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What method of compost tea making is better?
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Posted by saaak (My Page) on Thu, Dec 31, 09 at 11:36
| Aerobic – With oxygen being pumped in using fish pumps
Or
Anaerobic – No oxygen and the water sitting still in place attracting mosquitoes
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| Aerobic, without question. |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| Well, that's a rather unsubstantiated opinion :-) But to each his own. |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| If both methods are bad then valerie_ru what method do you use? |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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I use the thing called KVAS on Russian.
This thing is based on anaerobic fermenting of rye flour.
1 part of rye flour is mixed with 10 or 20 parts of water by volume. Then put in the tank and close to prevent contact with air. It must sit at least 2 days and it becomes WHITE and acidic. Add molasses to continue fermenting some days. It will be more acidic. Then dissolve in water 1 or 10 or 100 or 500 times and use for sprinkling and watering plants. It works GREAT! |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| valerie_ru it sounds like your making alcohol |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| Could I use an old coffee making machine or will the hot water kill the good bacteria? |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| I guess it matters how much you are making. The whole aerating pump thing sounds like a lot of work for my little bit. I put mine in a pail covered with a board and when too smelly, toss on my compost pile and start over. But haven't had a problem with mosquitoes. I'm willing to admit that my use of the "magic elixer" is more psychic gratification than actual benefit to the plant. It makes me feel good .... so it must be good for the plant.... right? |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| It seems to me (judging on questions)that people are celebrating New Year... Well, Happy New Year! |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| Happy New's Year to you, Valerie. |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| Aerobic tea making will increase the bacteria found in your compost tea if 'if' you use compost, animal manure, and insect castings. Anaerobic tea is just a useless attempt to make compost tea because all "your making is mud not tea", because the bacteria can't multiply. |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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- Posted by terran zone10/Sunset20 CA (My Page) on
Sun, Jan 31, 10 at 15:13
Compost Tea - Promises & Practicalities
Acres USA article by Elaine Ingham, Ph.D. "All of these machines make tea in 24 to
48 hours. Biodynamic systems and horse
trough machines (discussed in my
Compost Tea Brewing Manual) take
longer because they go through an
anaerobic phase and return to aerobic after
enough time has passed. Experience is
required to recognize these phases, and an
apprenticeship with someone who is successfully
using these methods is suggested.
Your nose is an invaluable tool in
assessing when the tea is "done" in these
so-called anaerobic tea systems." Terran |
Here is a link that might be useful: Compost Tea - Promises & Practicalities > Acres USA article
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| I agree that Valerie's recipe sounds like alcohol, but fermentation requires yeast. I believe is the yeast that provides the benefits he's seeing. Alcohol is antiseptic but when you dilute it in water it's going to be better tolerated. Around here brewer's yeast is considered rocket fuel. That product used to be pure brewer's yeast but it got too expensive so he's diluted it with other valuable ingredients. |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| I agree that Valerie's recipe sounds like alcohol, but fermentation requires yeast. I believe is the yeast that provides the benefits he's seeing. ??? Not yeast. Lactobacterias + Yeasts (no-no, not those that make alcohol, but those that crack starch to sugar) + Photosynthetic bacteria such as purple non sulfur bacteria. In this "company" the last are the most desirable. All the process is anaerobic.
Aerobic bacteria (such as yeasts that produce alcohol) are mainly as bad as alcohol. That is why I am against aerobic compost tea. |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| Even though this is drifting from the specificity of the original question, I consider this to be on topic, so I'm going to continue. Valerie, is your stuff anything like this stuff? |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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- Posted by pt03 3 Southern Manitoba (My Page) on
Tue, Feb 2, 10 at 15:48
| "drifting from the specificity of the original question" Don't worry 'bout it, the OP is no longer with us. I find this 'swerve' fascinating. Lloyd |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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| Valerie, is your stuff anything like this stuff? No, it's not like kefir grains. It is more simple thing.
And easy to make. To avoid long errors with ratios, 100 g of rye flour and 1 liter of water is all what necessary. Put in bottle and let it sit 2 days closed under the lid. Shake it occasionally.
It's like milk in color. But the process going there is really complex.
Each time when it start the process of evolution (and co-evolution) begin. Natural yests in rye flour are aerobic. From generation to generation the yeasts cells become more and more "anaerobic". In the end (after 2 days) there will be lacto-bacterias and yeasts.
Traditionally lacto-bacterias are anaerobic in science and yeasts are aerobic. So, from traditional point of view it is a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic organismes living together. Paradox! The solution of this paradox I've already explained. So, it's white, acidic, sour smell, nice taste, no alcohol. |
RE: What method of compost tea making is better?
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I'm with Lloyd (where I usually find myself ;-)
Fascinating.... Do Go On ... ;-) |
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