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tutorial Beginner's guide to AACT/Compost Tea

Okay another post for a complicated process I'm only just beginning to learn.

The next link I'm posting is going to make many cringe, because it goes against nearly everything which I have read about AACT in this thread and I'm sure results (which I have seen on this forum) speak louder than university studies.

http://www.uvm.edu/v...composttea.html

If you start reading it don't close it half way, an interesting study was talked about at the end.

Looking forward to hearing firefaces results.

EDIT: Should mention the writing was done by the University of Vermont, and they mention USDA. Maybe disregard my entire post?

As far as cheap sugar sources go Cay I have just became aware molasses can be used for agricultural purposes. As a fodder supplement, any farms near your area?

EDIT #3: I'll finish reading everything before I post next time. On your link GA Growhead and it's absolutely amazing. Thank you for posting.

Will be starting a compost pile from twigs and sticks(Only), if anyone has found wood in their compost they'll notice the amount of fungi which can be growing in a small area. Mycelium loves the stuff. 50:50 with worm castings sounds like a great mix.
 
Interesting read but very vague. There's no description as to why you wouldn't use molasses. The study they did was with one type of tea, when there are so many combinations and variables that there is no way to take that study seriously other than for that specific recipe and those specific plants and diseases.
 
About the molasses, I just double checked what they said, and that's for 'fermenting' tea, not aerating it, my mistake. Fermenting creates the growth of bad microbes.

I do realize microbes can be harmful to humans, but has anyone ever got sick? I may spray down some fruit trees with a pump and hose and see how they go, I'm guessing full face protection would be smart.

http://www.compostju...t-booklets.html

Oops did I just let that secret link slip? (From GA's link, no need to register an email for more spam ;)) :dance:
 
I thought everybody would like that link. It's the only place that I have found that explains what ingredients feeds what. And I was too scared to enter my email address so thank you chilihead in the making! Will have to get some reading in.
 
I like the link from UVM Extension. I checked out what UVM Extension actually is, and it is an outreach program where the university helps people in small farming communities access good information that will help them succeed with their crops. The discussion of compost tea carefully points out that there are many different pathogens and many different mixes of compost tea, making a sweeping claim about all of them impossible. For full farms the addition of sugars into the tea may actually be a bad idea, because on a large scale with many different types of plants that draw in many types of bugs, both of which breed many types of microbes, bad things can happen. We tend to discuss one type of crop (peppers) grown in person garden areas for personal use that are aften (but not always, as you see in some glogs) way more limited than full farms. As a general rule, if you eat something you grow and your stomach feels a bit sick you have a small problem that will probably go away quickly. If you sell something you grow and the person eating it gets sick you can enter into a whole new world of hurt. Thus the need for extra caution.
 
I read several of these studies when I first started making worm tea about 3 years ago after setting up a worm farm. The problem is the term "tea" is very broad and may not apply to the topic at hand. I learned first hand by a master grower doing a study at cal poly how to brew tea and molasses is almost never used unless you have worm castings or compost and are tried to multiply a colony of living microbes. There are also other elements that I see a lot of guys missing such as specific water temp, type of water used, type of molasses. It's all actually very simple, but very scientific at the same time.
 
Yes molasses and fungus is the key IMO.

IMG_20120717_115822.jpg

IMG_20120717_115828.jpg

20120630_093240.jpg
 
this is after 54 hours of aeration with the white sugar instead of molasses

9ad06f6e.jpg


Obviously not as good of a froth as the above pics. I still fed/sprayed the plants with it. next batch is molasses for sure.

Also, next batch is definitely getting 2 airstones, there was a noticeable difference between the side of the jug with the airstone and the side without. I really dug the sock as a tea bag though, my sprayer didn't clog up at all while i foliar fed.
 
Looks like how my tea was fireface. But I used molasses.

Is the amount and density of froth really an indicator on how rich your tea is or could it indicate more the fungal side? Because sugar mainly feeds bacteria and bacteria may not make as much froth as fungi the microbes could be rich and dense?

Here is some information on temperature I found.
http://www.vermico.c...tea_brewers.htm

How long does it take to make compost tea in - 5-gallon brewer?
It takes 12 hours at 70 degrees or longer if the temperatures are colder. The warmer the temperature (not to exceed 95 degrees), the faster the brew (with a minimum of 12 hours).
How long does it take to make compost tea in -
28-gallon brewer?
It takes 24 hours at 70 degrees or longer if the temperatures are colder.
Click to expand...

EDIT: I thought I went through this entire thread before but I must have closed it at page 4.

I might have asked stupid and already answered questions or things which are covered in the studies. I'll go through and read it all now.
 
Hmmmmmmmmm

I think a good idea for everyone is to consider what kind of tea they are looking to make and how you want to use it in your garden. Let this be the building blocks as to what goes in your tea recipe.

There's a lot of information out there and can pull one in many different directions. Many peoples opinions differ and there is very little "fact" on the subject. Which is what I am going to try and stick to when I post here.

It's hard to talk about this method of making compost tea in a general way. Because most times what you are putting in yours is going to be different than mine and the outcome will be different as well. So it is really hard to say "Compost tea should look like this" or "brew your tea for this amount of time" and "don't/do use molasses/white sugar/brown sugar/honey/agave/etc."

The more specific we can be the better our questions might be able to be answered. I love this thread though. It is the making of a definitive source for compost tea how to. So many trials and errors posted. Experiments, ideas, recipes, pictures. Let's keep it going peeps...and Research-Research-Research!
 
A lot of people are using fish in their teas. Does it have to be fish, or would a bit of outdated beef contribute anything useful?
 
yemtol said:
A lot of people are using fish in their teas. Does it have to be fish, or would a bit of outdated beef contribute anything useful?
Click to expand...

I say no, I have nothing to back me up, but I know its a No-no to put beef or fatty stuff in compost/vermicompost so Im sure its going to be the same thing. I am assuming that this would invite bad bacteria, pathogens, and parasites that can target us, including worms and not the good kind.

I challenge you guys to prove me wrong, because I would love to be able to use more table scraps, however I don't believe that is going to be the case.

3/5King said:
Hmmmmmmmmm

I think a good idea for everyone is to consider what kind of tea they are looking to make and how you want to use it in your garden. Let this be the building blocks as to what goes in your tea recipe.

There's a lot of information out there and can pull one in many different directions. Many peoples opinions differ and there is very little "fact" on the subject. Which is what I am going to try and stick to when I post here.

It's hard to talk about this method of making compost tea in a general way. Because most times what you are putting in yours is going to be different than mine and the outcome will be different as well. So it is really hard to say "Compost tea should look like this" or "brew your tea for this amount of time" and "don't/do use molasses/white sugar/brown sugar/honey/agave/etc."

The more specific we can be the better our questions might be able to be answered. I love this thread though. It is the making of a definitive source for compost tea how to. So many trials and errors posted. Experiments, ideas, recipes, pictures. Let's keep it going peeps...and Research-Research-Research!
Click to expand...

Hell yeah man! We may not be too scientific, but we are "brute forcing" our way through it, finding what works and what doesn't in a nice little hurry.

TripleB might want to incorporate that chart to your guide. with a link to the source ofc.


Capture.png
 
Cayennemist said:
Thanks for the tip!

Crap...
Witch plant to sacrifice? lol now I got to wait for something to die, because I cant kill one.
I have a few extra Jala's in solo cups, may be I'll hold a sacrificial ceremony tonight. Woot an excuse to take hallucinogens! :eek: :onfire: :woohoo: :dance: no... not really
Click to expand...
lol! Just remember, you'll need to make the tea with a root system and soil around it, of a healthy living plant that already has a good mychorizal relationship already occurring! So that means from more mature, established, no till soil :)
 
Made batches so far. All the same ingredients. 1st frothy batch fine. 2nd with the exception of my not airing it out. No froth (still earthy smell). Made another batch (3). And aired it out 24hrs with airstones. Same ingredients. No froth after 24 hrs. I think my worm castings got some sun. Is it possible I killed the microbes in the worm castings ?! What is proper storage of it?!

3 cups worm castings
1tbs bat guano, alfalfa and kelp.
5tbs unsulfer molasses
Grass clippings.
Bubbly

Denniz
 
Just started a new batch of compost tea. The mix was rain water with:
worm castings
bat poop
molasses
carbo
liquid kelp
and some garden fresh peas that had accidently frozen while in the fridge and were no good to eat (in tea bag with worm castings).

I'll let you all know how it works out. At this point I plan to make two batches back to back, one for peppers and the other for my tomatoes. I'm not sure yet which one will be first.
 
So here's my first attempt
Bought from wal-ly world and petco

$17 for everything by emon069, on Flickr
De-chlorinating water

de-chlorinating water by emon069, on Flickr
Tea bag in.

tea bag!! by emon069, on Flickr
22 hrs

nothing? by emon069, on Flickr.
36 hrs.

hmmm by emon069, on Flickr
38 hrs.

froth by emon069, on Flickr

My recipe was an experiment, It's only a 2 gal batch.
1 cup gro-wells sq. ft. gardening soil ( has everything on the lists, including mushroom compost)
1/2 cup compost from the pile
2tbs alaska fish fert
2tbs unsulphered molasses
2tbs warm cola

what's the verdict??
 
emon069 said:
So here's my first attempt
Bought from wal-ly world and petco

$17 for everything by emon069, on Flickr
De-chlorinating water

de-chlorinating water by emon069, on Flickr
Tea bag in.

tea bag!! by emon069, on Flickr
22 hrs

nothing? by emon069, on Flickr.
36 hrs.

hmmm by emon069, on Flickr
38 hrs.

froth by emon069, on Flickr

My recipe was an experiment, It's only a 2 gal batch.
1 cup gro-wells sq. ft. gardening soil ( has everything on the lists, including mushroom compost)
1/2 cup compost from the pile
2tbs alaska fish fert
2tbs unsulphered molasses
2tbs warm cola

what's the verdict??
Click to expand...

How's smell? if they smell sweet and earthy then, yeah its a delicacy for the pepper.
 
I love how everyones tea is all nice looking. I look at mine and it looks like someone laid a deuce in my bucket and slapped some feces around
 
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