Sh*tty problem

[wolfstar]

Does anyone know if home brew detritous could have a negative effect on septic systems? Yeast dregs (krausen clogging my main line or leach field?) or maybe idophor is killing all the usefull bacteria?

Septic is backed up...just wondering?

No I am not drunk...slightly buzzy (homebrew) and tired after digging up my septic covers for the dudes to pump it out

 

[sudsmcgee]

I can only speculate, but I seriously doubt it.

 

[cimirie]

I don't know about iodine, but I've read yeast can actually be beneficial in helping to break down sh!t (pun absolutely intended) in your septic system.

 

[Homercidal]

Are you dumping vast amounts of sanitizer down your drain?? Bleach??

Otherwise, I think you would be ok. When was the last time you had your septic system checked and cleaned?

 

[glenn514]

Yeast IS good for the septic! When I lived in the country and had a septic system, the company that pumped mine out always recommended throwing in two "cakes" of plain old, ordinary yeast when beginning to refill the tank. Homercidal has a good suggestion: get the system inspected and pumped out, if necessary.

glenn514

 

[broadbill]

If your system hadn't been pumped in the last four years, that is your problem....not the brewing by-products.

Take care of your septic systems folks....new ones run about 15-25K to replace.

 

[Hang Glider]

Never had mine pumped in 10 years...but it gets Rid-X every month, plus the brewing trub.
no indications of problems. I guess may be I'm "lucky?"

 

[Revvy]

Oh crap, (see what I did here? )according to rebel brewer iodophors are NOT safe for septic system...I've never seen this anywhere else though.

http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/B%2dT%2dF-Iodophor-%2d-1-liter.html

I've just gone deep into google, and this is the ONLY citing I've seen. There's a lot of folks, on here and even other forums, saying that they've dumped it down their septic for years.

I was always under the impression it was safe for septic systems.

Some say that they leave it out in the sun for a few hours, or wait a few days for the iodine to fade out before dumping it.

Yo may want to consider switching to starsan, Chuck Talley actually designed it to be able to be broken down by septic bugs, in fact it's supposed to actually be beneficial to your system.

 

[Homercidal]

Never had mine pumped in 10 years...but it gets Rid-X every month, plus the brewing trub.
no indications of problems. I guess may be I'm "lucky?"

There are various levels of quality when it comes to septic systems. Some are practically DESIGNED to work poorly. And many people don't add Rid-X regularly, assuming their septic system will just continue to work forever.

If someone has a less than perfect septic system, and doesn't take care of it, it will have to be cleaned once in a while.

A soundly designed and built system, with regular care, may never need cleaning.

Anything that kills microbes should not be flushed down the toilet. It's only harming the stuff that keeps the septic clean and working.

 

[Revvy]

I searched the MDS and couldn't fine anything....

Like I said, Rebel brewer is the ONLY site I could find that makes that statement about septic systems.

 

[wildwest450]

If your system hadn't been pumped in the last four years, that is your problem....not the brewing by-products.

Take care of your septic systems folks....new ones run about 15-25K to replace.

That statement couldn't be any broader, you can get a complete system down here for $4500.

_

 

[wildwest450]

If your system hadn't been pumped in the last four years, that is your problem....not the brewing by-products.

Take care of your septic systems folks....new ones run about 15-25K to replace.

That statement couldn't be any broader, bill, you can get a complete system down here for $4500.

_

 

[JonM]

Somewhat off topic, but in Milwaukee they recycle sewage into fertilizer called Milorganite. Years ago it was considered by some to be one if the best fertilizers in the world and some of the premiere golf courses in Scotland insisted on using it. People think it was so great because it had wastewater from all those Milwaukee breweries.

 

[wolfstar]

Oh crap, (see what I did here? )according to rebel brewer iodophors are NOT safe for septic system...I've never seen this anywhere else though.

http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/B%2dT%2dF-Iodophor-%2d-1-liter.html

I've just gone deep into google, and this is the ONLY citing I've seen. There's a lot of folks, on here and even other forums, saying that they've dumped it down their septic for years.

I was always under the impression it was safe for septic systems.

Some say that they leave it out in the sun for a few hours, or wait a few days for the iodine to fade out before dumping it.

Yo may want to consider switching to starsan, Chuck Talley actually designed it to be able to be broken down by septic bugs, in fact it's supposed to actually be beneficial to your system.

Since I started brewing again, I have been dumping idophor down the drain, but yeast, trub, etc have been going to the plants, bushes and trees. I can definitley say mesquites love the yeast cake with 5 gallons of water

I have a guy coming out later to pump and clean my septic...no more idophor down the sink. If it does not harm the plants, I can put it in the wash (the periodic river that runs when it rains behind my house for non desert dwellers)....

On a side note, my wife and I run a small wolf/wolfdog sanctuary. We do most of the minor medical needs on site, we dump iodine and chorhexidine in small quantities when we are treating new intakes for cuts and scrapes...but not in the quanities that I do for homebrewing (sanitizing kegs and brew buckest)

 

[wolfstar]

That statement couldn't be any broader, bill, you can get a complete system down here for $4500.

_

Our septic was just over 15k 10 years ago installed new. Clay, caleche soil, hardpan...it all ads up to a leach field with more sqare footage than my home.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

That statement couldn't be any broader, bill, you can get a complete system down here for $4500.

_

I'm guessing that is for a traditional septic tank. Most places you can't install those anymore; you have to install a mound system, and those easily run 12-15k.

 

[iaefebs]

Your tank can be cleaned out as long as it hasn't been damaged. The big money is when your field gets saturated and needs replaced. Depends on local codes how much it will cost. At my last house I had a friend come over with a backhoe and I had room in the yard to just install a new field. It cost around $1500 for gravel and cement rings.I installed a valve and could switch between the old or new field. Where I live now I have my tank cleaned every presidential election year.

 

[JebCkr]

I don't think you should have a problem with this. You can not, however, dump an entire bottle of drain cleaner in your bathtub and forget to rinse it after the specified 15 minutes. Instead waiting 2 days and noticing a large puddle in the yard...just a warning.

 

[wolfstar]

Septic guy says Iodine and the like aren't to good for the septic. They won't kill it, but anything that is basically designed to kill bacteria is not helping. Turns out my system had a filter for the leach field (who knew) that was clogged...alll is well now...

 

[EarthBound]

Appropriate thread title! Hahaha!

 

[solbes]

I have a mound system sized for a 3 bedroom house on our vacation property up north. $6k installed 5 years ago.

I don't brew up there yet (someday!!!), but I dump our bottle dregs right down the drain. I don't anticipate any problems.

 

[rycov]

our system seems to have benefited from home brewing. (i use starsan not iodophor if that makes a difference)

 

[Ricand]

Tony from Lagunitas got thrown out of his Marin brewing site for dumping brewing stuff in the septic system. He tried to claim he was making Budwieser, but it didn't fly with the city. Official tour humor anyway.

 

[rycov]

What DO the pro brewers do with all they're waste? (grains, yeast, etc.?) or atleast what are they supposed to do with it?

 

[Revvy]

What DO the pro brewers do with all they're waste? (grains, yeast, etc.?) or atleast what are they supposed to do with it?

There's a conversation about it in this thread.

I posted some articles about some of the breweries in my post.

 

[rycov]

interesting read, thanks revvy!

 

[the_bird]

Where I live now I have my tank cleaned every presidential election year.

"*********, these candidates are BOTH ****! That reminds me, I need to get my septic tank cleaned out."

 

[passedpawn]

Somewhat off topic, but in Milwaukee they recycle sewage into fertilizer called Milorganite. Years ago it was considered by some to be one if the best fertilizers in the world and some of the premiere golf courses in Scotland insisted on using it. People think it was so great because it had wastewater from all those Milwaukee breweries.

I use that on my lawn. Lots of it. Tons of iron, doesn't burn grass. Keeping up with the Jones nextdoor.

OK, back to our regularly scheduled program, honeydippers...

 

[shuckit]

You should start a new DIY thread: Septic Pump Out (w/Pics). I hear it's like building an immersion chiller

 

[iaefebs]

"*********, these candidates are BOTH ****! That reminds me, I need to get my septic tank cleaned out."

That's exactly why I do it in election year. When the anti candidate commercials start getting really bad I know it's time to have the sh*t pumped.