Home made soil sterilizer - help please!

From time to time I do like to make my own John Innes composts.
But being honest, I do hate having to spend the time it takes weed-pulling from the pots/seed trays.
If anyone has made their own sterilizer, I would love to hear about it.
Using a kettle element has gone through my mind; but building something in the garden that needed a little wood fire would not be a problem either!

Cheers & thanks in anticipation.

 

That takes me back many years, my old dad used to make his own compost for the greenhouse plants , think it was boiling water and a combination of Jeyes fluid, left in a covered heap for a few weeks.

Seems that todays version of JF is perhaps not the same, as they say its not suitable, but they might just say that to meet the regulations ??
FAQs - Jeyes Fluid

Looking on the web, seems using some form of steamer is a more practicable way, perhaps using a large metal tub with lid and directing a steam hose up a central perforated pipe from a hole in the base ?
( my wallpaper remover steamer seem to push out a fair bit )

Wonder why you need to use J Innes for your seeds v standard peat based composts ? - some special plants ?

 

I must admit that I am thinking on the lines of a steamer.
Probably a kettle element fixed in the bottom of say a five gallon drum.

In reply to your questions, I dislike the use of peat for ecological reasons and have always got some damn good results with my own John Innes mix using leaf mould & sharp sand.
It is just the soil element I wish to sterilize.

 

This ytube shows how to use the oven or microwave to do small batches.

The flat plate used in wallpaper steamers would seem ideal for using on seed tray size batches of soil.

Making your own with just an electrical element might be a bit dangerous.

 

Thanks ricky101; brilliant mate!

 

Have a gander at solar cookers which are large reflective dishes that focus the sun's energy onto a cooking pot. They are cheap and easy to make from cardboard and foil.

If I have the time then I may just make one as a proof of concept.

 

I have a wood smoker/oven that I bake my dirt in every fall.

I have a solar oven as well that I would never dream of using to cook buggy soil. I disagree with making an efficient one cheaply. I did this plus made a solar water heater to test the theory and then went on to buy the real deal. Homemade solar heat takes a lot of work, adjusting the cooker to the sun and not a god choice for productive work. You open the lid, the heat is gone. Now wait another 30 minutes for it to get up to hot temps. Solar ovens are like slow cookers. My small solar oven can be had for about £300.

My wood oven heats to 500f and does not cool down appreciably between loads and I use an old roasting pan that will never be used for food. A pound store aluminum pan works fairly well but is hard to manipulate becausd it is flimsy.

This is year three so I can testify to the efficacy of baking the dickens out of dirt! Been there, done it!