Johnson-Su static pile bioreactor prototype | How to compost 50-ton of woodchip & chicken manure

Composting farm manure typically involves creating wind-rows and turning it every 3 or 4 weeks to prevent it going anaerobic. That is a lot of work when handling tonnes of material, and the repeated turning disturbs the formation of fungal hyphae, which leads to a bacterial-dominant compost.
The main advantage of the Johnson Su bioreactor is that it is a zero-turn composting solution that creates fungi-dominant compost. Air vents are made in the compost to enable it to breath and remain aerobic, and this creates the environment for many varieties of fungi to develop.
Plants get the nutrition they need by forming symbiotic relationships with different varieties of mycorrhizal fungi in the ground. Each type of fungi has a specific role to play, be it extraction of nitrogen from the soil or creating antibiotics to combat diseases. Therefore, the more variety of fungi that you have in the ground, the better the outcome for your plants.
After 18 months, the composting process will be complete, and the fungi will go into a dormant sporal state. It will stay in this state until activated through exposure to the exudates from living plants. Once worked into the soil, by spreading it or creating a liquid extract, it will super-charge your soil to help create nutritionally rich food and healthy plants.
I’m going to post updates to track its progress and then carry out trials to see if it makes a difference to the health and growth of the hazelnut trees, so click that subscribe button to follow that journey.
To learn more about Johnson Su bioreactors, the following videos from Dr David Johson discuss the original design and analysis of the compost:
• Johnson Su Bioreactor
• Static Pile Fungal Com...
If you are interested in regenerative farming; soil biology; farming equipment; the high and lows of trying to establish an organic hazelnut farm, on an island in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland - then hit that subscribe button.
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[@tysonbelko4358]

Great stuff! I know for me when I’m working in those really tough, muddy situations (12:15) I throw down a big sheet of plywood to walk on. It’s a huge help to me in the orchard and around the farm. I love what you’re doing and am enjoying seeing the journey.

[@GubbFarm]

A plank of plywood would have made life a bit easier! Thanks for your comment. All the best.

[@deinse82]

Inoculating the compost pile with living soil is great, that brings in all kinds of bacteria and fungi which decompose organic material, giving the pile a great head start, and likely even improving the end product. Mycorrhizal fungi, however, won't work in this context. They are a special category of fungi, which need to be in direct contact with a living root to live. They won't live in compost. I don't think the spores will survive the composting process, either. No big deal, of course, but make sure to inoculate the plants themselves with the same product. The product you used contains fungi spores, which need to come in contact with living roots. There are many ways to do this (i.e. mix the product into potting soil, or, with a larger plant, dig down to its roots and apply the product directly...I believe even inoculating the seeds would work).

[@GubbFarm]

That is a very interesting comment Deinse. That makes sense that mycorrhizal fungi need a living root, therefore the mushrooms and hyphae that I'm seeing are most likely saprophytic. It raises an interesting question. Assuming Dr. David Johnson's fungi analysis showing increased fungi diversification over time is correct (which I now assume to be saprophytic), to what extent does that support mycorrhizal fungi. Do you have a view on that? Thank you for your comment and I hope all is well with you.

[@cliverutherford5836]

I thought they could survive up to temperatures of 140f/60c I could be wrong. Adding a mix of green waste would help with a more balanced activity. Edit; if anything your temperatures looked a bit lower than I would have expected especially if you want to kill seeds and pathogens.

[@addammadd]

@@GubbFarm I'll take a crack at it. All things being equal, much of the same environmental conditions that support a healthy saprophytic culture (so disregard the actual presence of roots. We're talking aeration, pH, humidity etc.) will be similarly beneficial for the mycorhizal colony you eventually hope to see. Therefore, the (positive) results of that analysis presumably show a great foundation for the hopeful result down the line once this gets used in the garden. It's helpful to remember that much of the empirical science in this field is done in ways that are frankly hugely out of context. There is nothing easily quantifiable in an actual organic system so there will always be lurking variables and there will always be people who need funding willing to "show interesting results". You know better than I do, sometimes the science isn't ready for primetime when it comes to organic growing.

[@GubbFarm]

@@addammadd very interesting. Thank you.

[@mikanfarmer]

That's a lot of work ! I tend to use autumn leaves rather than woodchips (even though I've got a chipper) I can get truck loads scraped up from the lanes, .........I think it's less acidic than the chips, especially pine chips. Then I use half and half by volume, layered like you, with the chicken and turkey manure. I can sieve out what I need to pot my transplants on next spring, and leave the rest to breakdown throughout the summer. Mine is covered, (tarp and tin sheets) and I only hose it down if it feels particularly dry. I think too wet is worse than too dry. A great guy to follow (if you don't already) about compost is Edible Acres on KZbin, ........poly tunnel and chickens to speed up the work. And lastly if it's worms you're looking for, I put down old sheets of builders plywood, with a thin layer of hay under, ...........it's packed with worms after a week of so, I don't put in the compost but let the chickens have them. First time to watch one of your videos, ......so good luck and I'll catch up on what you're doing.

[@GubbFarm]

That is a brilliant idea on how to attract worms. Thank you! I had a look at the weekend and couldn't find any in the manure pile, which left me scratching my head on how to get them. As for the leaves, I never really thought about them as an option, but now that you mention it, I have lots of leaves lying on the ground around the farm. I'm going to have to look into that. Another good idea, so thank you again. I'm off to check out Edible Acres.

[@GubbFarm]

Hello. I put down some hay on the ground now that spring is on its way at Gubb Farm. But re-reading your comment, I noticed that I didn't put any material like plywood over it. I am recording the process, so we will see how it turns out.

[@lukikillerman]

So much science behind all of it, very impressive!

[@GubbFarm]

Ha. What the science has done Lukasz is helped us understand which traditional farming practices worked and how to refine them. Farmers have been fed bad information from chemical producers for decades, unintentionally or otherwise, and now science is catching up and shining a light on how damaging current intensive farming practices are. #sciencerocks

[@alexkerpe930]

i think in your climate its important to put a raincover over the johnson-su compost. He said so too in his instructions. because to much water will compact the soil to much then aeration will not work properly, moisture should be around 70%. hope to see a follow up in one year when it should be finished, wonder if it works the same in wet climate like yours. good luck, keep going with the videos. It s nice to see a Farm taking root under normal conditions (not with 100 of volunteers a year), seeing what is doable for one person is very informative. btw. subscribed

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Alex. I agree with you and I am going to cover it next week. I also need to find some composting worms, which have now re-appeared after their winter hibernation. All being well, I should have an update video out over the coming weeks. As for establishing a farm singled handed... it is a lot of hard work but rewarding to see it progress with each task. All the best and thank you for your support.

[@stuartfreeborn1986]

Really interesting video Dary... You were like an eccentric Scientist/Chef making a very large and experimental lasagne!! It was clearly a big physical and mental challenge... So fair play..... 💪

[@GubbFarm]

Thanks Stuart. It is an experiment and I need to do a follow up video as it has exactly worked out as planned. I hope all is well with you. All the best.

[@stuartfreeborn1986]

@@GubbFarm a follow up video sounds good....

[@helenaoconnor9972]

Hi Dary, I made one of these out of the cage of an IBC tank lined with weed membrane and I used the cardboard tubes from silage bale wrap instead of your stakes and I have covered it with corrugated iron (just using up stuff in stock!). I filled it with meadow grass, autumn prunings, some bark mulch and wood ash, with just one cleaning out of the hen house - 4 hens and four ducks. Not as accurate as yours! I finished filling it around the same time as yours and mine hasn't exceeded 20 degree c yet. My understanding is that the mesophillic bacteria will only build up a population at over 20 degrees and their activity will create temps above 40 degrees which will then enable the thermophillic population to build up. Mine isn't lagged and so I'm planning to wait until the external temperature helps support the build up of the mesophillic in spring(I'm in rural Cork in an exposed site) and I'm going to wait until it goes beyond thermophillic to add worms. I have a domestic wormery for kitchen waste etc and am going to raid this to stock. I'm also planning to let the cardboard tubes in until it reaches temperatures for thermphillics. I might even let them just breakdown in there. I'd love to compare notes as time goes on.

[@GubbFarm]

How interesting Helena. I did consider IBC thanks and 1 tonne bags, but I had a lot of blocks available after removing a wall in the shed, so decided to give that ago. With hindsight, I probably should have waited until spring time to start this project, but over time it probably doesn't matter. It will be interested to see how well it starts to break down when the frost passes. Right now it is frozen around the exterior, so I assume there is not much composting happening. That being said, there is some heat in it, so the mesophiles must still be at work in the core. I would also make a better effort to lag it, maybe with hay next time. As for covering it, a few people have mentioned that, so I'm going to do that when the frost lifts. I am also planning to add some worms in the spring time... just as soon as I can find them. Normally the soil is teaming with worms, but this time of the year, they can't be found as they hibernate / rest deep in the soil. Let me know how you get on. All the best.

[@helenaoconnor9972]

@@GubbFarm Thanks for your reply. I like what you're doing. It's hard to do regenerative farming without livestock. I am very interested in doing it with concrete blocks as I think they are more of a heat sink and will prevent the sharp drop in temp at night. My meso's are probably suffering at the moment. I would have sources for 'preloved' blocks and preloved silage plastic, which would make it feasible. I was thinking to build up the blocks as I fill it, it would make the filling easier? I thought about waiting for spring but there will be other jobs to do then and I'm happy enough to wait for it to rev up. The collecting of feedstock and the loading is a challenge for me so it suited to do it in December. I only covered it as I cover the ordinary compost heaps - we get enough rain to turn them into silage heaps and its not pleasant!!! Most of what is online about them talks of irrigation but I think we get enough rain and damp, and little enough heat that its not as much of an issue in our climate. Most of my feedstock was out in the elements for awhile before it was filled. Are you concerned that the thermophillic temps might kill off the worms? I was going to wait til that passes before I add them. I'm feeding the wormery at the moment to build up a stock of them. I've moved it into the polytunnel to keep them growing. I'm building up to another cleanout of the henhouse for a hotbed in there and will put the wormery near it to rev them up for the move. Best regards P.S - Overnight temp here was -3.5 last night and it is currently 13C.So some thing is happening in there!!

[@audreybarnes6527]

Hi, I've done something very similar with woodchip and pigeon manure over winter. We don't have bears in our woods. I wanted to encourage fungal decomposition so I added calcium sulphate and egg shells. I found that fungal decomposition helps the woodchip absorb water, as the are naturally hydrophobic. We saw mushrooms within about six days. The pile was hot all winter, even though they weren't ramial woodchips. After three months the worms were in there and they were as big as your arm. I'm guessing the egg shell was good for their gizzards. In spring we mowed off the winter grazing and added it to the pile. I'm keeping the two ingredients separate until I need them as the grass doesn't need long to decompose. The second time we mixed the two ingredients we added some old straw. After a couple of days I was walking up to something that was alive, I've never felt energy like it. I'd encourage you to add some old straw and calcium. If you read any of the fungi growing manuals by Paul Stamets you'll understand what they like and need. We look a couple of buckets home, the rest has been spread. At home all the fruit bushes are four times as big, but I've shifted them away from fruiting well this year. Oh, adding myco powder the way you did...those spores need to find a root hair, it's pot luck if they thrown into compost.

[@GubbFarm]

That is very interesting. There is a liquid egg producer near me, and I am now going to ask them for some egg shells. All the best and thank you for such an interesting response.

[@audreybarnes6527]

Eggshell were dried and put through a garden chipper, twice. Finally I've found a use for one of those domestic garden chippers. Without wishing to divert your attention have you looked at John Pain and Albert Howard.

[@GubbFarm]

@@audreybarnes6527 I have heard of them, but I'll have a look after this. I hope all is well.

[@audreybarnes6527]

Haha, it's Jean Pain kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpOXmXlueNiFo68, lol. He was composting ramial woodchip in anaerobic conditions to produce methane. He was using ramial woodchip, branches diameter of 2.5 inches or less with leaves on, its where alot of the nutrients are and wood is still soft. Woodchip from the trunk of the tree hydrophobic, the branches have lots of moisture. Too much water and you can go anaerobic, not good, and produce methane. Albert Howard Indore method is interesting too, its a pit method with a recipe and a floor plan for scaling up. He had access to cow manure. Too be clear, we had mushroom fruiting at the corners of our pile when it dried out.

[@audreybarnes6527]

Broad overview of the Indore method kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpOXmXlueNiFo68

[@chrischandler3041]

Interesting approach but with a Johnson Su Bioreactor you do need to have air permeability in the sides, so the blocks are not going to allow that as well on the side. Also the reason they do it on a pallet, is because it aerates the bottom as well. Other than that, great job! I like the fact that you are using things that can be found around your property.

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Chris. I get a lot of joy from building things out of materials that I have at hand. I had just removed a wall in the shed in the background, which provided the blocks for the bioreactor prototype. With regards to air flow, it will be interesting to see how well it breaths through the cracks between the blocks. To test this, on one side of the bioreactor I have a row of vents about 15 cm (6") from the wall and on the other side the vents are about 30cm (12") from the wall. If it works, then I can use concrete sides, when I build a larger permanent structure, which I can then use to push the compost against when loading a linkbox or digger bucket. As for the bottom, I fully agree that a pallet would allow more air flow. However, I am testing building it on a solid base with air vent rows every 6", which I could then drive a tractor or digger over, rather than constantly trying to source pallets that will be destroyed by machines when removing the compost. Ideally, I would like to wall off an area about 10m x 10m, possibly with removable concrete slabs slatted along the sides to allow air flow. I would then segment the area and top fill it with a loader on a tractor, to allow a First In, First Out composting solution. But first I have to see if it works!

[@chrischandler3041]

@@GubbFarm That is awesome! Yeah I think this should be a great test and something that will work on scale on a farm like you have. I'd like to see how it turns out. If it does, that would make it really easy for you. By the way, Diego Footer's channel has an interesting new design for the Johnson Su Bioreactor... kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ7PZYWBj9B2aKc that you might like to check out. It makes the pile like a doughnut shape and eliminates the pallet and the "pipes". Great job man. Can't wait to see your results because I can easily find teh same imputs that you used in my area.

[@flatsville1]

Note: There are established industry standards for bottom aeration of non-vessel static piles containing manure. If you choose not to bottom aerate, labs for pathogen toxicity are necessary. Deviating from the Johson-Su design, where bottom aeration is key component of the design, can cause problems.

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

Hey Dary. I watched this video and thought of you since you had so much trouble getting worms for your Johnson Su. "What's Next for Meme's Worms - Captain Matt Visit" It's from the "Captain Matt and the Worm People" channel. Maybe you could start a worm business over there in Ireland. The worm casting would make great fertilizer for the hazelnut trees.

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Steve. Thanks for that. What I came to realise is that the worms go deeper into the soil and hibernate during the winter, so there wasn't much activity in the soil when I made that video. When I dug up the ground in the spring / early summer there were lots of worms. I'm going to open up the bioreactor in the spring time for my garden, so hopefully I will get some decent compost out of it. I hope all is well. All the best.

[@ciaranosullivan7791]

Hi Dary, fair play to you, that's hard work! I don't think there's anywhere selling worms here in Ireland but if you find somewhere that does I'd be interested in knowing. If you know anyone with a dung heap especially from last year's bedding you should find loads as you probably already know... I can send you some if you want. They slow down coming into the cold weather and won't multiply or breathe at the same rate as far I know.

[@GubbFarm]

Thanks Ciaran. Someone suggest bait shops, so I'm going to have a look around to see if I can find any suitable worms. I have a dung heap and a grass cuttings heap beside the shed, so I might just get my spade out and starting digging!

[@elenidemos]

If you use slotted ag piping (drainage pipe) for your uprights, they can be left in & will not collapse over time. The compost can access air earlier, this will speed up the beginning process slightly, but the main reason is to allow air exchange for the entire process. The uprights can be covered with caps to stop you filling them as you fill the pit/cage/barrier.

[@GubbFarm]

That sounds like a good idea Eleni, because some of the air vents have now collapsed. As soon as I get a free day, I'm going to modify the design and possibly refill the reactor to address some issues. I just have to finish off work around the trees before I can get to it. I hope all is well.

[@elenidemos]

@@GubbFarm First video I have seen for your channel, was a great vid. Looking forward to going through some more. Had that issue when I did mine. Saw the solution on another KZbin channel & tried it out. Worked perfectly for me, so thought I would pay it forward so to speak.

[@jonassas4383]

very cool video good quality

[@GubbFarm]

Thank you Jonas!

[@danb3703]

Great idea my friend

[@GubbFarm]

Thanks Dan. All the best.

[@hazeldavi8479]

Very good work! Keep it up brother.

[@GubbFarm]

Thanks Davi. 👍

[@TheIntervurt]

Johnson has mentioned in an online interview that you shouldn't worry about temperature but rather make sure not to let the pile dry up.

[@GubbFarm]

Thanks. That is a good news. There is no shortage of water in Fermanagh, so drying out should not be a problem.👍

[@TheIntervurt]

@@GubbFarm Yes I did notice your area looks rather wet. Johnson has mentioned the aim is to keep the humidity of the pile to around 70%, I don't know how someone could reliably measure humidity in such a pile though.

[@waynetadlock9719]

@@TheIntervurt That does require a small amount of disturbance. Pick a few spots to reach down inside, pull up a handful and squeeze.🤩

[@ollievw3450]

True, but too much water is also a bad thing, probably better to have a roof over it and water as necessary, because like this you cannot control the amount of water throughout the process. Really liked that irrigation system.

[@robertbench4664]

I really enjoyed your video.I have started doing an experiment on a much smaller scale with my plastic compost bins by lining the outer walls with waste brown cardboard boxes that have been broken and then folded.Hope this might give you some ideas about insulating your experiment.I would have liked to have seen down the ventilation holes where the fence posts went.Hope to see how this goes in future.

[@GubbFarm]

Now that is an interesting idea. Thank you. 👍

[@farmingwithtariq]

You have formed it in tons , have analyze its macro-micro nutrients and OM %

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Tariq. I have registered with a lab (primarily for nutrient analysis on the trees), so next spring I might send off a sample to have it tested. I hope all is well.

[@seanmcguire7974]

Wow. This looks like it would break down fast. Esp with the air tube n sump pump

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Sean. One of the things I learnt early on is that pumping water consistently back onto it, combined with the high rain fall in Fermanagh, may have done more harm than good. It will be interesting to see how well the manure has composted come May 2022. All the best.

[@Brennor21]

I am wondering if it would be beneficial to cover that pile to keep the rain from constantly leaching through it and cooling the pile as well. A cover with an air gap would work well and you would not lose heat in the pile and the nutrients you are wanting to create. It would also keep a constant moisture percentage in the summer with a cover. I really like the sump pump idea to "recycle" the affluent back into the pile, but I think the constant rain would not be beneficial to your plan. Looking forward to how your experiment turns out, best of luck.

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Brennor. It is interesting that you should mentioned that as I have been thinking about covering it over the coming days.. I took the pump out of the sump yesterday as the temperature is set to drop below zero centigrade for a few days this week. When the frost passes, I am thinking about putting some sheets of tin over the top that run into the sump. I was watching Charles Dowding on KZbin and he said he got better results when he creates compost in covered areas. When I do it, I will bring the camera so that we can see how well the air vents are holding up with all the very heavy rain we are currently getting. All the best 👍

[@ollievw3450]

You could put haybales around it for insulation.

[@GubbFarm]

That is a good idea. What I did observe over the winter that note much happens and maybe keeping some heat in it, which improve the outcome. Thanks Ollie.

[@ollievw3450]

@@GubbFarm yeah, I saw this vid about someone ‘heating’ by building a compost pile against it. I think he lined that pile with rotten straw bales.

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

Interested in seeing how this works out for you as there are not many videos where this is done on a larger scale. I built 1 of these bioreactors myself use a pallet and green wire fencing. After a year everything was broken down and I was able to use it to top off some beds. I will set up another run in the spring.

[@GubbFarm]

It is good to hear that it worked for you Steve. What type of worms did you add and where did you get them?

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

@@GubbFarm I used red wrigglers (compost worms) and I got them from Uncle Jims Worm Farm here in the US. I started with 1000.

[@GubbFarm]

Thanks, Steve. I have had a quick search for worm providers in Northern Ireland, but haven't found any yet. It looks like I'm going to have to get my shovel out and go digging in the compost piles. That will be fun trying to identify worms!

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

@@GubbFarm The composting worms are fairly small. They only get about 2" long and are skinny. (5 to 6 cm) Not like night crawlers. They should multiple quite a bit in your setup. Maybe check a fishing bait shop. Here in the states, the baits shop sell them as red worms. The cost is higher of course but 2 or 3 dozen is enough to get them started.

[@GubbFarm]

That is a good idea. There is a local bait shop that sells worms. I'll have to pop in at the weekend to see what they have in stock. Thanks.

[@carolleenkelmann3829]

Man, is it wet there! Does that place ever dry out? What a quagmire.

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Crolle. In the wintertime it is like a muddy swimming pool. As the saying goes in Ireland, "Summer is my favourite day of the year". I hope all is well.

[@carolleenkelmann3829]

@@GubbFarm 😁😁😁😁 Now I know how the Irish get their sense of humour¡

[@What..a..shambles]

What about square straw bales for walls? Would last the compost process be more thermal and recycled into the next heap🤔

[@GubbFarm]

Hello. That is an interesting idea. I think I might just try that next time around. Thanks.

[@waynetadlock9719]

It will be interesting to see how this develops.

[@GubbFarm]

Fingers crossed. Just 540 more sleeps before I find out. I need to start searching for suitable, affordable soil analysis to test the outcome. If anyone has any soil test recommendations, please post a link👍

[@wadepatton2433]

@@GubbFarm Buy a microscope, watch Meredith's video series, listen to what Elaine Ingham says, and do it all yourself. Or hire a lab that understands what you're looking for. Conventional tests are good for showing organic matter levels and a few thing, but mostly we're trying to get bacterial and fungal balance in the soils. Everytime we get too far from balance, soils suffer. 400x will show you what's in there-we don't have to name each species, but only recognize their types and quantify them in relation to each other and thereafter do the things needed for balance and for overall increase in soil bio-diversity and life forms present.

[@GubbFarm]

@@wadepatton2433 I have been thinking about that and was recently talking to a man who did the Elaine Ingham course. It would be very interesting to get a professional analysis done that identified all of the various fungi, but I don't know where to go to get that. If anyone is Ireland or the UK and knows of a lab that produces details fungi soil analysis, could you please post a link to the service. Thank you.

[@earacheselbowsenoch6251]

Mhmm not bad.. Looks like you'll be tweaking this for a year or so but definitely on the road to success!!!

[@GubbFarm]

Hello. Yes, it definitely needs some design tweaks and I need to set aside a day to improve the set up. I hope all is well.

[@johnthomas5806]

thanks

[@GubbFarm]

You're welcome!

[@kevinkelleher7868]

Well done , how did it work out

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Kevin. Thank you. I will do an update video over the winter as soon as I get some time. All the best.

[@diederikvandedijk]

Very interesting. Any news on the static pile?

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Diederik. I am going to open up the bioreactor over the coming weeks and move the compost to the garden. It will be interesting to see how it looks and I will take the camera with me when I do it. All the best.

[@diederikvandedijk]

@@GubbFarm Thanks. Looking forward to it.

[@khandam7709]

with an amazing tractor like that I would just turn it ever month! but good tutorial for those without tractors

[@zacharypinegar3111]

The whole point is not turning it so the fungi don't have to start over everytime you turn

[@khandam7709]

@@zacharypinegar3111 the whole point for me is getting compost as fast as possible , mabye your needs are different

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Khan. I am trying to create fungi rich compost for use with trees, which is why I am trying this static method. I hope to get a poly tunnel built over the next year and for that I would use compost prepared in wind rows (which will be a perfect excuse to buy a front loader to turn it). All the best.

[@titosrevenger]

@@khandam7709 This is a much higher quality compost than you get from windrow composting. The type you're referring to has a high bacteria count, but almost no fungi. The compost resulting from Johnson-Su Bioreactors has an extreme amount of biodiversity (both bacteria and fungi) and has been scientifically proven to drastically increase crop yield. It's ground breaking stuff (no pun intended).

[@willrolls7432]

Any news on The Heap? kind of interested to know if anything has happened

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Will. I need to go back and do a follow up video and I will do it in the Spring. It is hard to make time to get everything done! All the best.

[@GubbFarm]

I just checked the temperature inside the bioreactor after the hard frost last night and it is down to 10 degrees Celsius (50 Fahrenheit). I think I will go searching for some composting worms this weekend and cover it. It will be interesting to see how this turns out. I do wonder if I would have been better off starting this experiment in the springtime when it is warmer and life is returning? Have you had success starting the composting process during the winter just before a first frost (-3C last night)?

[@alveygardens]

I have one johnson su bioreactor going in a trashcan. It is doing next to nothing. And another larger hot compost pile. Neither are doing anything right now. But should take off in the spring. However I am blown away by the fact you are doing all this while the mud is past your ankles. Just shows you never stop. LOL seems like it would have been easier to use water container cages while removing the plastic, and lining with landscape fabric, or drilling 1" holes all through out the container and then being able to use the spout to dump off the draining water. well just a thought. That was a big project building the block walls.

[@GubbFarm]

@@alveygardens I am starting to think I should have waited until the springtime! I went searching for worms a few days, only to discover that they are now hibernating for the wintertime.

[@alveygardens]

@@GubbFarm well, it may not do much right now. But winter time is a slow time for most of us so doing it now will free you up to other things in spring. when you don't have the time to build a chamber.

[@danielpinasco]

Hello! and thank you very much for sharing your work with us. I have a question: Wouldn´t be better if we just mix woodchips with chicken manure in the bathtub and then put in the composter pre mixed and all wet? Again, thank you. Greetings from Perú!

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Daniel. That is a good point and with hindsight I should have mixed the chicken manure and woodchip before composting it. I am not sure if I would do it in the bath though, as you could end up with a slurry that might be hard to handle. Thank you.

[@danielpinasco]

@@GubbFarm Thank you so much for your answer!! :D

[@GubbFarm]

@@danielpinasco You are welcome.

[@seanmcguire7974]

Is there a follow up?

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Sean. I will do a update video in May 2022 when 18 months has passed since it was set up. I hope all is well.

[@AutoNomades]

To keep the right humidity, why not to simply cover the compost with something to recondensate the evaporation back? (i'm doing that with ceramic plates, using the curvy shape to water back in place in an even way. Then surround everything with strawbales to insulate, then a tarp and you have a very good compost heater ! (in green house for example)

[@GubbFarm]

That is a very good idea. I have been thinking about covering the compost pile with a sheet of tin, which might work. It will be interesting to see how well this compost turns out when the weather warms up, as we have just gone through a hard frost with no insulation.

[@AutoNomades]

@@GubbFarm The advandage of insulating i guess, i would think, is that the outside layer (becoming the insulator) would compost beter. It think also that a regular shape ast a square, a cilinder, a pile would compost better. (better keeping warmth)

[@lidalurlurano5681]

you were supposed to take your stakes out on day 2-3, not longer than that or you'll get anaerobic conditions that will kill your fungi and you want to avoid that at all cost. your substrate must be kept at 70% moisture, no higher. if you have run-off - you've flooded your poor fungi and again - deprived them of oxygen.

[@GubbFarm]

You are probably right Lidalur. It was going into winter and everything slows down then, so I give it a few days longer.

[@simonmasters3295]

Lidalur is not "probably right" he is following best practices. For instance you say 40:1 C:N and then having presented figures that scream "much less chicken manure" you dump 50% of highly available N (probably amonicial, certainly uric) onto woodchip without consideration of how you jumped to conclude a 1:1 mix was required! Mate patience and recipe

[@paulgandy8400]

hows yer back 😁

[@GubbFarm]

My back is fine... but my knee, well hmmm...

[@kevintc17]

Hey ya, how did this turn out?

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Kevin. I will do a follow up video soon. It is hard to make time for everything!

[@flatsville1]

Note that non-vessel, static pile composting of manure products requires bottom (usually forced) aeration. This is now an industry standard & practice in the US. A Johnson-Su Bioreactor as designed is open bottom & interior vented & relies on convection to keep the mass aerated to prevent it from going anearobic & provide adequate air for temperature over time to kill manure born pathogens. I suggest you do labs to see if your end product still contains manure pathogens so it is not toxic to plants & humans.

[@GubbFarm]

That is very interesting and right now, and the air vents at the bottom are sometimes under water after heavy rain (which I assume is bad). I am hoping to get a detailed test at the end, but right now I am struggling to identify a lab to do the work at a reasonable price in the UK and Ireland. All the best.

[@flatsville1]

@@GubbFarm Yes. No bottom venting throughout a static manure pile is bad. Please bear in mind that it is not just an issue of bottom venting on the edges, but bottom venting horizontally along the entire space of the mass & vertically throughout the interior space of the mass. If your area floods, building a ventillated riser to hold the mass above water level may be too difficult.

[@agostinopeta2295]

How did the compost come out?

[@GubbFarm]

Hi. I am going to open it in the spring time this year. Hopefully it will have been worth the wait!

[@agostinopeta2295]

@@GubbFarm it will be a lesson for all of us😊.. i wish you, your family and your farm-activity all the best... greetings from italy👋

[@JohnThomas-nn6qt]

throw some mushroom spawn onto the top of the pile, adds some fungi into the soil...

[@GubbFarm]

Thanks John

[@1fiatman]

Very interesting what do the neighbors make of it 😆

[@GubbFarm]

Ha. No complaints so far. As it never goes anaerobic it doesn't smell, which is very neighbourly of me!

[@1fiatman]

@@GubbFarm sometimes it hard to get the stuck in the mud people to understand there are other ways of doing things, keep it up.

[@GubbFarm]

Now I have a mental image of an angry mob with torches!

[@1fiatman]

@@GubbFarm m.facebook.com/home.php#!/story.php?story_fbid=3566202856793381&id=243070359106664&refid=7&_ft_=qid.6904758582819435905%3Amf_story_key.-8985457300514778333%3Atop_level_post_id.1297734017244540%3Acontent_owner_id_new.100010238615051%3Aoriginal_content_id.3566202856793381%3Aoriginal_content_owner_id.243070359106664%3Apage_id.243070359106664%3Asrc.22%3Astory_location.5%3Aview_time.1607639385%3Afilter.h_nor%3Atds_flgs.3%3Aott.AX9cjulAjveS3JdM&__tn__=%2As%2AsH-R

[@1fiatman]

You come across well on camera give it a go

[@lyudmylasharma7768]

that's anaerobic - too wet, you won't have fungi

[@GubbFarm]

Hello Lyudmyla. I removed the water pump shortly after that video, but I think a covered area would probably be better. All the best.