What's new
  • As of today ICMag has his own Discord server. In this Discord server you can chat, talk with eachother, listen to music, share stories and pictures...and much more. Join now and let's grow together! Join ICMag Discord here! More details in this thread here: here.

Tea Article

Mikell

Dipshit Know-Nothing
ICMag Donor
Veteran
why do you brew for so long?

I have always thought that between 24h-36h were the normal time
if 24, more bacteria dominant, if 36 more fungi dominant

I always brew for around 28h...

Ehh, I start drawing out at 24 and stop around 40-48, and slosh the rest into the garden when I get around to it. I haven't noticed any negative results, but that's just my limited experience.
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
36 to 42 hours is a pretty reliable length. If one has fungi in their compost then it usually is extracted and growing around the 18 hour mark. I recommend just going for a microbially balanced mix rather than one species more dominant.
 

Mikell

Dipshit Know-Nothing
ICMag Donor
Veteran
After contributing to the downfall of one thread, I'll drag what little good I posted here, especially in the hopes it garners someone's attention as to said testing.

Honey pops up routinely, as do other molasses substitutes, and it would be handy to at least have an idea of their varying effects, instead of the sugar=sugar=sugar paradigm.


Added a few things while scribbling around before work.


Much of the antibacterial effect is from natural H202, though testing with manuka (peroxide free) in varying concentrations shows strong effect from other constituents of honey.

It appears the H2O2 effect can be mitigated through heating or bubbling/sitting out, say, while you dechlorinate. (In the previous link, scroll down to the last diagram. Granted the concentrations are absurdly high for our situation.) The concentrations required to have a broad spectrum antibacterial effect range from 3.5-100 percent, with different varieties of honey having vastly different effect.


Honey - its medicinal property and antibacterial activity

Looking at it's effects on B. subtilis, a common soil microbe and commercial innoculant, at very low concentrations, it would seem simpler to just avoid it altogether when possible, or to use mass produced pasteurized honey if necessary.

MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) values of honey extracts were found in the range of 0.625–5.000 mg/mL (0.0625-0.5%), for S. aureus, B. subtilis, B. cereus, and gram-negative bacteria, E. coli, P. aeruginosa and S. typhi.

Bold parentheses added. If anyone wants to check the math there, feel free. My multiplication tables are covered in crayon doodles.

This is the actual article referenced, something I did not notice originally. In fact I am doubting how relevant this post is, as the concentrations refered to are solvent extracts. I'll see if I can't figure the mathematology out of a workaround relationship of honey/water.

Someone speaking on the topic (elsewhere) mentioned old honey does not have the same antimicrobial effect. I could not find much to support this, until I wandered across a reference (White and Subers, 1964) to light degradation of the peroxide and other antimicrobial compounds of honey, namely the enzyme glucose oxidase.

It really doesn't appear to be that large of an issue if you use light concentration and neutralize the peroxide. Call me a pennygrubbing grower (I do), but I'll stick with lady m'larsess. At half the price and with greater benefits, it gets my Hyme stamp of approval.

If anyone wanted to perform an analysis with honey on compost tea or soil microbes, I could reward them with magic beans. Actual magic beans. Not beans beans. That would be against TOU. These beans will get you high in the sky. Like castor beans.

Never got around to posting this dooodad on nematodes.

Evaluation of Nematocidal Activity in Natural Honey
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Will any of the beneficial's be filtered out?

:tiphat:
JB

400 um used as an extractor in an ACT maker will allow fungal hyphae to pass through as well as other microbes. If 400 um is used as a pour through filter, it will block microorganisms as organic matter accumulates on the mesh. If one uses 800 um mesh to pour through then there is more opportunity for organisms to pass through prior to an excessive accumulation of matter, however, periodically, the organic matter should be swept to the side.

Lower than 400 um was tested by myself and several others with poor results.
 

Granger2

Active member
Veteran
So MM, you're saying that less than 400 microns prevents microganisms from passing thru? As confirmed with a microscope? -granger
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
So MM, you're saying that less than 400 microns prevents microganisms from passing thru? As confirmed with a microscope? -granger

It does not block all microbes, as there are so many tiny ones but yes when I tested 250 um there were fungal hyphae complexes blocked.

This becomes exagerrated as organic matter sticks to the mesh and a pile up begins. This is why I use the 800 um for actual filtering.

When you are filtering things pile up due to gravity but one can use 400 um to be safe as an extractor (submerged in water) because things are swirling around sort of weightlessly and are pushed by the diffuser (agitation) through the mesh (individually).

http://www.microbeorganics.com/#More_on_Compost_Tea_2013_
Filtering;

There is another option. Say you have an airlift vortex ACT bioreactor but to run it with a mesh bag would be kinda silly. You want to run it through a sprayer or irrigation set up. If your unit has a drain valve/spout, then just put a pail under it with a piece of mesh tied across the top. For this we use nylon window screen (800 to 1000 microns mesh size). Because some residue will block the passage we do not want to use 400 microns for this. Open the valve and as organic matter builds up on the screen scoop it off into another bucket. This prevents a build up which will block microbes but also allows you to save the ones that do get blocked, along with the organic matter for topdressing your soil or throwing into the compost pile. You can obviously see why a filter internal to a pipe or hose just won’t work.

Okay, I know that sounds like work. There is another way…the way we do it. Just empty out your ACT maker into the pail, use a mesh bag (800 to 1000 microns) with a sump pump dropped into it, hook the sump pump to a hose. There is your sprayer or waterer or irrigation hookup. When we don’t care about getting residue on leaf surfaces, like our corn or the lawn, we use a trash sump pump with no bag and a thumb over the end of the hose.

Another way is to line a 5 gallon pail with a 5 gallon paint strainer (nylon/poly fabric), pour the finished tea into it and slowly remove the paint strainer. This allows most of the microorganisms to escape through all sides of the mesh before gravity lumps everything together. We usually squeeze out the liquid from the mass in the bottom of the bag. These paint strainers are generally about 600 to 800 microns (guessing)
 

Mikell

Dipshit Know-Nothing
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Does anyone have any information regarding the effect of ingredients with fungicidal properties on compost tea? RE: some surfactants, canola meal (just came up in conversation), neem meal, etc? Not really finding a whole lot here or through general internet searching.
 

Granger2

Active member
Veteran
I would definitely not use corn products. Texas A&M now recommends corn meal as their first choice for Brown Patch and Take-all Patch in lawns. -granger
 

Kozmo

Active member
Veteran
What is the purpose of adding alfalfa meal to a ACT? In the brewing instructions on Simplicitea web sight it is put as an optional ingreadiant.
 

Former Guest

Active member
Instant nitrogen and Triacontinal. I think it may even provide bennies like ciliates or protozoa but don't quote me :D it could be grass clippings and I'm confused.
 

xmobotx

ecks moe baw teeks
ICMag Donor
Veteran
if you wanted living biology from your alfalfa, fresh is going to be the way to go. i wouldn't use alfalfa meal in AACT personally but, will throw in a few live sprigs particularly in the spring

sure the N & triacontanol is there either way & i would even speculate a long-chain compound like triacontanol to be more present in fresh
 

Kozmo

Active member
Veteran
I am wanting to make a brew of alfalfa, EWC, and molasses. Just don't know the amounts to use for such young plants. Here is a pic and you can see the apparent need for Nitrogen. I'm curious to know the brew time for this as well. 24-36 hours, does it make a difference? I would like my Protozoa to be balanced out in numbers along with my bacteria. I am using a KIS 5 gallon brewer if it makes a difference(not sure why it would or not) and plan on using my 400 micron bags also.
 
Last edited:

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Kozmo; I am wanting to make a brew of alfalfa said:
1/2 cup alfalfameal per gallon with a teaspoon of black strap molasses per gallon; 1/2 tablespoon/gallon ordinary kelpmeal if you have it.
Run the unit for 24 hours; strain, especially if applying to foliage. If applying to foliage we usually dilute with non-chlorinated water 1:1.
If applying to young seedlings dilute 2 parts water: 1 part tea.
Include vermicompost only if doing soil/media drench and not if spraying foliage. (1/2 cup per gallon)

Spraying foliage works for nitrogen assimilation. I spray until thoroughly covered. For yellowing plants I have sprayed 3 to 4 times per day. This is more a nutrient tea and expecting a good microbial population is not likely.

Use of the 400 um bags is not necessary. You can see a good method of straining using a 5 gallon paint strainer on my youtube channel regarding the mini-microbulator.
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Instant nitrogen and Triacontinal. I think it may even provide bennies like ciliates or protozoa but don't quote me :D it could be grass clippings and I'm confused.

FYI, ciliates are protozoa.

Groups of Protozoa:

flagellates, amoebae (naked & testate) and ciliates
 
Top