# 5 gallon micro-brewer DIY



## pcduck (Apr 25, 2015)

This tea brewer is a simple DIY that I copied off of Tim Wilson. 
http://microbeorganics.com/

I had all the parts already.
To buy the parts probably looking at around $24 minus the air pump.

Took me about 15 minutes to put together.

Parts list:
2-90° elbows
2- Tees
1- threaded/slip reducer 
1-street 90° elbow threaded
1-hose barb adapter
1-piece of hose for air pump
1-piece of pipe.
1-air pump.
Glue 
I cut the pipe into 3 pieces. 1 is for the riser and 2 for connecting the 90° elbows and tees.
 I glued the reducing bushing and tees together.
Did not glue the riser and elbows, as I need to take it apart to clean. 

View attachment IMG_20150425_100352_611.jpg


View attachment IMG_20150425_111015_786.jpg


View attachment IMG_20150425_110913_828.jpg


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## umbra (Apr 25, 2015)

ozzy did a similar setup based off of Tim's work. best tea brewer, imo.


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## Dr. Green Fang (Apr 25, 2015)

Nice pcduck :aok:


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## Locked (Apr 25, 2015)

Nice...thanks for sharing pc.


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## lyfespan (Apr 26, 2015)

Awesome diy


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## pcduck (Apr 26, 2015)

Thanks everyone.

umbra I did see Ozzie's brewer @ Tim's forum site.
His was more of a vortex type and having some gremlins with it. I'm sure he has it figured out by now.


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## pcduck (Apr 27, 2015)

Here's a pic of the finished tea. 

View attachment IMG_20150427_050226_602.jpg


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## zem (Apr 27, 2015)

pcduck said:


> Here's a pic of the finished tea.



soil dwellers are disgusting :rofl: joking duck it's awesome :aok: if i were to do organic i would definitely make this


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## Dr. Green Fang (Apr 27, 2015)

zem said:


> soil dwellers are disgusting :rofl: joking duck it's awesome :aok: if i were to do organic i would definitely make this



I'm been thinking of brewing my teas instead of using Botanicare Pure Blend Tea. Use some Ancient Forrest Hummus / Brown Sugar (?) (heard you don't use molasses for hydro applications), Mykos and something else. Seems to me that it would work better if fresh and not bottled. I just haven't gotten around to it because I have like a gallon of Pure Blend left :rofl: 

Awesome stuff pcduck :aok:


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## sopappy (Sep 20, 2018)

pcduck said:


> Here's a pic of the finished tea.
> 
> View attachment 225554


yummy


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## umbra (Sep 20, 2018)

a bit late to the show pappy


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## Keef (Sep 20, 2018)

Richie Riches Hydro tea -- (recipe )-- 

Why not just drop a bubbler stone in the bucket and be done ?-- I'm out but I like my Voodoo Juice but it's expensive !-- I'm gonna start making my own tea when I get set back up !


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## sopappy (Sep 20, 2018)

umbra said:


> a bit late to the show pappy



haha it gets worse every year
pcduck sent me here for a look and I had posted a stupid question and then found I couldn't delete the post
so now it's just a stupid post


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## thegloman (Sep 20, 2018)

It goes back to the surface tension keef.
Bubbler stones won't break the surface tension of the water enuff for good bacterial growth.
  Don't get me wrong, it does sort of work with a fish pump but not near as well.  1 time making good tea and you'll never go back to fish pumps and stones.


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## sopappy (Sep 20, 2018)

bubbler stones are so 2015
that's a venturi thingie he's got going up there, it's worth another look


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## umbra (Sep 20, 2018)

The big issue is the pump macerating the microbes as it pumps, hence the venturi


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## Alasgun (Sep 20, 2018)

Volume not pressure. Regerative blowers, got mine from Synergy agricultural products, santa rosa!

Dr. Elaine Ingam, a good source of information. Mostly one of them cant pronounce all the words, gotta read it twice thingies.

Agreeing with Gloman here, and to be sure its more than a nutrient shake, use a scope to see for your self. Good enough ones are pretty cheap and elimenate the guessing.


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## sopappy (Sep 21, 2018)

umbra said:


> The big issue is the pump macerating the microbes as it pumps, hence the venturi



oh yikes, wth is macerating?
omigawd, it's ALL bad To make soft by soaking or steeping in a liquid, To separate into constituents by soaking, To cause to become lean, usually by starvation; emaciate

I thought I'd be okay using a couple of pumps with built-in venturi nozzles instead because I can't source the goddam pipe! I am SO glad you posted, Umbra, thanks!!, dam, this place eh?
not sure if I'd have ever figured out why I couldn't get my microbe teas to work!!!

note to self, pcduck verbatum, no assumptions


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## sopappy (Sep 21, 2018)

umbra said:


> a bit late to the show pappy



may be... but what a finale haha, thanks! jump in anytime


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## sopappy (Sep 21, 2018)

QUOTE="pcduck, post: 930332, member: 12739"]This tea brewer is a simple DIY that I copied off of Tim Wilson.
http://microbeorganics.com/

I had all the parts already.

ya, well, build another one, I'll send US funds, not our crap 

is that 1 1/2" ?
can I use that black ABS stuff, I see that a lot or is it not HDPE or whatever?


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## sopappy (Sep 21, 2018)

This really is ******* ridiculous, shithole country in only 2 years of liberal rule.
Everything I need shows up at Lowes.com
Look what I get at Lowes.ca 
https://www.lowes.ca/search/pvc-schedule-40-fittings.html?iterm=pvc-schedule-40-fittings
3rd world shithole


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## 2RedEyes (Sep 21, 2018)

I have one just like that, works great...


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## pcduck (Sep 21, 2018)

I have both 1 1/2" and 2" and the 2" worked better for me. I used white PVC schedule 40. We have that stuff in all our hardware/home improvement stores. Check with irrigation stores also, used in all our sprinkler systems from yards to football fields.


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## umbra (Sep 21, 2018)

Just my 2 sheckles, I'd use schedule 80. Schedule 40 is only good to 80*F to would be like 27*C


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## Keef (Sep 21, 2018)

I use a pump in my aero boxes and I run a live res. -- 396 gph filtered pump in one those 35 gallon black grow boxes with the yellow checkerboard top -- When the pump comes on I make it rain in that box !-- I use an air stone and aquarium pump to move fresh air thru the box !-- It gets plenty oxygenated when it sprays !-- I'm watch what ya'll doing with this tea !- That voodoo juice I was using works great but is expensive !-- I plan to keep cloning and growing young plants in my aero boxes -- Trying to keep an open mind on what I'll do in Veg and Bloom !-- Maybe drip and drain or that pro mix like Umbra uses ?-- Any suggestions about a modest production set up ?


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## sopappy (Sep 21, 2018)

pcduck said:


> I have both 1 1/2" and 2" and the 2" worked better for me. I used white PVC schedule 40. We have that stuff in all our hardware/home improvement stores. Check with irrigation stores also, used in all our sprinkler systems from yards to football fields.



Home Hardware
Home Depot
Canadian Tire
Electrical & Plumbing Store
Lowes

really, name your price


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## sopappy (Sep 21, 2018)

Keef said:


> I use a pump in my aero boxes and I run a live res. -- 396 gph filtered pump in one those 35 gallon black grow boxes with the yellow checkerboard top -- When the pump comes on I make it rain in that box !-- I use an air stone and aquarium pump to move fresh air thru the box !-- It gets plenty oxygenated when it sprays !-- I'm watch what ya'll doing with this tea !- That voodoo juice I was using works great but is expensive !-- I plan to keep cloning and growing young plants in my aero boxes -- Trying to keep an open mind on what I'll do in Veg and Bloom !-- Maybe drip and drain or that pro mix like Umbra uses ?-- Any suggestions about a modest production set up ?



Damn it, Keef, you CAN'T use a pump in a brewer. You do nasty things to the troops.


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## sopappy (Sep 21, 2018)

umbra said:


> Just my 2 sheckles, I'd use schedule 80. Schedule 40 is only good to 80*F to would be like 27*C



Schedule schmedule, I'll settle for ******* white


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## sopappy (Sep 21, 2018)

2RedEyes said:


> I have one just like that, works great...



mumble mumble mumble


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## sopappy (Sep 21, 2018)

umbra said:


> Just my 2 sheckles, I'd use schedule 80. Schedule 40 is only good to 80*F to would be like 27*C



22C is plenty warm enough for them little critters (or so I read)

besides, look at what I'd have to pay to build one with sched 80

https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=pvc+fittings+2"+schedule+80&rh=i:aps,kvc+fittings+2"+schedule+80

who pays this? am i really this old? that's nuts, 20 bucks for a coupling?


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## sopappy (Sep 21, 2018)

anybody! add in the postage to central ontario and name your price... 
2" preferably, don't glue nuthin, just send the plastic, (I have hose and pump)


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## Keef (Sep 21, 2018)

They don't seem to mind Pappy !-- I can run a whole 2 month bloom cycle without a res change -- only pH and top off !-- I could brew that tea in one my boxes !-- That pump assembly go in the box !


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## umbra (Sep 21, 2018)

Oh I didn't even mention cpvc or the correct adhesive, lol


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## sopappy (Sep 22, 2018)

Keef said:


> They don't seem to mind Pappy !-- I can run a whole 2 month bloom cycle without a res change -- only pH and top off !-- I could brew that tea in one my boxes !-- That pump assembly go in the box !View attachment 250318



I would never get away with that. I have this poltergeist in here who likes to mess with me. It's 3:30 am and I just woke up... I go downstairs and the ******* lights are off and I hear a relay buzzing and the little bastard giggling behind the furnace.


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## sopappy (Sep 22, 2018)

umbra said:


> Oh I didn't even mention cpvc or the correct adhesive, lol



There's that temperature thing again... I never measured, do these brews heat up or something?
I'd be more concerned that it was HDPE but I'd think it's "food grade" if it's used for plumbing.
Don't be not mentioning stuff, Umbra. My 'substitute parts' brewer would have been a microbe machinator


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## Keef (Sep 22, 2018)

I don't glue my PVC together for my Spray manifold !-- I think ya'll making too big a deal about a pump chewing up microbes !-- I use that voodoo juice as an inoculate and plan to use the tea the same way !--When I start a new box I add a colony of good microbes -- They'll live and thrive in my boxes -- If any are getting chewed up by the pump they reproducing much faster than they die !-- I got close to a dozen of those aero boxes and they work well but still have some problems !-- I have to keep the plants small or they fall over as they develop and get top heavy - I have to open the boxes to change the filters and check nute water levels - One thing I do like about it is the automation -- I don't have to water or feed - With all the water enclosed I don't have to worry much about humidity control -- So I'll be changing the way I grow using a common res and maybe drip and drain tables !


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## pcduck (Sep 22, 2018)

In the link that was posted. I believe they have before and after pictures of microbes going through a pump. There is a big difference in the amount and type of microbes that survived.


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## sopappy (Sep 25, 2018)

pcduck said:


> In the link that was posted. I believe they have before and after pictures of microbes going through a pump. There is a big difference in the amount and type of microbes that survived.



I gave up and made mine out 1 1/2 ABS, figured I'd skip the glue and hope for the best.
It's not work... I think my pump is too week... 80W  70L/min   
Nothing comes out the top or just dribs and drabs.
I took off some pieces and can get the surface pretty raucous but no venturi for me :-(


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## Polo (Sep 25, 2018)

ABS is not safe as it kills off fungi. Schedule 40 PVC and CPVC are both safe. Schedule 80 is not safe it will kill off bacteria.


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## sopappy (Sep 25, 2018)

Polo said:


> ABS is not safe as it kills off fungi. Schedule 40 PVC and CPVC are both safe. Schedule 80 is not safe it will kill off bacteria.



Even if i don't use glue?


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## Polo (Sep 25, 2018)

Glue or no glue the pipe is the same.


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## umbra (Sep 25, 2018)

Yeah we use sch 80 in the winery, yeah it does inhibit bacterial growth, I forgot that


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## sopappy (Sep 25, 2018)

**** **** **** **** ** ** ***** * ***** **** UNCLE  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## sopappy (Sep 25, 2018)

sopappy said:


> rant deleted


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## Polo (Sep 25, 2018)

No use to pull your hair out.


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## sopappy (Sep 26, 2018)

Polo said:


> No use to pull your hair out.



Well, not a total loss... I've read it's a pretty good fertilizer


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## St_Nick (Oct 17, 2019)

I swear man youse guys are really making a mountain out of a mole hill.  You think teas are a new thing?  We started out just brewing them in a tub.  Whenever you walked by you would give it a stir.  Next thing you know, in the wake of legalization, everybody and their brother is becoming an expert and they all got a better way.  I use an air pump.  Somebody else uses a water pump.  I used to use a canoe paddle.  Get your microscope out and count the microbes then let me know which ones the best method.

Then figger out how to make aerobic and anaerobic bacteria thrive together!


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## umbra (Oct 17, 2019)

Actually this occurs when you brew EM1 in the head space of the gallon container. It is not filled to the top to allow for gas expansion, and in that space is a transitional area where both meet and thrive


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