# First attempt at brine was a failure



## G&Co (Jan 18, 2013)

Our first attempt at spraying brine went well until we added the salt. I now have 4 inches of salt in the bottom of the rig. We added some water and then salt and them finished off filling the tank. We were thinking that the high pressure and gpm we were filling off of would have diluted the salt enough...wrong. Where did we go wrong and what is everyone using to make brine? We calculated everything by weight to tell us what we needed to add to the tank to get out salinity. In 200 gallons we added 400lbs of salt. I will be cleaning out the spray rig.....


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## Spool it up (Oct 30, 2012)

did you let it ferment ? you'll need an agitator w/ a planetary speed reducer .:laughing:

juss kidding . i made a 55 gal. batch for small problem areas and it was a beetch creating it . constant mixing .


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

G&Co;1569545 said:


> Our first attempt at spraying brine went well until we added the salt. I now have 4 inches of salt in the bottom of the rig. We added some water and then salt and them finished off filling the tank. We were thinking that the high pressure and gpm we were filling off of would have diluted the salt enough...wrong. Where did we go wrong and what is everyone using to make brine? We calculated everything by weight to tell us what we needed to add to the tank to get out salinity. In 200 gallons we added 400lbs of salt. I will be cleaning out the spray rig.....


Let me try to understand this? It sounds like you filled your sprayer rig tank with water then added salt? Your trying to use your sprayer to make brine?

Well I'd say you went WRONG right there.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=108235


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## G&Co (Jan 18, 2013)

Thanks for the help Kubota. We filled it half way then added salt, then filled the rest of the way.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

Those links are to some of my creations. They all work very well. A lot of people have copied those designs and are very happy with them. If you use the search feature at the top of the page, you will find many other pages with brinemakers other Plowsite members have made.


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## G&Co (Jan 18, 2013)

Kubota 8540;1569612 said:


> Those links are to some of my creations. They all work very well. A lot of people have copied those designs and are very happy with them. If you use the search feature at the top of the page, you will find many other pages with brinemakers other Plowsite members have made.


 With as little snow and ice as we get here I probably just need to buy it ready made. Live and learn I guess


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

G&Co;1569614 said:


> With as little snow and ice as we get here I probably just need to buy it ready made. Live and learn I guess


You can take my design and shrink it from the size that it is , down to (2) 55 gallon drums or (2) 5 gallon buckets depending how much you need or want to make.


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## pabaker66 (Nov 25, 2011)

Follow what Kabota says and it will work the way it should. If I had to pay him for all of his advice and help I would be bankrupt.


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## hammerstein (Feb 2, 2007)

Nice video kubota. 

How long can you store finished brine and do you need to regularly mix it? Or does it always stay in solution. I have been considering building a wetting system.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

hammerstein;1569966 said:


> Nice video kubota.
> 
> How long can you store finished brine and do you need to regularly mix it? Or does it always stay in solution. I have been considering building a wetting system.


Well unfortunately I now know you can store it for 2 years. It hasn't snowed in what seems forever. Does not need to be mixed at all. It's still ready to spray.


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## hammerstein (Feb 2, 2007)

Thank you. I saw your video of with a 100" spray arm how many gpm is that setup?


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

hammerstein;1569977 said:


> Thank you. I saw your video of with a 100" spray arm how many gpm is that setup?


Approx 1.5-1.75 gpm per black SJ-3 tip. Not sure how many tips were on in the video you seen.


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## BigBoyPlowin (Nov 16, 2012)

Kubota 8540;1569584 said:


> Let me try to understand this? It sounds like you filled your sprayer rig tank with water then added salt? Your trying to use your sprayer to make brine?
> 
> Well I'd say you went WRONG right there.


Woah 

Yeah setup one rig for mixing and another rig for spraying the finished product. 
Havent seen one setup that allows you to do both at the same time yet.


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## ndnchief (Feb 7, 2011)

I followed Kubotas instructions did as he did Now I'm making money spreading brine ...with great results Do as he does...save your self time and money..he is THE BRINE MAN...all jokes aside Thank You Jim You are The Brine Man


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

BigBoyPlowin;1569994 said:


> Woah
> 
> Yeah setup one rig for mixing and another rig for spraying the finished product.
> Havent seen one setup that allows you to do both at the same time yet.


For the right money, I'm certain I can build a one-does-all setup up. LOL But I can tell you up front you will have to use bag solar salt. But were talking more $$ than a separate sprayer and separate brinemaker will cost.


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## T-Trim (Nov 8, 2005)

Kubota 8540;1569612 said:


> Those links are to some of my creations. They all work very well. A lot of people have copied those designs and are very happy with them. If you use the search feature at the top of the page, you will find many other pages with brinemakers other Plowsite members have made.


I hope you put patents on those. I saw your earlier post back a few years ago. I would have patent the crap out of that.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

T-Trim;1570065 said:


> I hope you put patents on those. I saw your earlier post back a few years ago. I would have patent the crap out of that.


My purpose was to help those interested in getting into liquids to do so cheaply. Not prevent them from being able to make money, decrease salt usage, or offer their customers a choice. Patents are not always the easiest things to defend and can be very expensive to do so. Also expensive and time intensive to file. They should be reserved for truly unique ideas that will produce high dollar returns.

I have my brinemaker and sprayer ideas from Idaho to Connecticut, from the Carolinas to Canada. OR PERHAPS THAT IS ALL THE SETUP FOR WHATS YET TO COME.? :laughing:


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## hammerstein (Feb 2, 2007)

I was considering making mine in one tank as well and using a hot pressure washer to fill it and also a mixing paddle mounted in the tank. Almost the same way we make our truck wash soap for our pressure washing bussines. 

What are your thoughts on using hot water to speed up dissolving the salt. I know when we wash salt spreaders out the hot water is always faster at busting up and melting stuck salt.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

hammerstein;1570189 said:


> I was considering making mine in one tank as well and using a hot pressure washer to fill it and also a mixing paddle mounted in the tank. Almost the same way we make our truck wash soap for our pressure washing bussines.
> 
> What are your thoughts on using hot water to speed up dissolving the salt. I know when we wash salt spreaders out the hot water is always faster at busting up and melting stuck salt.


I suppose you could use hot water. But when testing you would need to use the correction chart for the difference in water temperature.

In my 2 tote brinemaker using solar salt I can make 400 gallons of 23.5% brine in 8-10 minutes (mixing time) using cold water so I really don't see the need for hot water?

Multiple problems when mixing in side a sprayer tank if using anything other than solar salt. There will just be too much debris and impurities.

But if you do it you need to post your results.


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## T-Trim (Nov 8, 2005)

Kubota 8540;1570184 said:


> My purpose was to help those interested in getting into liquids to do so cheaply. Not prevent them from being able to make money, decrease salt usage, or offer their customers a choice. Patents are not always the easiest things to defend and can be very expensive to do so. Also expensive and time intensive to file. They should be reserved for truly unique ideas that will produce high dollar returns.
> 
> I have my brinemaker and sprayer ideas from Idaho to Connecticut, from the Carolinas to Canada. OR PERHAPS THAT IS ALL THE SETUP FOR WHATS YET TO COME.? :laughing:


I see. I'm currently reading the anything spray related thread. How did someone from KY find you to build a sprayer? Is that your main business building sprayers and brine makers?

Thanks


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

T-Trim;1571017 said:


> I see. I'm currently reading the anything spray related thread. How did someone from KY find you to build a sprayer? Is that your main business building sprayers and brine makers?
> 
> Thanks


I'm am (feels like was) a residential Contractor that didn't want to build in the winter months turned Snow removal contractor for those months. I once had over 100 accounts and of course employees. I have downsized and now enjoy plowing what I can handle myself. I found I didn't enjoy telling people what to do, I enjoy helping people accomplish what THEY want to do. Since the housing down turn having more time per week for myself than I knew existed, I started getting into the liquid end of things. I did a lot of research and did a lot of trial and error experiments. Once I built my first sprayer I found out that the liquid suppliers pricing was COMPLETELY out of line for my local area, at $2-$4 per gallon I was simply better off spreading rock salt. I knew there had to be something I could find that was a less expensive alternative to the high priced liquids. Again I spent a lot of time and money looking and experimenting. Came up with the 90/10 salt brine and calcium chloride mix. It simply works and is very affordable and available. Trucking costs were such that even that killed the deal. I wanted a replacement that would cost me less per acre than rock salt. The only way to do that was to build my own brinemaker and make my own liquid. So I did. My son said I should make a video and got me set up on You Tube. Made a couple videos and posted them. Made a couple brinemakers and a truck sprayer to put on Ebay and I was off and running. And I do mean running, people started contacting me thru You Tube and Ebay, then locally. I was then building brinemakers and sprayers from my home shop and shipping or delivering to different states. I have brinemakers from Idaho to Connecticut, and from the Carolinas to Canada. Helped countless people thru Plowsite along the way. It simply has grown more than I was trying to do and far more reaching than I thought it would. I have contractors of all sizes using my equipment , and also have Cities using my brinemakers and sprayers. I have built sprayers from 150 gallon to 1,235 gallon, electric powered, gas powered and hydraulic driven. 
The city engineer from Kentucky seen the videos on You Tube, checked on Ebay for a sprayer, then contacted me. It was a done deal from the first phone call, he drove 6+ hours 1 way and picked up his sprayer.

I do have a few new ideas to explore this year and may even build a website and get serious about all of this winter stuff. :laughing:


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## turn54 (Jan 7, 2010)

hammerstein;1570189 said:


> I was considering making mine in one tank as well and using a hot pressure washer to fill it and also a mixing paddle mounted in the tank. Almost the same way we make our truck wash soap for our pressure washing bussines.
> 
> What are your thoughts on using hot water to speed up dissolving the salt. I know when we wash salt spreaders out the hot water is always faster at busting up and melting stuck salt.


I have tried 200 degree water on a 400 gallon batch once and it was a waste of time and hot water. It did not speed up my mixing time much. All it did was steam up the room.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

turn54;1571239 said:


> I have tried 200 degree water on a 400 gallon batch once and it was a waste of time and hot water. It did not speed up my mixing time much. All it did was steam up the room.


Were you using bag or bulk salt?


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## T-Trim (Nov 8, 2005)

Kubota 8540;1571057 said:


> I'm am (feels like was) a residential Contractor that didn't want to build in the winter months turned Snow removal contractor for those months. I once had over 100 accounts and of course employees. I have downsized and now enjoy plowing what I can handle myself. I found I didn't enjoy telling people what to do, I enjoy helping people accomplish what THEY want to do. Since the housing down turn having more time per week for myself than I knew existed, I started getting into the liquid end of things. I did a lot of research and did a lot of trial and error experiments. Once I built my first sprayer I found out that the liquid suppliers pricing was COMPLETELY out of line for my local area, at $2-$4 per gallon I was simply better off spreading rock salt. I knew there had to be something I could find that was a less expensive alternative to the high priced liquids. Again I spent a lot of time and money looking and experimenting. Came up with the 90/10 salt brine and calcium chloride mix. It simply works and is very affordable and available. Trucking costs were such that even that killed the deal. I wanted a replacement that would cost me less per acre than rock salt. The only way to do that was to build my own brinemaker and make my own liquid. So I did. My son said I should make a video and got me set up on You Tube. Made a couple videos and posted them. Made a couple brinemakers and a truck sprayer to put on Ebay and I was off and running. And I do mean running, people started contacting me thru You Tube and Ebay, then locally. I was then building brinemakers and sprayers from my home shop and shipping or delivering to different states. I have brinemakers from Idaho to Connecticut, and from the Carolinas to Canada. Helped countless people thru Plowsite along the way. It simply has grown more than I was trying to do and far more reaching than I thought it would. I have contractors of all sizes using my equipment , and also have Cities using my brinemakers and sprayers. I have built sprayers from 150 gallon to 1,235 gallon, electric powered, gas powered and hydraulic driven.
> The city engineer from Kentucky seen the videos on You Tube, checked on Ebay for a sprayer, then contacted me. It was a done deal from the first phone call, he drove 6+ hours 1 way and picked up his sprayer.
> 
> I do have a few new ideas to explore this year and may even build a website and get serious about all of this winter stuff. :laughing:


I know what you mean about the market. But if your the one still surviving after what has happen. The out look , Looks good. Just got to find what your good at and keep plugging away.

I would start posting to You tube too. But 95% of our stuff is not for the public. We had a guy working for us parttime to help out in the field repairs and the like. Well long story short. He was posting stuff on here or one of the other sites in this family. Which should have not been made public. Everybody here is under a confindential agreement. And no I can't get let go for saying that either.

Thanks Kubota8540


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

T-Trim;1571360 said:


> I know what you mean about the market. But if your the one still surviving after what has happen. The out look , Looks good. Just got to find what your good at and keep plugging away.
> 
> I would start posting to You tube too. But 95% of our stuff is not for the public. We had a guy working for us parttime to help out in the field repairs and the like. Well long story short. He was posting stuff on here or one of the other sites in this family. Which should have not been made public. Everybody here is under a confindential agreement. And no I can't get let go for saying that either.
> 
> Thanks Kubota8540


I survived the economic genius of Jimmy Carter and I will survive the economic guru currently at the helm. They come, then fortunately they leave and I will remain intact. I adapt or regroup and take a new direction and this is my current path. The weather certainly could co-operate a little. That would make my current path a little easier.


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## turn54 (Jan 7, 2010)

Kubota 8540;1571244 said:


> Were you using bag or bulk salt?


Bulk salt. It was pretty clean though. Could run about 10- 400 gal batches before I would have about half a 5 gallon bucket of crap left over.


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## turn54 (Jan 7, 2010)

Kubota 8540;1571244 said:


> Were you using bag or bulk salt?


Bulk salt. It was pretty clean though. Could run about 10- 400 gal batches before I would have about half a 5 gallon bucket of crap left over.


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