Home made Hay Steamer.

P

poiuytrewq

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I know, bear with me!!
I am a huge huge Haygain fan and have rabbited on about how they are the ONLY steamer worth using......

However, right now I simply do not have the money even for a second hand one, I am constantly scouring Market place etc but It's not happening. Alfie has a allergy. I knew that when i took him on and he lives out, half time in the field and half in a pen with a shelter on the yard next to the others stabled.
So, I've had to go back to soaking hay, I'd blocked out of my mind what a hassle that is and certainly what a trauma in this kind of weather! I've been soaking for 30 mins and keeping covered ready to hang in the morning but of course can't in this weather as its frozen. Can't soak it in the morning as it takes too long and the past days the water has been frozen anyway.

I borrowed a little steamer, thinking it was pretty rubbish and tbh hadn't even tried it really until now and I now see a decent steamer is going to be a necessity this year. Its not big enough and its not powerful enough though for me long term.
Its also a faff as its difficult to unscrew and fill the steam unit, especially with cold hands.

So I'm going to make one, I'm going to get a really good steam unit. I'm going to double insulate the box and have a temp probe to be sure I'm getting the temps up high enough in the middle. Then I can put it on a timer so its ready for the morning.

Question is any idea what I can use as the initial inner box? I will insulate with that silver foam board but the inner box needs to be tough and have a decent lid, I also think its needs to be about the size of a single kitchen unit almost. I have a metal spike from an old steamer to sit the net on so the steam gets into the middle from the start.

Would an old chest freezer or fridge work?
 
I expect if you browse the internet you will be able to find a plastic box that would be large enough.

I had one of the wheely bin ones, which worked OK if not brilliantly. Last time I tried to use it the steamer wouldn't work, so I have reverted to soaking or a kettle of boiling water, but I only have a small pony.

My OH didn't like it, he said water is a lot cheaper than electricity.
 
Orangehorse said:
I expect if you browse the internet you will be able to find a plastic box that would be large enough.

I had one of the wheely bin ones, which worked OK if not brilliantly. Last time I tried to use it the steamer wouldn't work, so I have reverted to soaking or a kettle of boiling water, but I only have a small pony.

My OH didn't like it, he said water is a lot cheaper than electricity.
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Yes, there is that. Water is definitely cheaper, especially for me as we have a bore hole supply. I may still soak as and when but it's really times like now where It's not working.
The other issue I'd forgotten is the place I'm asked to soak drains across the yard to a certain drain which then of course freezes and leaves a nasty line of ice to lead the horses over every day. It sounds stupid, that i should just soak else where but its either across the yard or it floods into my hay shed, or is miles from a water supply. Can't win!
 
Here goes
I have at home which Mr M made
a Very large wheelie bin with hole for hose drilled near the bottom
inside a metal hose with holes drilled in it wired to a metal frame
a very heavy duty industrial steamer with timer, they still break but can be repaired.
The lid of the bin distorts so Mr M made a lid covered in silver insulating stuff which fits inside
The bin is put inside a cabinet with door made of ply etc ( in our case it was left over wood) all lined with home insulation solid foam stuff.
I think I took photos a while ago. I will see if I can find them.
Mine isn't used now as F is at livery
 
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dorsetladette said:
as a short terms fix we used a mollichaff bag and a kettle of hot water. It's not perfect, but helped us out when we ran out of haylege for my old COPD pony.
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I can use this one I have borrowed to tide me over so it’s not urgent.
They do the kettle and dustbin thing at a yard where I work and recently I had to empty a steamed net to get the string out to hang and the inside hay wasn’t even slightly steamed. 😬
 
poiuytrewq said:
I can use this one I have borrowed to tide me over so it’s not urgent.
They do the kettle and dustbin thing at a yard where I work and recently I had to empty a steamed net to get the string out to hang and the inside hay wasn’t even slightly steamed. 😬
Click to expand...

Yeah you can't do large amounts - I should have said. I only did one slice shuck up well per kettle/bag. Not the most efficient and takes a bit of trial and error.
 
poiuytrewq said:
of course! ?
I'm liking the grit bin idea, they are also double walled which is handy. Mr P has asked how i would empty the waste water- Do they just tip? even with pipes attached
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I wheeled my bin to the shed door, about a yard, and tipped the bin up.
There was maybe a couple of pints of water. Tip it before you refill though don't do it when hot!
I'm not sure how you'd do that with a grit bin. Do they come with wheels?
 
No they don’t. It’s going to be in an open fronted shed raised a bit off the floor, pallet or something as it gets a bit wet in there anyway but means it doesn’t really matter for me to just tip in situ.
Mr p was just worried it wouldn’t be tippable without damaging fittings
 
Tiddlypom said:
A grit bin sounds like a good idea. It needs to be a sturdy double walled chamber of some sort, or else it won’t get up to temperature.
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Im hoping, not sure if it’s up to this kind of heat but to test it with a bale probe?
Otherwise I will find some kind of thermometer I’m sure to test the middle of nets and experiment with.
 
some years ago I had a huge larder fridge that OH converted to a hay steamer for me. He managed to convert a steam wallpaper stripper so that hot steam entered via a rubber tube. The rubber seal around the door kept all the steam in effectively, and I could place all the hay slices on their own dedicated wire rack - about 1/2small bale at a time. As I remember, it worked a treat!
 
littleshetland said:
some years ago I had a huge larder fridge that OH converted to a hay steamer for me. He managed to convert a steam wallpaper stripper so that hot steam entered via a rubber tube. The rubber seal around the door kept all the steam in effectively, and I could place all the hay slices on their own dedicated wire rack - about 1/2small bale at a time. As I remember, it worked a treat!
Click to expand...
I did think a fridge or freezer may be an idea. Already insulated and sealed. How did you empty the waste water though?
 
poiuytrewq said:
Mr P has asked how i would empty the waste water- Do they just tip? even with pipes attached
Click to expand...

The haygains have tiny drainage holes in the four corners. Just slightly bigger than an average size nail (as I give them a poke with one when cleaning it)
They obviously aren’t big enough to let heat out but do a great job of draining any waste water.
 
This is my quote from a previous thread of 2013
"We tried a chest freezer as a hay steamer. OH rigged it up and it worked perfectly and got very hot. A short while later the freezer lining buckled and the inside of the lid distorted into huge bubble shapes. It was a mistake I suppose putting heat into something that's supposed to be cold. "
Not sure if all freezers would melt or not.
 
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