Build your own precision steam pasteurizer and skip the freight bill. The kit includes the PID controller, heating element, float valve, false bottom, and fittings — you supply a standard 55-gallon steel drum, install the fittings, and connect it up. Built to order with a 2–4 week lead time.
You supply a standard 55-gallon drum; we supply the PID controller, heating element, and all the fittings. Once it's assembled, it runs exactly like our complete PID barrels — set the temperature and timer, load it, and walk away.
Switch it on and it heats until the barrel reaches your set point (we recommend 200°F for the best cost efficiency). Once the barrel stabilizes, the controller runs a countdown to let the load core reach pasteurization temperature, then shuts the heating loop off automatically. Repeatable results, no babysitting.
Source any standard 55-gallon steel drum locally. Because the drum is the bulky, freight-heavy part, providing your own keeps most of the shipping cost off your order — that's the whole idea behind the kit.
Cut and punch the openings, install the fittings we supply, add the false bottom and spacer grid, and connect the controller and heater. It's very doable with the right tools — and our how-to build video walks through every step.
The drum is the big, heavy, freight-driving part of a barrel steamer. With this kit, you source your own standard 55-gallon steel drum locally and we provide everything else — so you skip the freight bill of a complete unit entirely. You install the fittings we supply into the drum and connect the controller and heater — our how-to video walks through the whole build.
Prefer not to build it yourself? Get the complete, ready-to-run carbon steel or stainless PID barrel instead.
Two quick videos: an overview of our latest, improved PID controller, and a full how-to walkthrough of building the barrel from the kit.
Both versions pasteurize a full insulated load in a single session. The difference is the heating element: the 220V runs a much larger 5,500-watt element, which reaches pasteurization temperature about an hour faster, tolerates running uninsulated, and recovers quicker between batches.
*Insulated, the 1,500W element brings a full load's core to pasteurization temperature in about 4.5 hours from a cold start. Insulation matters at 110V — bare, it fights heat loss and struggles to hold higher temperatures, so plan to wrap the barrel.
*The 5,500W element reaches pasteurization temperature about an hour faster than the 110V, runs well even without insulation, and recovers quickly between loads. The pick for production volume. Add $300 over the 110V price.
Times are rough guides from our thermal model of a full ~200 lb load reaching pasteurization temperature (~160°F) from a cold start. Because you supply the drum, actual times depend on the drum you use and how well you insulate it.
It's a mechanical build that goes smoothly once you have the right tools. Our how-to video walks through the whole process — from cutting and punching the openings to wiring up the controller.
Pick up a standard 55-gallon steel drum locally — a clean, food-safe drum works well. This is the part you supply, and it's what keeps freight off your bill.
Cut and punch the openings in the drum for the heating element, float valve, and drain, then install the fittings we supply. Some openings are punched rather than drilled, so you'll need the correct punches — our how-to video shows exactly how it's done.
Attach the supplied fittings, drop in the false bottom and spacer grid, then connect the PID controller and heating element. Load your substrate, set the temperature and timer, and run.
| Barrel | Not included — you supply a standard 55-gallon steel drum |
|---|---|
| Substrate capacity | Up to ~200 lb (approx. 40 blocks per load) — plan your throughput → |
| Inner diameter | 22.5" |
| Barrel height | 34" |
| Heating element | 1,500 W on 110V / 5,500 W on 220V |
| Control | PID temperature controller with countdown timer |
| Water management | Stainless float valve for automatic fill |
| False bottom | 12-gauge perforated steel + spacer grid |
| Assembly | Cut/punch the openings and install the supplied fittings; connect the controller and heater |
| Method | Atmospheric steam — super-pasteurization (not pressurized sterilization) |
| Drum | You supply your own 55-gallon steel drum (not included) |
| Power options | 110V or 220V (+$300) |
| Lead time | Made to order — typically 2–4 weeks before it ships |
| Shipping | Ships by parcel (no freight) — calculated at checkout |
| Build | Made to order in the USA |
Heat-up and hold times depend on the drum and insulation you supply. Questions before ordering? Call (530) 300-9292.
Estimate how much substrate this barrel can pasteurize — bags per load, per day, per week, and per month. Adjust the heater, ambient temperature, pasteurization level, bag size, and how many loads you run per day.
Because the bulky 55-gallon drum isn't in the box, this kit ships by standard parcel carrier — no oversized freight. You source the drum locally and skip the freight bill entirely. Each kit is built to order with a typical 2–4 week lead time, and shipping is calculated automatically at checkout.
This is an atmospheric steam pasteurizer — sometimes called a substrate sterilizer or barrel steamer. It heats your load with steam at ambient pressure, which is exactly what you want for bulk substrate: straw, masters mix, supplemented sawdust, and CVG. It super-pasteurizes those materials so beneficial competition is knocked back and your spawn can take over.
It is not a pressure sterilizer. Grain spawn and agar need true sterilization at 15 PSI / 250°F in an autoclave or pressure canner — a barrel steamer isn't intended for those. Use this for bulk substrate, and use a pressure sterilizer for grain and agar.
Choose 110V or 220V at the top of the page and order your kit. Prefer a complete, ready-to-run unit? Get the complete PID barrel.
