That foam!

[the couch]

I've been home brewing aerobic teas for a while but can't get that nice head of foam that I see pictures of sometimes on here...

I'm using different quantities of;
worm castings
guanos
kelp
and molasses

I've tried using bags to hold all the ingredients, and have dumped it right into the water.... no foam! Teach me please.

 

[irie-i]

ummm... bigger air pump? some alfalfa meal, perhaps. thats what i have that you dont. enzymes... liquid humus..
just a brainstorm.
i feel like each time i make a tea is an experiment that will yeild varying results.

 

[jaykush]

how exactly are you doing your tea, i just use a sock works fine always a nice thick head.

 

[Guest]

same, i didnt have a very big foam buildup. im using an air pump thats good enough for 30 gallon fish tank so it should be plenty for 2-4 gallons of water... all i noticed was after a few days there were bubbles on the surface near where to airpump was and they were there for about 5 seconds then popped...

 

[minds_I]

Hello all,

I brew my tea at about 80*F. If its too cold, it does not brew as quickly, so heating it up will hasten your brew time.

Add a little more molasses.

Are you useing fresh EWC?

Is your water cholrine free?

minds_I
My thoughts on it anyway.

 

[guanoman]

Hello.

I'm fairly new to organics. My first attempt at brewing some organic tea turned out similar "no head of foam". Using the same air pump, I took some 1/4" soaker hose tube. I looped it 3 times in the bottom of a 5 gallon pail and connected it to the pump with a T. Since than I've had so much foam on some of my tea's that they literally bubbles over. I guess that's the reason most people only put 4 gallons in the pail.

The molasses you use might have something to do with it as well. I tried regular store bought molasses and it didn't create the same amount of foam as the dry molasses on soy meal, that I bought from the feed mill.

My 2 cents, hope I was helpful.

 

[minds_I]

Hello all,

I agree with Guanoman with the dry molasses- I use the same thing and I think it makes a difference for the better.

minds_I

 

[irie-i]

y'all are using the dry molasses? ive been wondering how best to use it since i discovered it exists. i asked over in the molasses guide thread

 

[3BM]

Hey guys:

The foam discussed here is the result of bioactivity in the mix. They key to getting the microbes active in the quantity necessary to foam have been touched on here very well. The temperature must be correct, above 70F is good. Higher temperatures may accelerate the process, but too high will kill off microbes (above 100F). If you are attempting to seed a new batch of soil with beneficial microbes, then foam is what you want. Just start with chlorine free, 70F water. Add some innoculant; EWC or compost work well. Feed the microbes with a carb fuel like blackstrap molasses. Be sure you have "blackstrap" and avoid "unsulphered" as this is a common mistake. Unsulphered is a highly processed form of molasses that has color added to make it dark, it does not have the nutrient range necessary for agricultural use (and even my grandmother avoids it). Any organic sugar will work, but molasses adds K, N, Fe, Mg, and Ca and is a natural chelating agent. Finally, adding some stale beer to the mix will help add fermentation and will also serve as a carb fuel for microbes. Following this recipe will get a froth going for sure, just aerate and wait.

However, why are you looking for microbial life so strong it produces froth? What if I want a soluble nutrient tea, and not a soil innoculant? Once you establish a strong colony of beneficial microbes in soil they will persist as long as conditions are ripe for them to do so. Establish the colony, and then just feed them as necessary. If Im wattering a mature batch of soil, ie one that has plants in it already, Im not worried about re-seeding with microbes unless they have been killed off by something. Making a tea is about getting soluble elements into solution from normally insoluble material, as much as it is about adding microbes to the soil. Many of the teas I see being made have half a dozen ingredients (or more!) . Believe me, you can get excellent results with 1 or 2 ingredients. Take this recipe for example:

2tbsp/gal Alfalfa meal
1tsp/gal molasses

Add alfalfa to a sock, or not if solids arent a worry, then place in room temp water. Bubble for 24-48 hours and water as needed. This tea will turn a nice green tea color, but will not froth up. It should provide about 400-600ppm; the longer you bubble the higher the concentration will rise. Similiarly, substitute a high P guano for the alfalfa and up the molasses to 1tbsp/gal for a nice bloom tea. This tea will also not froth, but will provide a great root drench for heavy flowering plants. Dont worry about getting everything into every tea. Feed with one nutrient at a time, and listen to the plants. Rely on the nutes you have in the soil, or if soilless, then feed in cycles. Give an alfalfa tea one feeding, use kelp the next, and finally use a compost frothy tea. Putting them all together does not provide any benefit to using them individually, and risks over fertilization. Many may disagree with this statement, but conventional organic gardening uses teas as I describe. Either the tea is made using compost and aims to colonate the liquid with microbes, or it aims to dissolve solids into solution. Dont get me wrong compost contains nutrients, and compost teas will provide both Nutes and microbes. However, adding 10 ingredients to a tea may be over kill. Afterall, which of the additives was most effective? Experiment with each additive individually and find out how each one works. Next, combine your favorites in a compost pile, and water with teas made from the resulting compost. That's my two cents anyway.

3BM

 

[minds_I]

Hello all,

I agree with 3BM.

Experiementation, while a slow process will gleen out the best method for your situation. Everybodies grow is different and so must the process to adapt.

ANd everyone has different mindsets on mixing or not. Use every watering or not. Use 2 tbsn rather then one. Its all different.

But you know, I would not say no to anybodies weed if grown orgaincally with bat shit and piss or hydro with petrolium byproducts so its all good. I do however have a prefference to organics.

minds_I

 

[vonforne]

Hello all, I also agree with 3BM on the tea mix with just one or two items. I'm currently doing a compost tea with Mushroom and Cow manure with a small shot of ewc. I think it gives a balanced NPK for my veggin girls. And the two different composts gives a mixture of different microbs. And of course I added a shot of molasses and sea kelp (liquid).

minds-I, I too have an organic preference. I hate the hydo weed around. It never has the taste I'm used to smoking the all organic bud. And it seems they always harvest early and have a "quick" cure method used". Makes the bud taste funny to my.

 

[the couch]

Thanks for the suggestions.
Looks like I've been using the wrong type of molasses... I think that and more air should do the trick.

 

[guanoman]

Hey everyone.

irie-i, I'm using dry molasses because that was the only black strap molasses the local feed mill had. I've been using it at the same dose as I would if it were liquid. I seem to be getting good results, but this is my first successful organic run.

Peace!

 

[minds_I]

Hello all,

I too use the dry int he same amounts. The lnoger it sets, the more the molasses rehydrates. I love the stuff and the husks the molasses is dried on to help also with the tea I believe. I love the stuff and way way chealer then liquid.

minds_I

 

[irie-i]

guess ill try powder next time.

i just went into my room and the resi was foaming so hard it overflowed the barrel!! last time it hardly foamed. like i said, every time is an experiment

 

[guanoman]

The bran in the dry molasses does make a mess. It sticks to the side of your reservoir, and has to be scrubbed a bit.

Other than that, I'm happy with the results. $16 for a 50LB bag of Mr. Black Strap dry molasses. It will last me forever!