Recently in messages Laura to Tom regarding tea machines Laura wanted to compare machines based on equaly complete systems Wormgold vs Bob's Apples to Apples.
Well, they are two very different machines, useful to different markets. Wormgold is everything, Bob's is bare essentials, requireing the user to put forth some effort and part of the system. Each group of customers will have differing needs or desires or cash resources. But let's compare some systems based on cost per gallon capacity It seems that this group of systems produce similar quality tea from similar compost and nutrients.
Our first brewer was a Microbrewer. An impressive machine for $5,000. Complete.
at 50 gallons the cost per gallon capacity = $50.00
We didn't like the tea being recycled thru the pump and nozzle so we developed our own brewer, air driven by rising bubbles I produced at leasst equal TEA.
At 50 gallons brewer+ tank + pump-out system + a days work ( much more work and testing of course to get this to market condition )
$685+$50 + 87+ $250 = $1.072 / 50 g = $21.44 /g capacity
When we increased the tank to 250 gallons,
$685 + 250 + 87 + 350 = $1,372 / 250 = $ 5.49 / g capacity
The Wormgold at $6,000 for 100 g capacity is complete Cost is $ 60.00/g capacity.
The convenience of Reverse Osmosis is compromised some by the excessive water reguired and the problem of getting rid of the doubly contaminated water.
The Bob's and most others that use areation to lose the chlorine take an extra hour.
The auto heat and cool will help get similar tea from time to time. The air driven systems tend to need heat but run cool by evaprative cooling.
The KIS machine at $88 for 5 gallons, air driven cost is $17.60 per g capacity.
Bob's Bitti-O-Lator at $165 + tank + pump out costs
At 5 gallons $165 + 0 + 0 = $165 / 5 = $33.00 per g capacity.
If the user expands the Bitti to 20 gallons ,
At 20 gallons $165 + $10 + $57 + some work $ 100 = $332 / 20 = $16.60
At 30 gallons $332 / 30 = $11.06
We are shipping a Bob's with a 700 g capacity next week. The owner is furnishing the tank and pump out system and some work. This cone bottom tank will have features to areate the silt during the entire brew period, will separate the silt from the tea without filtering, will pump out the load quickly and send the silt separatly so this valuable part of the tea can be used to augment on-going compost quality or directly on soil. What will this cost? Some of these numbers are estimates. The owner already had the tank, air pump and pump out
The unit $ 800 + tank 440 + 2 pumps 255 + plumbing 220+ owners labor 1,000 =
$2,715 / 700= $3.88 / g capacity
Apples to Apples? Not at all. Many differences to fit different users. Cost per gallon of capacity may be useful for some buyers. Cost and extent of testing, portability vs stability or automation first cost, flexibility of capacity...Many choices including the choice of doing it yourself. Any Tea makers want a set of drawings w specs to help do it yourself? Would standard drawings be worth $ 100.00? To meet custom conditons worth more? Let me know, Bob