A ? - Steel Drums and Burners

[gerbil]

Okay this will probably seem a little stupid, but i'm a bit stumped as to where to go hunting for large steel drums to be used for large amounts of substrate pastuerisation outdoors.

Rev, you've got a Mobil oil drum on your pictorial. Is this a little risky in terms of contaminants for home edible cultivation? I'm guessing it's fine as you are using it, but i'm still feeling a little uneasy using a petrol/oil drum.

The burners i've been searching for on the net are the Large Quad LPG ring burners which i'll be hunting for in BBQ/camp stores the next couple of weeks, seems easy enough to come by.

Can anyone offer any suggestions for easy to aquire Drums within Vic or just general businesses you know who use these?

'tis almost eryngii season and i'm planning on doing mass production of polethylene logs so all I need are these last bits of materials and it'll be set.

Thanks kindly, if I find a place i'll post it.

[Tripitaka]

Maybe try the 20L Cooking oil drums, I often see them discarded behind restaurants etc.

[gerbil]

thanks for the suggestion tripitaka, though i'm after much larger ones. I'm guessing 60L minimum but it's hard to tell until I see it in person.

It'll be used for hot water soak and steaming. Moreso steaming i'd imagine, bit of h20 in base, then a wire rack with bag stuffed with substrate sitting on that, water boils and steams the bag sitting above.

[Rev]

I'm guessing it's fine as you are using it, but i'm still feeling a little uneasy using a petrol/oil drum.

why?

maybe we can allay your fears

the 60L ones are normally free - go scout the industrial area or mechanics

the 200L ones cost abot $8 i think

wash with water and detergent, then with shellite

presto - clean enough to eat from

you do know oysters will EAT automotive oil dont you

http://www.fungi.com/mycotech/mycova.html

[mescalito]

You can pick up an old fowlers-vacola drum used for preserves pretty cheap at op-shops,they work well but they're prolly not big enough for what you're aiming for.

[gerbil]

Thanks v. much for the help guys, i'll attempt to pick a 60L and a larger one this week.

Cheers for the link rev. Yep I was thinking the same, but at the same time stamets mentions to go for food grade ones in GGMM which threw me a little.

Even with results of no traces in mushroom bodies after munching through contaminated soils, there's still a uneasiness I'm feeling about consuming and sharing the fruits with family and friends, it's probably just being overly paranoid lol.

I suppose with the wash out and running it a few times it should be pretty squeaky clean in no time.

Still waiting for a copy of mycelium running since before christmas, apparently it'll be here end of feb, looking forward to the mycofiltration and bioremediation issues.

I'm currently working on plans for a humidity fogger setup in a bunnings 3 tier greenhouse solely for fruiting eryngii logs this season, will post a pictorial if all goes to plan.

Basically it's 4 pipes runing off a single feed from a h20+h202 tub, 1 pipe hanging in each corner of the g'house, with single fogger misting nossles at the top of each tier just below the next wire shelf, so 4 foggers per rack all pointing on the diagonal towards the central point and put on a timer.

[gerbil]

thanks again for the responses, have just got hold of a 44gallon one yesterday for free after constant searching. Used to hold plastic bags with soap.

If people are after clean drums try visy steel as they manufacture and recondition steel drums of different sizes. They are terrible with customer service. Based out laverton (VIC) way, that's all the information I could get from them in about 10 phone calls, but if you're out that way it might be a good source.

[sappyroot]

You can pickup Food Grade stainless steel 200/100/60l drums from your local scrap metal yard. Just ring up before hand to see if they have any available. ( note, probably best to ask if it's food grade) It will be around $5 per drum.

Also reverse garbage ( it's in Sydney if you are in Sydney) Has food grade 60 litre 100/200l drums for $20 bucks, that were used for essential oils.

Yellow pages has a big list of "drum recyclers" you could probably find one near you, thats if you want one that has already been cleaned.

Sapp

Edited March 4, 2006 by sappyroot

[gerbil]

Nice addition, thanks sappy.