Aact brewer bubble vs airlift

Looking at brewers and it left me wondering are these airlift/vortex style brewers better then standard bucket and bubbles? Anyone try any diffrent design? I have done research but not first hand opinions. This is more or less for the benifit of knowing.

i was going to make a vortex,ended up making a big bubbler unit in a 32 gallon brute.the vortex seems like there would be more chances for leaks.plumbing out of the bottom of the tank.sure you can get a waterproof bulkhead connector but a leak in the middle of a brew would suck.i used 3/4 pvc pipe,forming a ring in the base of the brute,very small holes drilled.airpump hugely oversized (can be used for a 10k gallon pond lol) really turns the water over.worked really well.

stoned-monkey said:

Looking at brewers and it left me wondering are these airlift/vortex style brewers better then standard bucket and bubbles? Anyone try any diffrent design? I have done research but not first hand opinions. This is more or less for the benifit of knowing.

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This is homemade... If you have questions, ask. I was able to figure it out by looking at pics.


https://www.amazon.com/EcoPlus-Commercial-Air-Single-Outlet/dp/B005DHWWGK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1524086782&sr=8-5&keywords=air+pump+ecoplus

Try to find a bulkhead that has 2 rubber washers to keep it from leaking.

MustangStudFarm said:

This is homemade... If you have questions, ask.

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Have you used a bubble bucket? If so which seems to perform better?

stoned-monkey said:

Have you used a bubble bucket? If so which seems to perform better?

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I went straight for the air-lift brewer and skipped the bubble bucket...The theory behind the airlift system is that it has more dissolved oxygen and no "Dead Spots" in the bucket, meaning that the bubble bucket will have pockets of water that anaerobic...

I also run tap water through it to make sure that all of the chlorine has evaporated and it also adds dissolved oxygen to the water. Plus, it is also a good way to keep the brewer clean.

stoned-monkey said:

Have you used a bubble bucket? If so which seems to perform better?

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i dont think one really performs better than the other.as long as you have enough air,you shoukd be all set concerning dead spots.i like the vortex desigh but the cleanup looks like its a pia.i wash/sterilize after every run.110ml hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water.i take all my plumbing apart and soak it right in the brewer for a couple hours.i then scrub the shit out of everything with a soft bristled brush.
tbh,i very rarely run teas anymore.i got tired of the cleanup and ive found topdressing with dry amendments works great.i'll brew a tea to "liven up" a soil now and then.i can take a picture of my rig tomorrow if youd like.gl

I brew using a 1 gallon milk jug and small fish tank air pump, few shakes here and there. I topdress and only use the tea for new plantings, houseplants once or twice a year and for starting plants outside, and in compost piles. however I wanted to do my whole veggie garden this year cause I am going to need to till it to break up the compacted clay soil, and want to jump start the microbes again. it would take weeks to do it with a 1 gallon brew. since I have everything for a simple bubble bucket maybe I will start there.
nice thing about the milk jug is I just rinse and recycle it when I am done.
thanks for your input @natureboygrower and @MustangStudFarm

stoned-monkey said:

I brew using a 1 gallon milk jug and small fish tank air pump, few shakes here and there. I topdress and only use the tea for new plantings, houseplants once or twice a year and for starting plants outside, and in compost piles. however I wanted to do my whole veggie garden this year cause I am going to need to till it to break up the compacted clay soil, and want to jump start the microbes again. it would take weeks to do it with a 1 gallon brew. since I have everything for a simple bubble bucket maybe I will start there.
nice thing about the milk jug is I just rinse and recycle it when I am done.
thanks for your input @natureboygrower and @MustangStudFarm

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those vortex brewers are really nice.With that venturi effect,MSG is right,no dead spots.they definitely take a little more construction though.i was planning on running 30gallon brews a week(was overkill) but i ended up only needing 10g.i had already purchashed a PondMaster ap-100(big pump) and it absolutely rolled that water over.
awesome idea to use it on your garden! how are you going to apply to your soil? i tried correcting an unhealthy lawn using aact and and backpack sprayer which was damn tedious! lol
good luck with your build

natureboygrower said:

awesome idea to use it on your garden! how are you going to apply to your soil? i tried correcting an unhealthy lawn using aact and and backpack sprayer which was damn tedious! lol
good luck with your build

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well I have two main options currently. one simply use a watering can and water the whole garden area, option two (more likely the one I will use) is attach a hose end sprayer filled with the AACT and go at it. downside is it will be diluted but can apply more then once if needed/desired.

I'm pretty sure..I could be wrong..but the kind like mustang made and w a pipe kinda fed down in the water w air blowing into it making the water kinda slosh and blop all around is the best way to make microbial teas.. especially when compared to just using air stones and bubbling it...it's not about the bubbles it's about getting oxygen into the tea..I'm pretty sure I was told by a pal he has seen a few tests done against the two and the vortex and one w just forcing air and not necessarily just making bubbles raised the microbial life quite a bit..if you're just making a nute tea I don't think it would matter as much as a microbial tea...are u asking about one or the other..or both?...either way I'd say I'd make one and get a pump like mustang posted ...they are pretty darn cheap and def worth the money

I may make a nute tea from time to time but its all about the microbes. I will be purchasing a larger air pump like mustang posted either way. if I build a bubble bucket it will get this https://www.grainger.com/product/ATLANTIC-DIFFUSERS-Polypropylene-Diffuser-11M950 since I already have it just sitting there. or a soaker hose/hose with small holes setup. if I make the airlift/vortex it would be very similar to mustangs.
I understand the concepts but since I have no way to test microbe life in the teas myself I am trying to round up as much first even second hand experience I can before building a large one.

The water is pulled from the bottom of the brewer and air is pumped into the 2 pvc risers. So, water is actually being pulled from the bottom and put back on top. That is how you get the vortex...

Here is a 5gal brewer

https://buildasoil.com/blogs/news/15654684-airlift-compost-tea-brewer-build-instructions-diy

Here is a good place to read up on that kinda shit .. www.microbeorganics.com ...tim the microbe man is into studying microbes pretty heavy and has done a lot of testing with brewers....I think he came to the conclusion that an air lift/ vortex is the best...another thing he has worked on and did a lot of testing in is adding nutes to a microbial tea...it isn't s good idea at all..it slows down or stops microbial growth...kelp is one thing that slows it way down...although if you use a very small amount of dry kelp...and brew a longer than normal his studies have found it works..but as far as anything else . Other than alfalfa meal I think...it just fucks up the tea...but read up on it if u get the chance...

I wanna build a 5 gal airlift brewer. Will 1" pipe work for the assembly or is it better to go with 1 1/4"? that seems to be the standard

5 gallon homemade vortex brewer - pain in the ass to clean and reassemble, every unglued joint needs a lap or two of plumbers tape to ensure no leaking (I tape at 5 joints). But brews like a champ! If you do not do a vortex airlift design, I think it is important to suspend your particulate ingredients in a mesh bag. Otherwise they do settle in the corners of bucket, and the sludge on the bottom goes anaerobic (you'll smell it when you clean it). I only use mine 2 or 3 times per season, no need to brew more often that that given where my soil quality now is.

I would likely do a simplified version if I rebuilt and only have one lift column just to make cleaning a little faster.