Tea Article

[OrganicBuds]

Third Coast - I recommend the air lift. It actually ups the oxygen levels in the water by creating pressure during the lift. So it fuses the air in the H20. I have not measured it with a meter, but my teas seem better with the air lift. I used 1 1/4" pvc just an fyi.

 

[Stoner Bob]

Thinking about making a bigger brewer today. Found these plans on line, no air lift but I don't think matters that much, idk.

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/horticulture/documents/25gallonRubbermaidbrewerplans_2_.pdf

With the holes on the bottom of the pvc ring it should keep everything good and mixed. Any comments either way on this setup?

OB, yours has me thinking now...

I based mine off that design. I used less fittings than they have listed. Its simple to assemble and disassemble for cleaning.

Mine is a 20 gallon roughneck and a pump advertised at 80 liters per minute, but the rating is 85/lpm.

Here is an 800x microscope shot from my current batch of tea after aerating for 48 hours.

[YOUTUBEIF]htkuSD5IX7I[/YOUTUBEIF]


The only recommendation I would make is to invest in a good air pump, not the type for aquariums at the pet store, they're usually not powerful enough.

here is my post on the previous page that shows the final brewer, similar to that design you posted.
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=5778286&postcount=1526

 

[MrSmokeyMacPot]

That's all you add xmobotx? 3/4 of my outdoor pots are new soil, and I was wondering how to get more minerals in the soil, quickly. (I know, impossible) So I was thinking adding it to teas in small amounts would help. The tea I am making right now is just EWC, mollasses, fish, soft rock. Later in the season I add the kelp.

You take culture samples xmobotx?

Similar situation here, I have a new soil mix in my outdoor pots.... However, my soil mix already contains minerals... Azomite, Glacial Rock Dust, Oyster Shell, etc.

my question: in an effort to have a simple, yet effective AACT tea, does a recipe of EWC or Vermicompost, molasses, and kelp suffice?

what do some of you ACT users recommend??


also, I have been given a recipe by a friend of mine which utilizes Vermicompost, liquid Kelp, High N guano, Carbon Sweet (instead of molasses), and Hygrozyme.

to me, this recipe just sounds like a some overpriced, overkill indoor growers idea of compost tea.

what do you all think?

 

[xmobotx]

yeah; organicbuds just the basic simple tea ~compost and food

i dont have a scope and dont verify the tea ~i just run it a couple days and start using it

compost tea may not be the route to go for mineralizing. probably the best is to amend your compost pile w/ the mineral amendments whether its rock dust or greensand or clay & use the resulting compost {preferably after feed'n it to worms} in your mix/mulch

compost tea is for infusing living organisms into your medium ~other than that it becomes a 'nutrient tea' ad the former benefit likely wanes

 

[Granger2]

Adding Azomite to ACT is a good way to process it for plant availability, but I would use the micronized version which is soluble. I would not substitute it for soft rock phosphate if you're relying on the SRP for phosphorus. Just add the Azomite. -granger

 

[OrganicBuds]

at the start or end of brew? With minerals I wouldn't think it would matter. Thanks Granger2

 

[xmobotx]

says who?

 

[MrSmokeyMacPot]

as a novice when it comes to brewing ACT, I want to stick with a recipe that is simple and effective and economical.

what would some of you experienced brewers out there recommend for me to start with??

also any insight to soil drench application would be great... how much is enough, how much is too little? Im running 150gal pots.....

Thanks!

 

[John Deere]

I follow MM's recommendations. Check out his website if you haven't been there. Highly recommended. (microbeorganics dot com)

Also, FYI, xmobotx addressed ACT ingredients just a couple posts ago. Go back and re-read the last page.

Best of luck.

 

[MileHighGuy]

as a novice when it comes to brewing ACT, I want to stick with a recipe that is simple and effective and economical.

what would some of you experienced brewers out there recommend for me to start with??

also any insight to soil drench application would be great... how much is enough, how much is too little? Im running 150gal pots.....

Thanks!

microbe organics dot com

Ratios for 4 gallons of water

1.5 Cups of EWC
1/3 Cup Molasses

Brew for 24-36 Hours in your brewer, but make sure you have plenty of air.... not an aquarium pump in a bucket.

Soil Drench?

Think of this as an innoculation.

I always use as much as I can so If I need 4 buckets full of water for tonights needs, I'll split the tea evenly between 4 buckets and dilute with water... or just tea them all evenly and then come back and water more afterwards if they still need it.

Don't overthink the application, you can't really over or under do it. Just brew it up, keep it simple and then water with it.

 

[Microbeman]

Making ACT is not about putting in ingredients which directly benefit the plants. The foodstocks used are strictly to feed or benefit the microorganisms which in turn benefit the plants.

We used to make 1200 gallon batches of ACT which we applied on our farm garden beds through an irrigation system.

Anyway we decided to try saving some time and money and dumped 5 gallons of fish hydrolysate into a 1200 gallon batch to pump out. I had, as usual examined the finished brew microscopically and out of curiosity took another sample after mixing in the fish hydrolysate. To my astonishment and dismay I had wiped out or put to sleep almost half of the microorganisms. This was the last time we did this.

We always apply amendments separately from ACT and this is what I recommend unless using the most minuscule amounts. The amount of FH we used was 0.4%. If you have a microscope, go ahead and experiment.

[Excerpts from Microbe Organics]

 

[greenmatter]

NOT questioning you MM ! but i do have a question

why does the hydrolysate have different effects at different times during the brew? your recipe has hydrolysate in it ...... is it the amount that makes the difference?

also if the one thing from your recipe that you could not get your hands on easily was the c. phosphate what are some logical substitutes? if there are any

 

[Microbeman]

NOT questioning you MM ! but i do have a question

why does the hydrolysate have different effects at different times during the brew? your recipe has hydrolysate in it ...... is it the amount that makes the difference?

also if the one thing from your recipe that you could not get your hands on easily was the c. phosphate what are some logical substitutes? if there are any

I could give you a blanket to keep you warm but if I piled 100 blankets on you right after you ran a marathon you would not do too well.

I do not know what c. phosphate is.

 

[MrSmokeyMacPot]

i think Greenmatter is referring the the soft rock phosphate in your recipe MM....

 

[greenmatter]

o.k. i can understand the blanket thing.

the c. was my way out of trying to spell colloidal correctly.

soft rock phosphate is what one of your recipes calls it.

 

[Microbeman]

soft rock phosphate granules/powder - 0.063% Consider this optional. In the past 2 years I’ve become more aware of the possibility of polonium 210 and lead content in soft rock phosphate which is radioactive. This varies depending on how it was mined and where. If you wish to use this in ACT check all available data. Look for heavy metal testing
We grind up the granules into a powder with a coffee grinder

excerpt from Microbe Organics

 

[greenmatter]

soft rock phosphate granules/powder - 0.063% Consider this optional. In the past 2 years I’ve become more aware of the possibility of polonium 210 and lead content in soft rock phosphate which is radioactive. This varies depending on how it was mined and where. If you wish to use this in ACT check all available data. Look for heavy metal testing
We grind up the granules into a powder with a coffee grinder

excerpt from Microbe Organics

if i would have seen those red words the first 10 times i read them i would have saved asking if they carry the stuff in at least 20 different places ........ shit

thanks MM

 

[Banefoul]

i was reading yarrow increase oils in neighboring plants. anyone know if i can add it to a tea or cut it up and lay it on top of the soil or just grow a couple in the same room?

 

[xmobotx]

yarrow brings a lot more than that to the table

i been going on about it for a few days here ~chop it up and mulch it in w/ vermicompost; use it to 'wake up' store bought EWC or compost {or your pile that's gone dry}

use it green

 

[MrSterling]

I've been up to my eyeballs in yarrow lately.