it around, and tuck it into the mesh after you fill it.

[@beninspain5650]

Building my Diego-Foo bioreactor today .

[@texaspatty4697]

This reminds me very much of a keyhole garden without the wedge. Also this is taller than the keyhole garden. What would happen if, after maybe the first year of composting, you topped the reactor with a layer of good garden soul, and right away planted seeds and seedlings heavily on the surface, to hold the top soil in place. The plants could be watered lightly to train them to send their roots down to the compost. Voila, a garden.

[@bartverellen2765]

thank you for sharing : I would keep the black tarp (around, on top, and at the inner circle) in order to protect the compost material against the sun, (that is killing of micro-organism when direct exposure is taking place) , also the tarp prevents better the drying out , keeping it better moist at the outside circle.

[@steffipavitti]

Put a bin lid over the centre hole while you fill with material 🤔

[@davidsawyer1599]

Hey Diego You knocked it outta the park Brother! Simple is better. Labor saving. Huge cost savings. Thanks.

[@wesbaumguardner8829]

How are you going to keep your thermal mass, though? I thought you needed at least 3ftx3ftx3ft to maintain the thermal mass to keep the decomposition process going. If you only have a 2 ft wide thermal mass, you are going to be losing a lot of heat from all sides.

[@jeffreydustin5303]

What about a roof like a garbage can lid? Would that retain enough rising hot air to get some decomp going?

[@wesbaumguardner8829]

@@jeffreydustin5303 A radiant barrier above the bioreactor could help retain the heat, but it would also reduce airflow. However, even doing that would simply allow the heat to radiate out the sides. It just seems like the mass should be bigger, to me.

[@motc4944]

This is a really interesting concept for supplemental composting. I think you may be on the right path with the handful of 2ft drain tiles at the bottom (if there turns out to be a venting issue) the heat inside will create an updraft in the core that'll actually pull the air through the pipes. Also, maybe consider a chicken wire cap/nose-cone over the center cylinder? Probably help with the less fuss theme (less aim involved when tossing 5.5yds of stuff in a 6ft tall structure)...my humble $0.02 and thanks for taking the time to explain it through :-)

[@lukewilliams7860]

Awesome video. Flawlessly delivered.

[@GreenlandRobot]

Only things I would add are wire over the top of the air tube so you can't accidentally fill it when loading and an easy to open front for the outer ring to empty it out when fully composted. Going to use this design!

[@SeaJay_Oceans]

Keep it Sweet and Simple - Great Idea, two rings, it works !

[@gasguzzler69]

interesting cant wait to see the next video of it in action. i saw the idea on rob bob's channel , linked to you. he is local i follow, now i have to build and try it out.

[@tron975]

Nice freehand circle on the whiteboard.

[@PoppaJep]

Grateful to have found this video because I have been reluctant to use the traditional system due to aesthetics. Thank you for refining this bioreactor design to be more pleasing to the eye. Not a big fan of using a wood chipper so I am going to try your system with some larger branches and stumps in the mix. Time will tell, right?

[@richstone2627]

First rate presentation. I like how you show your data to back up your design. I'll definitely have to build one of these but it won't be until may or later because it's cold and snowy here now. Look forward to the build video. Thank you

[@justgivemethetruth]

Cool, great presentation. A little logic and clear linear thinking is rare on YT. Can't wait to see the next video.

[@FixitBrian]

Did the work! Thanks for the simplified design! Filled mine today!

[@LiberalinOregon]

What a great idea. I’m going to try your method.

[@busker153]

I am planning to try this! I agree...you can't have too much compost!

[@andreacioni305]

Your way to explain things is amazing. Keep going>>>>>>. And thank you!

[@trent5098]

It's already been said but I think you need the single pipe running from outside to the inner column to ensure you're getting good airflow into the inner column.

[@MrMoekanz]

Fantastic Diego. Great improvements and comparisons.

[@RichardRoy2]

Yeah, I like the change to chicken wire instead of fabric. I'd prefer the donut, too. I'm thinking I don't know whether the off gasses are heavier than the air, so I'd go with an under support to either allow heavy off gassing to fall out, or light off gassing to rise out, and allow air to come up from below. So I'd stick with the pallet for air circulation. I know, the pallet won't fit, but I'd place four small pallets for the large ring, and a single pallet in the center for the little ring.

[@mynjgarden]

I love this. Thanks! I have a Geobin I hadn't been using. I think I'll set that up with a chicken wire ring in the inside leaving a 2' space for compost ingredients. Looks like a solid plan!

[@dougzale9136]

Great idea I like your ideas I live in northern Alberta Edmonton and I can see this helping. To lengthen my season I would start clean in the spring full it all summer then in the fall push the filling with leaves and grass clippings till full then fill the inside last near December with leaves and grass to hot compost in the middle warming the pile for the winter months

[@rachelholdt6840]

I'll be building at least one of these this year in my greenhouse. I love this simplified idea! I'll probably use rolled fencing instead of the concrete wire as that's what I'll have aroundn and I'll probably make it 4-5' diameter with a 1' center tube instead. Awesome design!

[@ranchoraccolto]

I have been doing that diego, also inspired on the coments on your video!!! Its been a blessing!! But i opted for smaller with just a single pipe in the center! To ensure the air flow... no need for bottom ones to increase air flow worms did colonise and everything is flowing really well, im living at the caribbean and i have broke down palm and sawdust!!! Withing 4 to 5 months!!! But i believe thar weather and biology does add to it!

[@8082Speed]

Love this and your work. I plan on making several of these this spring. One on a pallet, one on the ground, a J-S, and a D-F with the ground cover wrap. I have plenty of woven wire fence, so I’ll be using that instead of the concrete mesh. I’ll let you know how it goes in 12 months.

[@psucarrierae]

How did it go?

[@8082Speed]

The horse manure made very good high fungal compost. The one with wood chips and horse manure still had chips in it, but was very good compost. I have 2 going right now, one is just leaves, the other is horse manure with leaves about a foot deep on top. I’ll open them in May. I am going to use this material as a compost tea this year.

[@DJ-uk5mm]

Love your content man. Keep going. Thanks

[@Change-Maker]

I wonder if having smaller tubes might have better updraft effect like a chimney as opposed to that big center single opening.

[@TomofAllTrades]

Great video. It seems like you did a lot of the science. Thanks for sharing you thoughts and the logic behind it.👍🏼

[@benthere8051]

You met the one-foot criterion in grand style. I like it.

[@pauljolstead2752]

What if you laid a soaker hose within the pile and spiral it up as you build your pile, a long, slow, coil ?

[@DiegoFooter]

Not a bad idea.

[@pauljolstead2752]

@@DiegoFooter IKR!? I’ll let you know. I’ll start mine in a month or so.

[@frshortop]

@@pauljolstead2752 Paul - I did this on my third batch and it worked. I used the hole 25 feet as it came. Keep in mind that the pile height will reduce by approximately 50%. 25 feet embedded in the pile has the potential to influence the pattern of pile settling and therefore may lead to some blockages of the natural chimneys. I am now trying 12 feet placed moreso towards the outside of the circle and moreso in the top 25% of the original pile. I have stopped worrying about dryleaves at the top and dry leaves at the sides. They are just my moisture containing mulch as it were.

[@thomasdevoogt1655]

Very cool. I’d wonder if you could skip the chicken wire if you were to replace the concrete mesh with 2x4 welded wire. I’ve used this to keep my hot pile tidier and there’s still minimal spillage...I’d guess even less with a static pile.

[@BareMtnFarm]

Hey Diego, your engineering mind really shows through on this one! Well done!

[@mandiegarrett1706]

I like your version. Yes, I will experiment with JS-Footer design...lol.

[@saschathinius7082]

well done, I have been myself on the same train of thought.... now I have to do the food to metric conversations, because I live in Germany and think in meters not feet

[@knoll9812]

Air input is beneficial. I dig a trench and bury a pipe to get air to centre if the pile. There is a hole at ithe end snd u direct aur with a bent sheet if hardboard

[@RA-rf4nz]

Diego Diego Diego. You're making it more complicated than it has to be. You need to think outside the pipes and circles. The key seems to be that all compost material must be within 1 foot of an aeration surface, correct? Hence the magic 2-foot thickness of any composting volume. That is all we need to design around, a 2-foot thickness of composting volume. From there, the designs are infinite -- ok, well maybe not infinite but certainly geometric. People can make 2-foot by 2-foot columns, or 2-foot thick walls of any length, or 2-foot thick rings, or 2-foot thick "U" structures, or whatever geometric shape so long as the 2-foot thickness rule is maintained. Thanks for the magic 2-foot thickness Johnson Rule! And the Diego concrete mesh & chicken wire materials design.

[@DiegoFooter]

True and good point. The problem with a 2ft column is you need to make a lot of columns to get volume. But I like the line of thinking.

[@RA-rf4nz]

@@DiegoFooter Yes but for folks with limited space or composting source material, a 2-foot column might be ideal .... like your trash can composters, or perhaps using recycled 55-gallon HDPE drums riddled with holes? Anyway, there is a composting scale for everybody. The key being that minimum distance of composting material to aeration surface to keep it in aerobic state.

[@acctsys]

Once you go to columns, the next progression is towards hexagons, like how bees do it. Hexagons are the bestagons. I think though that as Diego said, you'll bump into problems with supply of material though before you get to that point. I think the Diego reactor design has the balance of practicality, beauty, and function.

[@acctsys]

@@RA-rf4nz It makes me wonder though. Hot compost requires a minimum of 1sqm, or a little over 3 ft wide. Does it mean that hot compost isn't aerated? It makes me wonder if 8 ft wide bio reactor is good with 3-2-3 outer inner outer portions.

[@RA-rf4nz]

@@acctsys Hot composting is a different method than bioreactor approach. Hot Composting requires frequent turning for aeration. Bioreactor requires no turning but does require minimum of 1 foot from an aeration surface to prevent anaerobic conditions.

[@cultivatebendfarms]

Absolutely awesome video, ready for the next class in session

[@rockwiththeuniverse]

Thank you. I love this design. I will use this one for sure.

[@arvbnb9735]

Excellent presentation! I was familiar with the JS bioreactor before but have a better sense of the process after viewing your videos on the system. Plan on incorporating them into my urban San Diego garden soon.

[@hejaz02]

Well done. Deigo. Thanks.

[@phillipbertrand8514]

How high are the walls? Whe.n I make mine I plan to make the center ring at least 2 feet higher to facilitate filling.

[@StefanoCreatini]

Nice work Diego! Totally going to try this

[@StefanoCreatini]

I'm curious how the temps will handle, will it get hot enough to kill weed seeds. 🤔

[@marcelinomeincke2176]

Is it there some biology comparision study between the two metodologies? Other point is the behavior of the temperature, any data to show?

[@davidfry9042]

I like.... gonna build one as soon as it warms up.... great videos D....

[@VanillaAttila]

Awesome. I am thinking that compost bays should be 2 feet deep rather than traditional 1 meter using pallets. Easier to manage too, and also more likely to be able to fill for homesteaders who aren't market gardeners. Will be modifying mine this spring.

[@dadovfonacier]

Powerfully innovative!

[@SWGreenDesert]

I don’t believe you gave the measurements for the linear length of fence material to achieve a 2’ diameter Inner circle and the 6’ outer circle. Do you have that?

[@thericecrispydotcom]

Low/medium height bioreactor rings around young fruit trees? Grow beans on outer perimeter? Great ideas Diego. Thanks!

[@nelsonolivera8059]

Great idea! I think it's work to have red worms bioreactor between trees.

[@thericecrispydotcom]

I'm reconsidering the fruit tree idea. Roots may travel up into the temporary ring. And of course trees love to breathe like the rest of us -- however I figured there would be enough air circulation given the doughnut whole. The roots are quite concerning though. Probably too much work to be extra careful around young trees. Growing beans all over the towers with many smaller towers throughout the gardens is my plan. Should shield the towers from our blustery winds that dry out anything above grade pretty quickly.

[@datdude212]

I built one of your designs over the weekend. There’s plenty of space to get a rake into the donut, very easy for spreading the material around. Takes lots of material.

[@AMW635]

How tall does it need to be?

[@datdude212]

@@AMW635 I don’t know if there’s a height requirement since this is a passive compost. I think 3 ft initially would be fine. The fencing panels I’m using is 5ft tall. I might not even make it to the top...

[@brianguichet4047]

You can always add a sprinkler and a box fan on top and really speed it up.

[@ricardopelc-wesoly3483]

7:50 in-I remember back in the 70's winning 50p in Art class for drawing a perfect circle, there something to be said about us left handers.

[@finagill]

Just curious as to if you tested this without the concrete mesh for the middle tube. It seems like the chicken wire should be strong enough since you are using T posts as well.

[@TigerLilyGzzTLRoars]

Terrific vid. Wondering if I could plant some stuff around the fencing to harvest stuff for chickens (or me) to eat.

[@DiegoFooter]

Good idea. Put up some vining crops.

[@johnsiu7217]

Very good ideas. Thanks!

[@tylerblack3508]

I wonder how much the tube width relative to tube length affects temperature and therefore upward air velocity? Like chimney length and width with creating the draft for smoke to rise out. Also a reason for having it elevated on the pallet? To bring colder ground level fresh air up through the tube and out in a convection current?

[@milkweed7678]

Neat stuff! Why not make one 2 foot wide any reasonable height a lengtht you want? Pipes or no pipes. Like a wall getting air on both sides. Thanks for sharing!

[@DiegoFooter]

Because to get volume you need a lot of pipes. A bigger one doesn’t take that much longer to make. But you could and have a good point.

[@krklsu9109]

I really like that you are trying to improve on a technique that is already very effective because I do agree the pipes are a pain to mess with when filling and such, but I don't think you really understand how the bioreactor works if you think the pallet isn't important. The pallet is absolutely essential. It will not work properly without it. It's how the air flows through the vent holes and hence aerate the compost. It seems like you think the air is supposed to circulate from the top and down into the vent holes. That's just not how it is designed to work. The pallet allows air to flow "THROUGH" the vents from bottom to top or vice versa. Now maybe your new design will work "better" without a pallet, but I would think it still would not have enough air flow to be near as efficient as if it had a pallet.

[@jeffreydustin5303]

What if you used a roll of welded wire on the bottom instead of pallet and stones to keep the unit off the ground and allow air flow. I figure you've already bought a roll of wire, why not snip off some more for the floor of the unit? Not everyone has pallet access. You could hog ring the floor to the upright parts of the unit to keep them in place and wouldn't need a welded spacer as in the original design. Most of us are not welders.

[@krklsu9109]

@@jeffreydustin5303 yeah, it doesn't have to be a pallet per se, there just needs to be something to allow air to flow "THROUGH' the vent. You don't even have to elevate the entire pile. If you did just the center vent as he suggests in the video, then add some sort of pipe or venting going through the bottom of the pile from outside the pile to the vent to allow air to completely flow through. With the 6 vents, as in original reactor design, the bottom of each vent would somehow need to be vented to the outside of the pile.

[@dans3718]

@@krklsu9109 Personally, I suspect ground contact is better than ground separated. There might be a better hybrid solution though, better aeration at base but still partial direct ground contact. Maybe take 3 of those pipes and lay them horizontally across the bottom right on the ground. But maybe the pallet design is already allowing direct ground contact enough. Have only seen vids of the Johnson-Su, haven't had a chance to examine one to see exactly what's going on down there.

[@krklsu9109]

@@dans3718 Ground contact may be better if you don't want to add worms yourself... as long as you can provide ventilation like you said and he did mention at the end of the video. It's just that he doesn't seem to know how important it is. He mentioned it as if it's optional when really it's a requirement if you want to duplicate the Johnson-Su bioreactor. With the pallet design there is no ground contact, and that doesn't bother me at all because its easy to add the worms. Worms are pretty cheap to buy, plus you can buy specifically the Red Wigglers that are MUCH better at composting than regular earth worms (nightcrawlers), which are mostly what you will get in your compost if you are just relying on ground contact.

[@mtlefty8687]

@@krklsu9109 Can red wigglers survive cold winters?

[@danielpinasco]

Thank you, Diego! excelent improvement! congratulations my bro! =) i will try it, instead of try the jhonson sue Bioreactor.

[@markstevenson9080]

Did you keep a record of the decomposition temperatures generated by the old and new designs, please? Thank you!

[@DiegoFooter]

No

[@unsilentzone3357]

You are awesome, keep these idea videos coming!

[@GeoffHou]

Nice idea. I wonder if you have the scientific data like temperature over the first week and fungal analysis to support the statements.

[@diegonavas2888]

Hi. My name is Diego too. I'm from south américa. I have one question. The leaves have to be dry. Or after cut i can feed the bioreactor? Thanks Diego

[@DiegoFooter]

Either dry or green. Doesn’t matter.

[@bonho8913]

A 6' wide pile seems very big compared to a regular 3 to 4' pile. Would a 1' center cylinder suffices, so that the outer circle is still 2' which adds to 5' in diameter? 1 1' center circle seems big enough for air to freely flow.

[@salmeli5886]

are you putting anything on top to control water/rain?

[@RafaelUnplugged]

Great math. Do you think combining two geobins to hit the 6’ and taping maybe 6-8 pipes you use as the center tube would work almost as well? This is I think a great upgrade. The pipes in the middle are a pain in the butt haha

[@DiegoFooter]

I would just use one Geobin and put a piece of PVC in the center. I have been using that system and it works great.

[@RafaelUnplugged]

@@DiegoFooter I actually found the same ones you have and they are great

[@maca6240]

Gracias desde España 🇪🇦👏👏👏

[@dave-in-nj9393]

couple of comments about design. #1) the original Johnson Su design. the design goals were A) to make it portable, ergo the pallet, B) from your interview with David, to have no more than 6 to 12 inches of space for access to air my C) is air flow. by having a passage from the bottom to the top to allow air to flow all the way through, like a chimney. The stagnant air pocket by dead ending on the ground eliminates that continual flow of air. - to expound on the need for flow. If one cubic mile of air contains X species (say 500) of fungus, with a concentration 10,000 per unit all the way down to 1 per unit, the flow may (just making up numbers here) pass 10 cubic miles of air over a year, the stagnant bottom version might expose the pile to 1/10th of 1 cubic mile due to wind. = On the plus side, your vastly larger opening will have a much greater surface area and that should offer more access to that minute quantity of fungi that many only see after a second year run. = interestingly, and way off topic. but human space travel will be un-believably sterile as compared to our terrestrial existence.

[@tokpek2555]

I did my Johnson Su Bioreactor concept by making it recteangular in shape of 2 ft x 4 ft and left out the pipes .

[@Happy.Chappy]

And what were the results!?

[@petesmit33]

Stupid question maybe but does it have to be round (cylindrical) or could it be like a Gabion basket (Cuboid)?