tutorial Beginner's guide to AACT/Compost Tea

[grantmichaels]

 
So what I just described is normal in your experience?

 
Totally ... I usually start a brew in the evening after work ... it usually has some head before bed, and is usually foaming over in the morning and when I come back to it at 24 hrs ... But, usually the next morning there's not much action, and by the time I get back home in the evening there's essentially none.

 

[compmodder26]

 
Totally ... I usually start a brew in the evening after work ... it usually has some head before bed, and is usually foaming over in the morning and when I come back to it at 24 hrs ... But, usually the next morning there's not much action, and by the time I get back home in the evening there's essentially none.

 
Awesome!  Thanks Grant!

 

[Proud Marine Dad]

The foam means nothing as far as microbes are concerned. I would say its fine. As long as the air is going its aerobic.

 

[DasBhut]

started brewing 4 hours ago and no foam but I used hose water, it's starting to rain so if there's no foam by tomorrow I'll just use the rainwater bucket and see if there's a difference

it rains so much here I don't think I'll ever get to use AACT on my outside plants

 

[DasBhut]

how big should the tea bag be and how much sugar should I put in for 3.5 gallons of rainwater?

 

[holyhotpeppers]

how big should the tea bag be and how much sugar should I put in for 3.5 gallons of rainwater?

Just enough of a sugar source to feed its. Try using a banana peel or some apple peels as your sugar source.

 

[BrooklynXpat]

I am now a compost tea convert, I used it for first time last week and already had amazing results, brought my 7 pot and tomatoes back to life. I used the following ingredients:

2 solo cups of my 50/50 organic compost soil mix
1/2 cup Indonesian bat guano
1 tbsp maxi crop seaweed powder
1/2 cup azomite
1 tbsp grandmas molasses

Brewed for 48 hrs with 2 10 gallon pumps. I will posting pics of my 7 pot on my blog, big difference in 7 days.

 

[Al-from-Chile]

Just enough of a sugar source to feed its. Try using a banana peel or some apple peels as your sugar source.

 
yeah, indeed ....
 
it seems that 10 out of 9 people are overthinking/overanalysing the whole aact stuff ...
 
grab a handful of soil, some sweets (a bite of banana) rainwater and some air (pump or stirring every couple of hours) .... voilá

 

[Cayennemist]

 
yeah, indeed ....
 
it seems that 10 out of 9 people are overthinking/overanalysing the whole aact stuff ...
 
grab a handful of soil, some sweets (a bite of banana) rainwater and some air (pump or stirring every couple of hours) .... voilá

 
 
Mhmm
 
Its pretty easy once you get a pump.

 

[Proud Marine Dad]

What if the handful of soil has no beneficial bacteria? lol

 

[Habanero Fellow]

i recently purchased a colander that I have floating on some styrofoam in the tea ... gets way more mixing done, i can actually see things bubbling in the collander
 
hope this helps somebody
 

 
cheers, Al

 
Thank you for the idea.  I use a colander every time that I brew worm tea.  Much less straining when it's time to fill my pumped sprayers.  Thanks again.

 

[DasBhut]

I'm not getting much of a foam from my tea

I'm using 3 gallons of unchlorinated water
brown sugar instead of molasses
banana peels
mushroom compost
worm castings
6 gallon aquarium pump

any idea why I'm only getting a little bit of foam where everyone is getting a bacterial bubble bath?

 

[Proud Marine Dad]

This is what I put the compost/worm castings in. It's the size recommended in my research for the best size.....400 microns.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Size-1-Mesh-Filter-Bag-7in-x-16-in-400-micron-part-NMO400P1S-/290923306098?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43bc615c72

 

[Al-from-Chile]

I'm not getting much of a foam from my tea

I'm using 3 gallons of unchlorinated water
brown sugar instead of molasses
banana peels
mushroom compost
worm castings
6 gallon aquarium pump

any idea why I'm only getting a little bit of foam where everyone is getting a bacterial bubble bath?

 
I never get much foam either ... but "worry not" ... as long as the brew smells remotely like wet soil in a forrest after a rain ... you are good to go.
 
my foam comes around the 3rd day
 
b.r. Al

 

[DasBhut]

it always smells like dirt and citric acid, I was gonna buy some unsulfured molasses and a bigger pump but I figure since it's working I shouldn't mess with it

 

[Proud Marine Dad]

Why does it smell like citric acid?
Maybe your pump isn't putting out enough air. Does the surface of the water have good movement?

 

[DasBhut]

looks like colder water and molasses = foam, I used molasses last time and got some foam but the water wasn't as cold so there wasn't as much foam

 

[holyhotpeppers]

Water temp should not matter. You could try a stronger pump. But again as Al said... Dont over think it. The stuff you are brewing looks good.

 

[Proud Marine Dad]

I get foam in about 2 hours but that has nothing to do with microbial count.

 

[Cayennemist]

Water temp should not matter. You could try a stronger pump. But again as Al said... Dont over think it. The stuff you are brewing looks good.

 
 
There is an optimal temp range. Most stuff dies in the mid 90s and up
 
If it is hot I brew in the shade, also sun/UV can slow it down. UV is used to disinfect water for drinking.
 
Shade= Good