HomeBiogas - unit overview & our experiences since 2019

[@jadeswormfarm]

Nice to hear Ozzie review on this product. Im always in two minds purchasing it as it can get abit cold here where I live (South Coast NSW). Thanks for the video

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

Hi Jade, We are in the Dandenong Ranges in Vic, so I expect a bit cooler conditions too. Glad this has been helpful info. I must admitvthat when we got it, there wasn't much info. But I am still super glad we bought it 😀

[@jadeswormfarm]

@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus Any feedback/thoughts on the quality of the liquid fertiliser it's making ? Do you use it at all ?

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

@Jade's Worm Farm I use all of it in my gardens and also pour on my compost. I would however love to test it. It would be different in make-up based on what is fed into it. Im also thinking of doing a test with plants watered with it and without.

[@jadeswormfarm]

@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus That would be an awesome experiment. I look forward to seeing your video on it 🙏

[@dailyrider2975]

You can combo the gas and solar. To compensate for cloudy days of winter we "over sized" our solar. So in summer you can use electricity till it starts to get some battery usage and switch over to the biogas for longer cooking. Maximize your resources as biogas also nice for instant heat for outdoor shower.

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

There are bigger units available now too, that would would be better than our version if people were keen to use Biogas for uses beyond the burner. Good plan maximising the solar.

[@brendanadams1572]

Thanks for sharing! I've had one of these for a few years now in Albury, NSW. I still get joy from cooking with what would otherwise be waste and can absolutely recommend them. Mine is not in the ideal spot, but I'm on a suburban block with limited options for positioning and in winter it does stop stop producing gas. I'm thinking a greenhouse might help so will do that before next winter and see how it goes. I'll be moving to my parents farm in the next few years and thought I'd set one up there with the biotoilet as well. Looks like you're in a lovely environment!

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

Thanks Brendan. Great to hear from a fellow Aussie user. It is pretty great knowing what was going to waste is making you free gas 😀

[@livewild2559]

How much fuel do you need to give

[@UrbanHomesteadArtist]

Facinating! I’ve never heard of them before. Thanks for the introduction Rachel

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

It is so great for properties like ours up here in the Ranges with no gas. And such a great resource from waste. It is taking quite a bit of fruit fall at the moment from what the birds and possums are dropping.

[@Russmayra]

The biogas can also be used to power a gas generator wich can in turn charge batteries for later use. Amazing love it

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

It is amazing to see some of the things people do with them on the HomeBiogas Owners Facebook group

[@lifestyleadventures7327]

Awesome video, would you be happy to share where you buy your canning jars, steamer, pressure cooker and dehydrator please 🙏 I can only find them on Amazon.

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

Most definitely 😀 I filmed this quite a while back on the fly, with this being a question I hear people ask often. There are a few places we use and this runs through my equiptment and places like ozfarmer, Aussie mason and amazon we use. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eH_HnaKoatmBp8k

[@brightmal]

Even a simple DIY plastic greenhouse enclosure would make for a significant output increase. And maybe some additional insulation. A stable temp is more important than dipping in and out of a technically optimal temp.

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

Where we live cops incredible winds and one of those greenhouses sadly wouldn't hold up to it. But for our useage, it is the perfect setup. We slow usage in winter and use our woodfire inside. Is your setup in Tas?

[@brightmal]

@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus Sadly, as I rent, I don't have a setup at home. But I did help someone else build an IBC digester, which works fine in the summer. I'm working towards getting larger commercial digesters developed in the state, which is an uphill battle. And, yes, I can imagine high winds really making a DIY greenhouse pretty damn difficult.

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

@Mark Love Understandable. They definitely aren't portable! I have seen a couple of people try move them between properties. Not easy and sometimes breakage:(

[@brightmal]

@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus Yeah, using an IBC as a digester mitigates that a bit, assuming you have a forklift to move it in the first place.

[@jeremiahshine]

I'm making a small strawbale arch building over the unit. R52, bayyyby!

[@merindahthornton5080]

I really wanted to get one of these when we renovated in 2019, but we ran out of $. I wish I’d known about the kickstarter!

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

It was such an incredible price back then through that kickstarter. We were very lucky to come acrossit at that time. Every so often I see them have sales, so that is worth looking out for.

[@merindahthornton5080]

@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus thanks. I’ll look out for sales. I was looking the other day and couldn’t even work out how to buy one!

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

@merindahthornton5080 I'm a bit out of the loop on that bit. But I had thought you can buy directly via their website. I have done that in the past for replacement carbon filters.

[@christasmicroflowerfarm2695]

Interesting setup.

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

Such a clever option for us, given we have no gas to our property.

[@jothamteo4041]

Hi Rachel can you speak to any maintenance that you have had to do? I know with a worm farm or similar you have to rotate/aerate the trays. Is there anything of the sort with this?

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

The to-dos with running it are: -feeding - changing the filters - removing condensation from the line (you need a sump pount and drain in your build for this) - cleaning the burners, which do get a bit of build up. There is another vid I have, where I did some maintenance to deal with fluctuating gas which may be helpful.

[@livewild2559]

Thank you for your video how much fuel or compost or poo or whatever do you give it every

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

It honestly doesn't produce enough that there is surplus to give away. But we do have quite big gardens for using the liquid fertiliser.

[@debhume4474]

What do you feed it?

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

Hi Deb, we keep a container in our kitchen and it takes alot of kitchen waste and scraps. Including things like bones and sauces. Then at times (mainly summer when production is up) things like fallen fruit. I show a little of this (container in kitchen and a feed describing what is in it, in our Day in the Life Video, if you would like a look at how it goes for us in real daily life).

[@Blxz]

I'm in northern central tasmania. Looking at one of these but unsure if it would handle our average temps. Approximately where in Australia are you based so I can compare climate?

[@Blxz]

Ahh, found you mentioned Dandenong ranges in another comment. Probably somewhat similar temperatures through most of the year although we might get colder in winter and not quite as high in summer.

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

Dandenong Ranges here.

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

I would say we would be a little bit warmer here too. We don't get snow, but can get a few degrees below 0 on occasion over winter. The production does slow in Winter. If you went ahead with one, one of the greenhouses, I would think would help there.

[@Blxz]

@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus thanks for the info. Do you know if you can run these things off grass clippings and other marginal garden waste? We don't produce much food waste.

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

@Blxz they don't recommend it, in the instructions on what to feed. But I do pickup fallen fruit from our trees, some leafy stuff from the vege patch, and the like.

[@brookelister8919]

What happens with the excess gas. If you don’t harvest the gas. I assume there is a safety release valve on it?

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

Hi Brooke, yes it has a pressure release at the back part. Its not ideal from a smell prospective as there is an odour and it isn't a great gas environmentally if not burnt off.

[@tomjonker-eo8hl]

doesn't it just store the gas until used? is yours the smallest one #2? @@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

@@tomjonker-eo8hl mine is the small one. It can only store what the bag holds when full. Anything produced when the bag is full vents.

[@tomjonker-eo8hl]

what do you normally feed it? i saw another video which said his family only creates 1.5kg/L on average food scraps per day to feed it and it wasn't enough to use daily (warmer weather) i was wondering if yours was successful cause you may have farm animals assisting? @@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

@tomjonker-eo8hl I very rarely feed it with manure. I did a bit at the start, but not so much now. It is mainly fed with kitchen scraps and things from the garden. Things like bones, scrapings off the dinner plates (especially the bits of food the kids don't eat). Peelings. Banana skins. Bread if we have some that starts going mouldy. And from the garden things like fallen fruit.

[@Ella-nn9pl]

Hello! I am a student at Parsons School of Design and I'm doing a project on homebiogas. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions!

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

Hopefully the vid helped. What info are you needing?

[@GreenGeekHomestead]

Can you connect it to a different stove top?

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

There is a Facebook group where I have seen people do so. Even to ovens. But I haven't personally. The gas flow is different, so they seem to need to have bigger holes for the gas from what I have seen.

[@billybethel]

No video?

[@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus]

Perhaps an issue playing at your end? The video is working.