Re: [compost_tea] Molasses Danger Zone

From: Scott Alexander <daylily_at_bigpond.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 21:28:09 +1000

> Rates of molasses depend on what you are trying to achieve.

After reading Elaine's latest E-zine, I began experiments using 6% molasses
and both have not been successful. The first attempt was a disaster when the
thermostat on the heater didn't switch off and i cooked the brew. When i
arrived at work I was greeted with a steaming, frothing cauldron of goodness
knows what!

I began another brew yesterday at 2pm. D O level at 8ppm
500 liltres of water at 28C
15 kg of compost (5 kg of it had lots of fungal strands in it from a pile of
old mulch )
1.5 litre humic acid
2 litre of a blend of fish, seaweed and fulvic acid
28 LITRES OF PRESERVATIVE- FREE MOLASSES

At 4pm D O down to 6.6ppm
At 9 pm D O down to 1.4ppm with froth billowing out of the tank. 30 C
(?83F).
Turned off heater
At 10.30 D O down to 0.5ppm. Temp up to 31 C. Froth still billowing out
and now all around the outside of the tank. Threw in 100ml of canola oil
and Omega 3 fatty acid stuff that Nutri-tech sells as a sticker. No more
froth.
At 2.30 D O still at .5ppm

What quickly became blantantly obvious was that my venturi system aerator,
which worked well for a "normal" brew with less than a litre of molasses per
100 gallons,
was inadequate for this task.

My new aerator - which is an air pump (puts out 2 cfm I think) and diffusers
system, arrives tomorrow.
Scott




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Received on Wed Jul 16 2003 - 02:09:42 EDT

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