RE: [compost_tea] Digest Number 442

From: chris reid <reidchris_at_earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2003 07:46:29 -0400

JEFF LOWENFELS SAID:

Yeah, two different issues. Testing and replicating.

 All I am saying on the first one is that letting everything settle to the
bottom and taking the sample from there isn't testing the tea if you plan on
using the rest of the liquid.

As to the second, my experience, as I think is yours, is that people don't
replicate procedures, they just think they do! Think of all the variables
that need to be checked, not to mention communication as to what to
replicate.


JEFF AND ALL,

Naturally, since I think best practices are in order, I agree totally with
Jeff's statement that people don't replicate procedures, they just think
they do! I have been trying to replicate Paul Sachs's tea recipes. I
copied the ingredients used from his NCO website postings. BUT guess where
I think I screwed up, with all this precision ingredient work? WATER!

Yesterday, I was making some tea at a client's place and trying to do other
work at the same time. I overfilled the garbage can to overflowing. I
backed out the gallons needed to produce a 20 gallon tea, and saw it was
actually lower than what I "thought" it would be. So I've been making a
more dilute tea most likely than Paul has. I sent it in for testing, so
we'll see whether I've created something worth replicating or need to
continue refining the recipe and technique.

Bottom line lesson learned: MEASURE EVERYTHING, even the water. I'm going
to mark the outside of my garbage can in increments so that the water level
is not guesswork. For those who might balk at the thought of measuring
everything, this is not being too meticulous or finicky, this is setting up
the basis for being able to replicate results.

Oh, and by the way, I may STILL have the amount wrong. What exactly does 32
gallon garbage can mean? I need to measure the water as I am ADDING it,
because the 32 gallon line may stop well short of top of the can, as it does
with many measuring devices.

I remember reading a story about a Chinese cookbook on which Craig
Claiborne, the wonderful NY Times food section editor for many years,
collaborated. He stood at the shoulder of this great Chinese cook, and
stopped her hand before she threw ingredients into the pot and MEASURED all
she was doing. That's how it became possible for others to replicate her
results.

Chris Reid



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Received on Thu Sep 18 2003 - 10:21:39 EDT

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