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My description of a good teas smell - like wet freshly cleaned laundry.
Bad tea - anything that smells even slightly like poos or eggs.
Foam size can indicate several things though I'm not going to suggest what they might be till again, I have a scope.
Using other field of study for comparison sorry - In Aquaponics most of my 'testing' is done by smell and sight.
In aquaponics the small fine bubbles that stick together longer than a few seconds mean the water is running rich...
Colouration of the bubbles means the water is not only running rich, it is producing excess and needs a clean.
I also look for a bio-film - about 2-3 mm of buildup on the side of my bucket. I have lowered my molasses to 5 ml per gallon so this doesn't build up too thick and fast which also encourages anaerobic activity.
Compost - I leave mine free floating -why - most of the fine particulates wind up in solution - if the compost has not shrunk in size the tea is not doing it's job properly, imo.
Bacteria and particulates are attracted to each other - to prove I have bacteria I need only find the bio-film.
To prove it is an aerobic brew I need only smell it.
To prove I am getting particulates in solution I need only monitor the amount of compost left, and the colour of the foam on top (which I stir back in a couple of times a day.)
But I cannot prove the presence of protozoa or the absense of ciliates. I cannot check the nematode or fungi count or size.
I need a scope. And not only a scope, I want a simplicitea brewer from Tad.
Then I'll make all sorts of outrageous brews, but won't be able to give lab reports, just observations.
Azolla and aspirin - bwa ha haaaa!
Bad tea - anything that smells even slightly like poos or eggs.
Foam size can indicate several things though I'm not going to suggest what they might be till again, I have a scope.
Using other field of study for comparison sorry - In Aquaponics most of my 'testing' is done by smell and sight.
In aquaponics the small fine bubbles that stick together longer than a few seconds mean the water is running rich...
Colouration of the bubbles means the water is not only running rich, it is producing excess and needs a clean.
I also look for a bio-film - about 2-3 mm of buildup on the side of my bucket. I have lowered my molasses to 5 ml per gallon so this doesn't build up too thick and fast which also encourages anaerobic activity.
Compost - I leave mine free floating -why - most of the fine particulates wind up in solution - if the compost has not shrunk in size the tea is not doing it's job properly, imo.
Bacteria and particulates are attracted to each other - to prove I have bacteria I need only find the bio-film.
To prove it is an aerobic brew I need only smell it.
To prove I am getting particulates in solution I need only monitor the amount of compost left, and the colour of the foam on top (which I stir back in a couple of times a day.)
But I cannot prove the presence of protozoa or the absense of ciliates. I cannot check the nematode or fungi count or size.
I need a scope. And not only a scope, I want a simplicitea brewer from Tad.
Then I'll make all sorts of outrageous brews, but won't be able to give lab reports, just observations.
Azolla and aspirin - bwa ha haaaa!
my teas always smell like a walk in a forest just after a rain. fresh and clean no obstructive or offensive smells, over time its easy to learn when a tea is not at full potential, smell is just one of them. but not everyone has a good nose, cigg smokers would have a harder time smelling tiny differences, so its good to learn a few ways when your tea is ready.
a question for ct guy, have you let brews go horribly wrong(on purpose) and check them under a scope. what were the differences? got any pics? ive always wondered what exactly is in the nasty brews as those are the ones we really need to know and watch out for imo. good tea is good tea but bad tea can be really bad sometimes im guessing.
a question for ct guy, have you let brews go horribly wrong(on purpose) and check them under a scope. what were the differences? got any pics? ive always wondered what exactly is in the nasty brews as those are the ones we really need to know and watch out for imo. good tea is good tea but bad tea can be really bad sometimes im guessing.
C
CT Guy
jaykush,
When the teas have gone horribly bad (as in I tore my ACL and left them in the garage for a week before emptying them without any air), I didn't bother looking at them and had to throw away the entire brew.
What I've found when teas brew too long is that the bacteria will begin to eat the fungi and they will disappear first. Tim has seen them come and go throughout extended brewing and would be a better resource on this question.
When I have looked at what I would consider bad teas, though I was still aerating, I mainly just see active bacteria and sometimes an abundance of cilliates. I don't have the ability to distinguish species, but can tell there's good diversity in a tea based on the morphology of the microbes I can see. In bad teas, I see less diversity and mainly bacteria, no fungi.
At some point, I really need to take 3 teas, one good, one okay, and one bad, and photograph them both with a camera and then also under the microscope. You'll see that all 3 can look virtually identical using just your eyes, without any magnification.
My teas tend to smell earthy and are darker due to the addition of humic acids in the brew. And they all smell the same for the most part, I cannot tell a difference unless they really stink (meaning I left them without aeration for a long time).
~Tad
When the teas have gone horribly bad (as in I tore my ACL and left them in the garage for a week before emptying them without any air), I didn't bother looking at them and had to throw away the entire brew.
What I've found when teas brew too long is that the bacteria will begin to eat the fungi and they will disappear first. Tim has seen them come and go throughout extended brewing and would be a better resource on this question.
When I have looked at what I would consider bad teas, though I was still aerating, I mainly just see active bacteria and sometimes an abundance of cilliates. I don't have the ability to distinguish species, but can tell there's good diversity in a tea based on the morphology of the microbes I can see. In bad teas, I see less diversity and mainly bacteria, no fungi.
At some point, I really need to take 3 teas, one good, one okay, and one bad, and photograph them both with a camera and then also under the microscope. You'll see that all 3 can look virtually identical using just your eyes, without any magnification.
My teas tend to smell earthy and are darker due to the addition of humic acids in the brew. And they all smell the same for the most part, I cannot tell a difference unless they really stink (meaning I left them without aeration for a long time).
~Tad
oh yea when teas go bad ive thrown them out, sometimes ill add bleach before i toss it. always takes the stench away instantly im assuming it kills all microbial actions instantly. i always wanted to check a really bad tea though. never had the money for a scope, well i have one but its CRAP and 100 years old from the looks lol.
i would assume there would only be bacteria as they can be really dominant, but mainly what types are what i want to know. and how to tell the difference. just wondering if u knew. that would be great for tea comparisons im sure the begginers would find it helpfull, can you take pics through your microscope? i have an slr that i would love to hook up to a scope and snap away all the little things i see.
my teas are more golden honey mustard color. and in winter they always have less saturation in color.
i still want to know whats in the worst possible situation, let a tea brew for 2 weeks with only a small amount of molasses(or too much) then after let it sit for a week then see whats in there. how do you identify or even where to get things identified like pathogens and such?
for sure a stinky brew is easy to tell. the smell alone says dont use me.
i would assume there would only be bacteria as they can be really dominant, but mainly what types are what i want to know. and how to tell the difference. just wondering if u knew. that would be great for tea comparisons im sure the begginers would find it helpfull, can you take pics through your microscope? i have an slr that i would love to hook up to a scope and snap away all the little things i see.
my teas are more golden honey mustard color. and in winter they always have less saturation in color.
i still want to know whats in the worst possible situation, let a tea brew for 2 weeks with only a small amount of molasses(or too much) then after let it sit for a week then see whats in there. how do you identify or even where to get things identified like pathogens and such?
for sure a stinky brew is easy to tell. the smell alone says dont use me.
G
Guest
Hello out there, all you Organic Buffs, I have got a couple questions for your expertise. In this Compost Tea Guide, I noticed you made a reference in the guide about how you, Aerate and agitate the tea before any organic materials have been added in order to burn off any chlorine and produce what you call "tepid water". I was wondering, is this process only necessary with Tap Water or Well Water? How about spring water? I bring this up because In my area there is a large overabundance naturally occurring mountain springs which includes about 75% of the drinking water in our area (such as my own and the source i brew my tea from). I would love to hear a reply ASAP on what you think, thanks ya'all.
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G
Guest
Obviously i didn't read any of the thread AT ALL when I clearly stated a quote. Thanks for your kindness, you could have retorted intelligently and just answered the simple question. From this day forward I plan to never grace any top secret knowledge i happen to acquire toward you, especially with the warm welcoming ya big dumb idiot. And no I didn't end up reading ALL 20 pages, only about half.
edit: I kind of found what I was looking for after another review of the thread, but necessarily answered with the detail pertaining to the topic I was looking for. Sorry for my hostility.
edit: I kind of found what I was looking for after another review of the thread, but necessarily answered with the detail pertaining to the topic I was looking for. Sorry for my hostility.
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quadracer
Active member
jaykush said:
Wow. Bleach!?! Really?
I just had a tea go bad when I left over the holidays, but I still used it in the flower bed. The flowers are still looking great. It's not like there are any contaminants in there that aren't found in the compost pile. That and the "bad" bacteria would still have to fight it out when introduced to the soil.
My teas start out REAL stinky. I use comfrey/nettle that has been decomposing in a large bucket for a month or two (which smells like death) and some fish-mix as well. I know the tea is done when the smell goes from bad to a fresh ocean breeze.
The color of the tea varies depending on the amount of compost vs. other ingredients, but it is a nice golden-brown color by the end.
I'd love to try out some creek water, but I don't trust any of the springs around here.
quadracer
Active member
jaykush said:
I just wouldn't trust the creeks around where I am, there has been some runoff issues and contamination issues lately.
Other than that, I wish I had a source like a fresh creek or spring. I am running off a well, but it's not quite the same.
Water quality is pretty interesting and important. There was a huge 10,000 plant grow in gold country that would use water from the river close by. This river has high lead levels, so high that you (shouldn't) eat the fish. I wonder what kind of lead levels would be present in the marijuana...it's probably minimal, but still.
Also, there was something interesting in the nytimes about hot water having higher concentrations of lead.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/health/29real.html?_r=1&oref=login
Peace.
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NPK
Active member
quadracer said:
That's a good point. I live a few miles from a beach the in SF Bay Area, and wanted to grab some seaweed for my compost. Then my wife pointed out that you're not supposed to eat shellfish from the Bay because of the high levels of heavy metals. Chances are the seaweed is similarly afflicted, so, sadly, I had to lay that idea to rest. I'd still like to get some from a healthier beach, though.
I brought home some creek water from one of my guerrilla spots and it gave me a beautiful foamy tea. The creek is in a nature preserve...I've seen tons of tadpoles and frogs there. Also more stinging nettles than you can shake a stick at. Gonna grab a bunch of that as well.
NPK
Active member
MrFista, there are so many tadpoles in parts of this creek I had to fasten a piece of screen to the top of my bucket because I couldn't scoop out water without getting some of the little guys. Saw some egg sacs in the bucket too the first time I watered--tiny ones. The frogs are tree frogs, so small they could sit on a quarter with plenty of room to spare. I love that spot.
Awww, I love those wee frogs!
BONE TEA!!! IN CAPS!!!
Now, it's pretty easy to bypass information here as there is so damn much of it. I just manicured yesterday. you want to hear it?!!!
YES! They cried!
20% yield gain.
50% finger hash gain.
More weed and more hash. My job is done.
BONE TEA!!! IN CAPS!!!
Now, it's pretty easy to bypass information here as there is so damn much of it. I just manicured yesterday. you want to hear it?!!!
YES! They cried!
20% yield gain.
50% finger hash gain.
More weed and more hash. My job is done.
Teas
Molasses
Compost
Kelp
Blended alfalfa
This is the basics all the girls got.
Bones (about a large handful of small bones beef lamb chicken and pork).
Bone processing - I eat them, then the cats, then the ants strip em really clean, then bleached in the sun, then put in my tea.
Bubbled for 3 days.
I watered this into the soil undiluted on a normal watering schedule. I added the bones to the compost they'll eventually make their way to the soil.
My Terra Preta experiment using char and bones has also shown increased yield versus no bones.
Molasses
Compost
Kelp
Blended alfalfa
This is the basics all the girls got.
Bones (about a large handful of small bones beef lamb chicken and pork).
Bone processing - I eat them, then the cats, then the ants strip em really clean, then bleached in the sun, then put in my tea.
Bubbled for 3 days.
I watered this into the soil undiluted on a normal watering schedule. I added the bones to the compost they'll eventually make their way to the soil.
My Terra Preta experiment using char and bones has also shown increased yield versus no bones.
