The main chart accompanying today’s post shows the temperatures measured in the biomeiler at a height of 4’ above the ground. This height marks the boundary between the pre-existing biomeiler and the recent extension. The data were collected by a thermocouple buried in the pile at that height at the very center of the inner […]
March 2026 Experimental Results, part 2 Read More »
The outdoor air temperature in the month of March saw frequent and considerable variations superimposed over a steady increase. The coop, again, responded only slightly to the variations. During the month, the biomeiler cooled to the point that the mantle is close to freezing. Correspondingly, the temperature of the air coming in to the coop
March 2026 Experimental Results Read More »
The chart accompanying today’s post shows the temperatures measured in the biomeiler at a height of 4’ above the ground. This height marks the boundary between the pre-existing biomeiler and the recent extension. The data were collected by a thermocouple buried in the pile at that height at the very center of the inner core,
February 2026 Experimental Results, part 2 Read More »
As in January, the outdoor air temperature in the month of February saw frequent and considerable variations. What differed is that the average temperature remained fairly constant. The coop, again, responded only slightly to the rapid variations. Because the coop has been between 40 and 50F, the air exiting the coop has been warm enough
February 2026 Experimental Results Read More »
A reader recently asked why the biomeiler has different temperatures in the inner core, outer core, and mantle. I have touched on the topic in past posts, but it seems valuable to address the matter comprehensively. The biomeiler was built in the form of concentric cylinders. Details are shown in the main image. It has
Temperature Gradient Explained Read More »
The outdoor air temperature in the month of January saw frequent and considerable variations superimposed over a general increase. The coop, by virtue of its insulation and thermal mass responded only slightly to the rapid variations, but certainly followed the general warming trend. In the first half of the month, the major forces were in
January 2026 Experimental Results Read More »
The chart accompanying today’s post shows the temperatures measured in the biomeiler at a height of 4’ above the ground. This height marks the boundary between the existing biomeiler and the recent extension. The data were collected by a thermocouple buried in the pile at that height at the very center of the inner core,
December 2025 Experimental Results, part 2 Read More »
As the month commenced, the outdoor temperature rapidly dropped. The coop temperature initially followed suit, but then became remarkably stable. Although changes in the outdoor air temperature are clearly represented in the coop temperature, the chickens have enjoyed a range of 35-45F. Though hardly luxurious, such a temperature range is easily tolerable by the
December 2025 Experimental Results Read More »
During the last few days we have had one of the deepest cold spells in recent memory. Temperatures have been in the -20s to -30sF for almost a week and the forecast calls for it to continue for at least another week. This weather is nothing remarkable, historically. When I first moved to Fairbanks, in
The chart accompanying today’s post shows the temperatures measured in the biomeiler at a height of 4’ above the ground. This height marks the boundary between the existing biomeiler and the recent extension. The data were collected by a thermocouple buried in the pile at that height at the very center of the inner core,
November Experimental Results, part 2 Read More »