Guinness
Well-Known Member
Having to soak hay at the moment, but would rather steam it. Anyone successfully made their own steamer? How did you do it?
Thanks
Thanks
How to make a hay steamer?
- Thread starter Guinness
- Start date
kerilli
Well-Known Member
yep, wallpaper steamer (i have a black and decker one that cost about £20, works perfectly, only trouble is that sometimes the safety shut-off goes off while it's still full, this only happens once or twice a week), and either a galvanised bin or one of those blue plastic round bins which narrow towards the top, or a wheelie bin. normal black dustbin rubber is too soft, i tried this and after about 8 days of steaming with it twice a day, the rubber was so softened by the steam that it collapsed completely.
drill a hole the exact same size as the hose in the wall at the bottom of the side of the bin, use hose connectors to secure hose of steamer inside. i duct taped around the hole too.
i put 2 or 3 flaps of hay in a net with big holes, easier to get out then while hot (doesn't collapse everywhere!), lid on securely, turn on.
have actually worked out that can do 2 nets one after the other with one full steamer, about 20-25 mins each, use rubber gloves to get first one out without scalding hands and arms!
hope that all makes sense!
drill a hole the exact same size as the hose in the wall at the bottom of the side of the bin, use hose connectors to secure hose of steamer inside. i duct taped around the hole too.
i put 2 or 3 flaps of hay in a net with big holes, easier to get out then while hot (doesn't collapse everywhere!), lid on securely, turn on.
have actually worked out that can do 2 nets one after the other with one full steamer, about 20-25 mins each, use rubber gloves to get first one out without scalding hands and arms!
hope that all makes sense!
Bert&Maud
Well-Known Member
When I made mine, I cut a slot the size of the pipe in the top rim of the plastic bin (I used a rigid plastic water tank - it goes a bit floppy when hot but after a month has not disintegrated!), the pipe is long enough to go over the rim and then sit in the bottom of the bin. I then put a plastic bedding sack over the top, and then a piece of heavy plywood over the top of that. If you leave the steamer outside when it's below freezing the ice in the pipe blows the safety valve before the heat melts the ice, so I leave mine inside the barn when not in use. It also doesn't appreciate getting wet, and kept blowing the trip - so I use an RCB on it now.
Bert&Maud
Well-Known Member
Also, mine takes about 15 minutes to warm up, and then lasts long enough to do two very large nets at 20 mins each.
milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
Or, if you are too idle to be cutting holes in things (like me
) buy a waterbutt which has a hole for a tap in the bottom. I got a huge one from a DIY shop, pulled the tap off and the hole is perfect size for the wallpaper steamer hose. Couldn't be easier!