Johnson Su Bioreactor day 395 a year in review.

[@sniggemeyer]

Thank you!! You have the heart of a true teacher. I seem to learn more from mistakes (mine and others) I think you just saved me many tears.

[@tedcarter5564]

Seems there are more problems the Johnson method such as expens

[@youngredangus6041]

Thanks for the encouragement! Have you built one yet?

[@BowenOrg]

SOLVING PROBLEMS... JUST AS IMPORTANT IN THE LEARNING PROCESS AS DOING IT RIGHT!!! MOST APPRECIATED!!! : ) Amen Retired, Veteran

[@youngredangus6041]

Thank you for your service! And the encouragement

[@elizabethblane201]

Thanks so much for the update. I'll be really interested in how you applied the compost to your seeds, etc. I know it's a lot of work to make the bioreactors and a lot of work to do the videos on them, so it's much appreciated.

[@youngredangus6041]

Thanks Elizabeth!

[@youngredangus6041]

I made a video and I can’t get it to upload

[@youngredangus6041]

It’s coming soon

[@youngredangus6041]

It’s up now Elizabeth

[@youngredangus6041]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3_KgGB5acaAoZY

[@jkirchoff7827]

Thank you for putting this video together. Sometime as time permits (aka next winter, lol) please consider putting together a video about the raw materials that you put in the reactors, their ratios, and what you thought were the best ingredients. Do some people add worms to the reactors at a certain point? Did you? Thanks again!

[@jkirchoff7827]

Better yet...do you plan on putting together another reactor in the near future? If I’m available, I could give you some free labor...not that it would be worth much!

[@flatsville1]

Worm are added post thermophllic phase after the pile has cooled down to 80°F per the on-line instructions.

[@EarlybirdFarmSC]

Great experiment. Good to see the final experiment.

[@youngredangus6041]

Have you tried any compost on your farm?

[@youngredangus6041]

Or compost extract

[@EarlybirdFarmSC]

@@youngredangus6041 I have but have been reading and watching about the Johnson Su for a while. I am trying to figure out a set it and forget it method. Maybe make one pile once a month. That way I won't run out. I am interested in how yall are spraying it too. I wonder how that would work by just spraying on my yard and my pasture. Not tiling it or anything.

[@EarlybirdFarmSC]

@@youngredangus6041 No extract yet. Just regular cold compost is all I have made. I have two huge piles of wood chips now. One is mixed half leaves and half woodchips. I turn it about once a month with the tractor. The other pile is straight wood chips.

[@meh.7539]

Yep, I fell into that trap, too. I think it happens to everyone their first time. I've learned that you need to add way more brown material than you what you think you do. That was **my** biggest lesson learned in my first year.

[@youngredangus6041]

Yeah I really think my weed barrier Matt that I’m using is too thick

[@Well_I_am_just_saying]

@@youngredangus6041 I am planning to use chicken wire instead of landscape fabric so that I get really good airflow.

[@laurenh9346]

Thanks for the great video, Jay!

[@youngredangus6041]

Thanks for the encouragement!

[@stevebarnett8303]

I have been looking at different feed stock choices for a while. I decided on a RotoMix to blend & fill containers. Buying a building & truck yard to handle materials. Thank you for sharing your experiences, I will do the same. I will be doing large quantities for Texas Range Lands. Aerated Static Piles (ASP) seem to be an option as long as they are left to mature for the 12+ months. I have feedstock choices & several container styles plus ASP to test.

[@elizabethblane201]

I didn't see that YRA had any irrigation set up for his containers, and wondered how he managed moisture. I know that Dr. Johnson, in his arid climate, has an automatic sprinkler on his piles that run for one minute a day. I think that the correct moisture content is important, right?

[@bennywalsh2038]

Awesome vids and thank you. Diego Footer has an adaption to the Johnson Su where he uses chicken wire in place of woven fabric, larger diameter, one larger center hole and doesn't use any pallet? Would the outside dry more? He thinks not. I have a few truck loads of arborist wood chips delivered and think I will invest in a chipper to reduce their size. Maybe add wine cap mushroom spores to speed decomposition and harvest those beauts? But I have one question about the worms. I will have to purchase some bed run worms. A mix of red wigglers and ENCs should work at different depths. So, do you separate them at the end of the process and if so, how?

[@youngredangus6041]

Would you be willing to talk over the phone? I have follow up questions to ask to make sure I understand your question 620-376-8593

[@bennywalsh2038]

@@youngredangus6041 Wow!! Thank you. I'm in Georgia, and I'm 100% Irish so get ready for accent shock. I've messaged my number so that you can call whenever it's convenient.

[@bennywalsh2038]

@@youngredangus6041 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWfcf4Gvadepg5Y

[@bennywalsh2038]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYjYiaOshK6la9U

[@johnthomas5806]

When my bioreactor started to smell I placed an airhose into the holes in the compost for 24 hours to increase the air flow...seemed to slightly dry out bottom of container and the smell is now tolerable to be around....

[@russellradwanski5771]

Glad to see an update!

[@flatsville1]

Thank you for being transparent & honest in your results & findings including the microscope analysis. These reactor piles are diificult to manage due to a variety of reasons. I've lost two. One spec built, one slightly modified due to weather. Lots of clowns out there hyping "modified" systems that I suspect will never produce the coveted clay-like material we're all after. But they will no doubt declare them a "success" without any analysis.

[@youngredangus6041]

Thanks for the feedback. I want to help people. That means sharing Failures and encouraging others to keep going

[@MrWookie21]

The clay-like material is worm "poo" + other "poos" from other invertebrate animals. I'm doing worm compost since 2016 and the 2 by-products you end with are compost tea & worm compost very well separate phases from the initial organic matter . You should built this in 3 or 4 compartments. Form bottom to top : liquid phase container in which you can adapt a outlet tap - a thiny hole perforated container that holds the muddy worm compost (poo) but let water percolate through - 1 or 2 staged filling containers that can fit together without compacting the raw matter and with large holes (about 3 to 4'' wide) drilled in the bottom covered by a square chicken coated wire netting. I have also springtails, woodloses & slugs in my bins. They all help degrading the organic matter. I your situation, I would fill such storey system (big worm composter) with the organic matter obtained from your reactor, once temperature has dropped below 80 F.

[@flatsville1]

@@MrWookie21 Build the "storied" system & show us how. This sounds like the very definition of taking a simple system & over- complicating it. Also by tearing it apart to "re-build" it into "stories" you're likely wrecking/tearing the fungal hyphea & bacterial colonies already established at the end of the thermophillic phase. Better to just build a giant CFT-style pile with vent pipes, let it go thermophillic, add worms at 80 degrees, close the top & leave it alone for a year except for daily watering on a timer. Less work & less destruction of the microbiology. Your "storied" container sounds like it's designed to catch leacate. That isn't a conern with a Johnson-Su. Proper venting & moisture are important. An extract can be made for field spray/furrow injection if needed from castings.

[@MrWookie21]

@@flatsville1 If you want poo plus compost tea , I would consider your needs following factual technique results (engineering = applied science) & fundamental knowledge (= academical science). I noticed that the kind of system you're looking for is an intermediate situation between heap composting and worm composting. Because pile composting produces heat under specific conditions through microbiological thermophilic enzymatic reactions (aerobic or anaerobic fermentations) (hot process composting) ; wheras worm composting is a digesting degradation through digestive tracts of invertebrates (cold process composting). Fungi are generally focused in degrading/breaking-down lignin or cellulosis depending on their family group ; but they operate at normal and cool temperatures. Yeast on the otherhand like hotter temps to grow and multiplicate ; they produce wasted by-products like carbon dioxid from starch. So the question to answer is : is the heat necessary and why ?

[@MrWookie21]

@@flatsville1 Here is how I built my first worm composter : kzbin.info/www/bejne/epPMqGuMYtGErJo How I extract compost tea kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnKwXmaYe7OJhsU How I collect worm compost kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4bMpGafbryXZ6M This year each bin, produced 1.5 gal of compost & 4 gallons of tea. I use them for specific kitchen waste and have just a pair of them. The rest goes in my compost 3x3x3'' heap with the garden raw materials. This other video is also interesting because it presents how I managed to get fine compost (sowing soil) (worm cast) just by putting worms in used potting soil in which I grew potatoes during a season. I replaced just the soil in the 15 gal bags and stored them indoors in a cool room to let them sit approx. during 1 year. You can see the diference between both substrate (used dry potting mix not decomposed by worms and the one that was decomposing with living worms still present in it) kzbin.info/www/bejne/b16alJitfcuYedk

[@eddluireg]

Yes thanks for the update

[@mattschwartz915]

What a great video. Most people don't have the guts to show the problems they've encountered. Most people would've given up. It's awesome that you pressed on and ultimately got success. Did Dr. Johnson say anything about the type of landscape fabric? I noticed yours is different that what he had in his video. I have some similar to yours and the weave is pretty tight. I'm wondering if a fabric with a looser weave would help? I'm hoping to make one this year, make an extraction next year, and test it on my field.

[@paulbraga4460]

yes, i agree - do not throw it out. tis still organic matter. being more careful too. and monitoring cos if you monitored temperatures, you would have known. blessings

[@youngredangus6041]

What is COS Paul? I’d like to know more about that

[@paulbraga4460]

@@youngredangus6041 haha that is shortcut for "because"...so i was saying you need to monitor because if you did, you would not have been surprised and you would have remedied the situation earlier. from the image of the muck, i can just about "smell" the stink from just seeing it...blessings

[@youngredangus6041]

That’s funny. I was like i wonder what this COS this is. I feel foolish for not knowing that acronym.

[@MrFarva85]

Great stuff, thanks for the follow up. Seems like wood chips are important input! What worms did you use for these?

[@youngredangus6041]

Kansas earth worms

[@youngredangus6041]

Yes we used earthworms you would find in the ground here in Ks

[@stevenyungblut7552]

Curious if you’ve come up with a favourite recipe for your reactors now? Are you watering manually or have you rigged up something to do it automatically? Maybe it’s in another video already. Haven’t built a reactor yet but would love to jump in with as much info the first time lol cheers Jay

[@youngredangus6041]

Still water by hand Corn stalks 60% Grass clippings. 20% Wood chips 10% Horse manure 10%

[@glenfredrickson2881]

You said that you used about 70% corn stover on your bio reactors that went anaerobic? I would assume with all those R3 tote cages you referred to, all of the corn you raise is at least RR and BT traited? If you know anyone in the area raising conventional corn you might want to try a bio reactor with that stover. From my understanding conventional corn stover would be a lot more conducive to produce the biology you are seeking to create. I am on my second year of growing all conventional corn and soybeans, been an interesting journey going down this biological path...

[@manjichromagnon5480]

Cilliates are also in actively aerated compost teas so I guess some like aerobic conditions

[@jonwagner2045]

Would get get good results if you spread the compost on low quality soil?

[@youngredangus6041]

Yes I think that is the best place for it

[@jonwagner2045]

@@youngredangus6041 thanks, love you’re information

[@marshagiere9894]

do you have months below freezing, such as Nebraska or SD

[@youngredangus6041]

Yes At night it freezes pretty regularly

[@cacosta6294]

IMO when you flipped it , just start timing again for a whole nother year , the time that it is static (unmoved) is what creates the ageing process and support the growth of fungi , there really is no way of ruining compost

[@youngredangus6041]

Thanks for your feedback

[@youngredangus6041]

What is your favorite composting Method?

[@lesliedwyer9583]

Great job - thank you!

[@youngredangus6041]

You’re welcome and thank you

[@bear532]

I used 50/50 grass/weeds and leaves. I live in the suburbs so those were the only materials I had at hand. Unfortunately, I messed up and added too much water. It smells horrible. I don’t know what I should do now. I obviously haven’t watered it so it dries out at least. Is there a point of even keeping it if it’s bad compost. Considering just throwing it all out which sucks because a lot of work went into it.

[@youngredangus6041]

Leaves are really good so I’m the future you can make one with just leaves. Dr Johnson makes a lot with just leaves. Keep it. The 200 bushel corn we raised by just using the extract still worked. Find something you can use to poke a ton of holes in your compost to get air in it. I’m nature things go from aerobic and anaerobic conditions all the time. Your compost probably won’t be fungal dominant but it will still have use

[@bear532]

@@youngredangus6041 I’m going to take a good look at it today to check out the water content. Considering taking the whole pile out to turn it and add more browns if it’s too wet. If I do that, I will also put some pvc tubes and take them out like Johnson does (I have one large hole in the middle). I just hope it turns out well, I really wanted this to work. Either way it has been a good learning experience so next time I will definitely be making it almost exclusively from leaves and being way more careful about the hydration level. Thank you for your advice and video, it helps a lot seeing the progress on the good and bad batches.

[@bear532]

@@youngredangus6041 Just finished checking the compost pile out. I dug down to about half way and there was no smell. I took some in my hand to squeeze and only a bit of water came out. Some of the compost also looked like it was slightly glued together. Everything points to it being aerobic now! Man, what a relief. It STUNK last week so I was worried. Hopefully, the biome balances out and the anaerobic bacteria die off.

[@youngredangus6041]

That’s great!

[@markstevenson9080]

What was the ratio of brown to green materials, please? I built one today but I need to make the holes in it. Just stir crazy in Winter I guess. Oops. ha! I also need to water it but we are having rain and snow coming his week. Thanks!

[@youngredangus6041]

Most of mine have been all brown materials. I guess the would consider the manure we use as green or a source of N that is going to get hot. I’ve also used just straight grass clippings that we pulled up that were a year old.

[@small-timegarden]

I heat you loud and clear on the conversion...its like magic how it converts from stinky to earth-smelling. Personally, I havent seen anyone been able to demonstrate/reproduce the success of the Johnson-Su system. Seems relatively costly compared to a compost that you turn from time to time. Just put in the work.

[@russellsmith3825]

Dr Johnson used wooden pallets with gaps between the slats, I wonder what effect that would have on drainage and airflow. Also did you introduce worms into these?

[@youngredangus6041]

Yes we did. They are just earth worms you find in the ground here in Kansas

[@enstamud]

Awesome video. Thanks. Didn't know about the water ratios. Where's that info btw? And what was your original feedstock?

[@youngredangus6041]

To be honest with you I want to say 70%. I’d have to go back and watch for sure. Also what do you mean by feeding stock? My worms? I put in 100 worms when the temp dropped below 80% Native Kansas earthworms you can find in a garden or wherever I’m soil. I’ll find the video

[@youngredangus6041]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqm4eJ5na5Z_r5o I believe it is in this video

[@youngredangus6041]

Yeah just watched it 11:15 into the video

[@flatsville1]

@@youngredangus6041 Given your experience, 70% mousture may br too high for your enviro...at least initially? (I believe Dr Johnson built them in largely arid climates.) Also there's likely some relationship between starting feedstock & moisture. A majority manure (high nitro) feedstock may not need as much moisture initially to prevent anaerobic conditions? Just throwing some ideas out there.

[@julieheath6335]

Setting up a Johnson-Su. Don't deviate from the method, if you want the same results. www.csuchico.edu/regenerativeagriculture/bioreactor/bioreactor-instructions.shtml Look up Dr David Johnson's research site at Chico State University. www.csuchico.edu/regenerativeagriculture/bioreactor/david-johnson.shtml Recent lecture by Dr David Johnson (Start at 34.30 for results in field, then go back for the detailed scientific explanation) kzbin.info/www/bejne/omq0qaGqgb2Ad6s Research site, for lots more detail: www.csuchico.edu/regenerativeagriculture/bioreactor/david-johnson.shtml Facebook Group to connect with growers doing this worldwide: facebook.com/groups/233254887357239

[@eulerizeit]

I wonder if you just added more holes/tubes,to begin with. Or how that might effect stuff.

[@youngredangus6041]

I did that with bioreactor 7. I put 4 extra holes in it. The hoes were with 2 inch tubing. They collapsed pretty quick. I built one on Saturday with grass clippings. I d

[@youngredangus6041]

I didn’t double stack it and I didn’t use a feed truck. I’m hoping that helps out. Thank for the feedback! I’m still learning like everyone else

[@nedobrien6375]

@@youngredangus6041 were the new holes vertical or horizontal?, I presume vertical would hold their shape better. Am I correct in saying you have to use enough water to get it above 70% water, while making the compost , but also loose enough before filling the bioreactor to maintain the 70%. This is a great series of videos well done.

[@darcymagalsky2409]

Thank you for posting this! We are gearing up to make 4 or 5 of these in the next couple of days, so your honest results were very timely. In the end, would you suggest doing the double-stacked version or do you think the size contributed to the anaerobic conditions? I was intrigued by the taller one giving more volume and taking up less floor space when we move them indoors in the winter. Thanks for any advice!

[@youngredangus6041]

That’s a great question. Do you have access to wood chips? I think making that last one with wood chips really helped with the airflow. Also do you have access to pin trees. I make my kids pick up pine cones and I layer the bottoms of mine with pine cones so the bottom gets good air flow. I just made one with grass clippings. I’m going to make two more this week. I’ll add wood to those.

[@youngredangus6041]

On the double stack I’m going to try one this week with wood chips shedded corn stalks and Beardless triticale hay.

[@youngredangus6041]

Darcy are you building it the traditional way or are you using the shell of a shuttle?

[@darcymagalsky2409]

​@@youngredangus6041 Thanks for the response! I loved your idea of using the shell of a shuttle, and we have lots of those around, so going to try that method. I just seems so much more sturdy and time efficient. We'll leave them outdoors through the summer and then move into a heated shop in for the winter, so this frame sounds like a better idea to hold up when moved. We do have wood chips available, so I'm planning to use those, some cow/horse manure with their bedding, and chopped alfalfa hay. The wood chips are so important for building structure and keeping things aerobic. I just finished the Soil Food Web courses and had great success with the thermophilic method I learned there, but it is a little more labor-intensive. Excited to try the Johnson-Su as something we could put the work into now, and hopefully benefit from the high fungal content in the spring when we're ready to seed again. I really appreciate you posting the successes and setbacks with what you've done. There's so much information out there, it's hard to know what direction to go sometimes!

[@cascades500]

David Johnson recommends that use screen the material so it's no bigger than 3/8 of an inch it looks like in one of your videos that it's quite a bit bigger with the wood chips. Also, how did you get ahold of David Johnson? I've been mixing my Thirty or so piles of wood chips with Organic soybean pulp that they use to make soybean milk. He took pretty good. But still got a lot of big pieces in it.

[@ziggyd3114]

What is your take on leaving the bioreactors outdoors to freeze over winter (potentially taking a couple of seasons to mature as a result)? My thinking is that it'll result in material that's biologically better suited to local conditions. Thoughts?

[@youngredangus6041]

I’m sorry I didn’t respond to this. I must have missed it when you originally posted it. I’m short if you can keep it from freezing awesome. If you can’t it isn’t a deal breaker as far as being able to use it you just are going to kill the fungi and the populations won’t be as high

[@seanmcguire7974]

Is it cause it can't get air through the tarp?

[@youngredangus6041]

I believe so. I think the weed barrier matt we used is thicker than what David Johnson used. I need to do a follow up video on that We have one that is working really good now that went through the feed truck

[@plantnewbie5188]

In the final product, are there negative consequences of leaving it in the anaerobic state? Don't you still end up with compost after the anaerobic bacteria die? I was told that an anaerobic pile will eventually dry out and kill the bad microbes and then the pile will compost normally. Is this correct?

[@ziggypop6682]

Did you put the worms in?

[@youngredangus6041]

Yes After it cooled down Native Kansas earth worms

[@ziggypop6682]

@@youngredangus6041 ok thanks

[@martywilliams901]

Great feedback

[@youngredangus6041]

Thanks

[@tedcarter5564]

Seems that if one does compote the old way it takes about a year and if done with Johnsons way it only takes 12 months.

[@youngredangus6041]

I’m not following you. I don’t compost any other way. Did I say something off or miss speak in the video. I know vermacomposting can be done much quicker. Elaine Ingram’s method is much quicker.

[@koltoncrane3099]

I watched another video of a bio reactor and I think his method maybe is safer. He did a bioreactor but did it straight on the ground so the water goes in the ground. That might prevent anarobic conditions. But really if you use IBC totes you think just opening the tap at the bottom would release enough water it’d be fine. I got some ibc totes I turned into worm bins and I’d fill it clear full of water to saturate everything and let it drain cause in the summer it got super hot and only had water two a month. Did your giant totes not have a drain for water? One thing is you might add some charcoal in the bottom since that’d help absorb any water if you have excess. And charcoal can absorb nitrogen or whatever your compost may give off. Wood chips are a good idea. Might speed things up if you maybe buy a composting microbe packet or fungi bag and add it to Innoculate it. Looks like ya worms which was a good sign. That’d be interesting to see if you had a spicket on your ibc tote or whatever you used.

[@eulerizeit]

Hey what happened to reactor 7?

[@youngredangus6041]

So I I built bioreactor 7 with the feed truck. It was right around the time that the others were going bad. So I backed off the water. Probably too far. Parts of it dried out. Some parts were anaerobic. It was the worst one. So I broke it apart and added wood chips. I left it outside and let it freeze because I wanted to see how one would do getting left out in the elements. I’ll look at it under a microscope later this summer.

[@kimhill6101]

How hot does/should the compost get with this method?

[@youngredangus6041]

I’ve been told it needs to stay under 140 when it is getting hot

[@ziggypop6682]

What happened to bioreactor 7?

[@youngredangus6041]

Number 7 was the worst. I put it together in May. I was afraid that I was getting on too much water so I backed off on the water. A lot of it dried out. So I broke it apart wet it down and put wood chips in it like the others. I didn’t take a lot of photos of that one because I had focused more time and energy on the others. I also left it out side because I wanted to see ho it handled getting frozen

[@ziggypop6682]

@@youngredangus6041 Ok thanks! Priceless video btw. A lot to learn from it

[@user-up2kz6ws6m]

You look better with Beard 💪👌

[@youngredangus6041]

Thanks!

[@thiabrabson2533]

🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@elizabethblane201]

I've watched Dr. Johnson's video of how he makes his bioreactors twice. I think his only feedstock was wood chips, right? He really soaked them in a wheelbarrow before he put them in, and when it was built, he ran an automatic sprinkler for one minute a day at the top. I am wondering if the coarseness of the wood chips preserves the air spaces in the pile and prevents it from going anerobic?

[@russellsmith3825]

Dr Johnson used straight leaves on his video, however I wonder if we could get away with using stover here. Used bedding would be almost ideal so you get a mixture of manure and carbon

[@elizabethblane201]

@@russellsmith3825 You're right! He did use leaves. I would think that your stover would work fine. Have you seen this video of using this process on a large scale? It's very interesting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHjbhHeeo9uIi8U

[@russellsmith3825]

@@elizabethblane201 I'll check it out. On the wood chips in a Johnson Su, Diego footer was trying that in one of his videos... I am wondering about a hybrid design for a vermicompost system incorporating the perforated vent tubes so you could get airflow in a continuous flow through worm bin. And if you might get similar results

[@robertsmyk4102]

Your bins are enclosed with plastic and this prevents air circulation. Why not use chicken wire instead?

[@youngredangus6041]

It is really dry and windy. The sides dry out as is. The newest one I put wood in between the gaps on the pallets then drilled holes all over it. That seems to be working well.

[@dionharrichand4274]

Hey I think you're adding too much of water

[@youngredangus6041]

Thanks for your feed back! Have you had success with Johnson Su? What are your favorite things Ingredients?

[@ChurchInAshes]

no offence dude but you would be getting 4 month compost if you turned it regularly. but i suppose you did much less work and that fungal activity.

[@youngredangus6041]

Thanks. No offense taken. This year went much better. Didn’t have to turn anything. I had one that was just grass clippings. It went anaerobic. We didn’t mess with it. We just kept watering it. Now it looks awesome. I have two others that didn’t go anaerobic and they look great. I’ll make another video on those three this spring.