tutorial Beginner's guide to AACT/Compost Tea

Water pumps breaking the surface tension of the water (or tea) can aerate as well as most air pumps with stones. Its all about dissolved oxygen and that happens where air meets water. The top of your brew has a lot of area especially if it constantly recirculates.

Just a tiddle bit o info.
 
Started my second batch of tea today.  Recipe is a bit different from last time.  I used a handful of worm casting, handful of grass clippings, handful of compost, handful of soil from my veggie garden, and a handful of Jobe's Organic All Purpose Fertilizer (I used that to be the extra myco boost for my tea, since the fertilizer is inoculated with it).  All that went in an old sock.  Then I added some humic acid and 2 TBSP of molasses to the water.  Oh, and of course, the water was from my rain barrel, so no chlorine or chloramines to worry about.
 
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After only an hour of brewing, I'm seeing signs that the rain barrel water is infinitely better for the tea than my tap water:
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Edit:  Now 4 hours in to the brewing process.  Got a great head of foam built up on both buckets.
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millworkman said:
Water pumps breaking the surface tension of the water (or tea) can aerate as well as most air pumps with stones. Its all about dissolved oxygen and that happens where air meets water. The top of your brew has a lot of area especially if it constantly recirculates.
Just a tiddle bit o info.
Click to expand...
What I wonder about Noah is whether the pumps we are using are producing enough force to loosen the bacteria from the compost? That is why I put one airstone directly into the 400 micron bag that the compost is in hoping that it being in such close proximity to the compost will break them loose. Bacteria produce a slime that adheres them to the compost like a sort of glue so I am curious if the pumps we are using have sufficient force? Something to think about. Experts say you can also have too much force which can kill the bacteria so I guess there is a fine line there at some point.
 
CactusMD, you can use sugar, honey or fruit juice but I would recommend you use molasses if possible as it has some micro-nutrients in it that are beneficial.
Most stores sell the Mothers or Brer Rabbit unsulfured molasses. Make sure it's unsulfured if you buy it but the other carbohydrate sources will work as well.
 
Proud Marine Dad said:
CactusMD, you can use sugar, honey or fruit juice but I would recommend you use molasses if possible as it has some micro-nutrients in it that are beneficial.
Most stores sell the Mothers or Brer Rabbit unsulfured molasses. Make sure it's unsulfured if you buy it but the other carbohydrate sources will work as well.
Click to expand...
It is my understanding that honey doesn't work in aact - precisely due to its antibacterial (and antifungal) properties.
 
Proud Marine Dad said:
CactusMD, you can use sugar, honey or fruit juice but I would recommend you use molasses if possible as it has some micro-nutrients in it that are beneficial.
Most stores sell the Mothers or Brer Rabbit unsulfured molasses. Make sure it's unsulfured if you buy it but the other carbohydrate sources will work as well.
Click to expand...
 
Yup...
except, honey. Honey is antibaterial. Who woulda thought, right?
 
 
It seems the beer I have drank tonight has made me miss Al's previous post... Good job Al :beer:
 
how much more potent are the one's who survive? does that ability translate in any meaningful way to how they function when applied? what would that population need to multiply? ;)

usb microscopes are pretty inexpensive, actually ...
 
I agree with Grant,

We have to get more scientific on the aact.

It's go big deal - cook up 2 batches with only 1 variable changed (eg. Sugar vs molasses) then do a headcount of living creatures under the microscope.

Also good to know:
-headcount vs time (4,8,12,16,20,24...hrs)
-bacteria vs fungi
-etc

Al "inquiring mind needs to know" B.
 
I was looking at a 40-2000X w/ a 3MP camera for a little bit over $300, but there were several that would suffice between $120 and $160 if I recall correctly from last night ...
 
Wow, I don't know if want to pay $300 for a microscope.  But I guess it would be nice to be able to capture an image directly to your computer.  I was looking at this old fashioned microscope on amazon that is quite a bit cheaper and has had good reviews.  Not sure how serious I am about buying one just yet, but it definitely fits the budget.
 
compmodder26 said:
Wow, I don't know if want to pay $300 for a microscope.  But I guess it would be nice to be able to capture an image directly to your computer.  I was looking at this old fashioned microscope on amazon that is quite a bit cheaper and has had good reviews.  Not sure how serious I am about buying one just yet, but it definitely fits the budget.
Click to expand...
 

We have a bunch of other interests for it's use that only makes sense for it to provide digital capture, too, otherwise I'd agree ...
 
Quick question:  Last night, I had a great head of foam in both of my buckets.  This morning I noticed that the head was starting to decline.  I just checked it about 15 minutes ago and the foam was declining even further, to the point where you could see the water below.  Is this a sign that the microbes are dying?  The smell of the tea isn't sweet smelling anymore.  It still smells like dirt, but the sweet smell has gone away.  I do detect a VERY faint sourness in the smell.  Is everything okay with my brew?  In haste, I added another TBSP of molasses to each bucket, thinking that maybe the food supply  has run out.
 
Edit:  The tea has now been brewing for 24 hours.  I won't be able to apply it until tonight.
 
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