[compost_tea] Re: Water temps for brewing

From: hi_yield1 <hi_yield1_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 06:19:43 -0000

Ted,
I like your hands on, trial and error, common sense approach. Most of
all you do not come off as being above or beyond the rest of us!! I
like your style!! Keep up the good work. I have allot to learn and
look forward to your posts. Take care Hi_Yield1.

--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Ted Peterson" <ted.peterson_at_t...>
wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: soilfoodweb_at_a...
> To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 2:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Water temps for brewing
>
>
> Ted -
>
> What evidence do you use to make the statement you made in your post
about water temps for brewing -
>
> Hi Elaine:
>
> I started examining soil tests after applying tea brewed at higher
temps and applied at soil temps 10 D F or more below the brewer temp.
 When I brewed closer to the soil temp, my soil test came back
actually showing the tea was having some beneficial effect. The
warmer tea didn't test as well. My assumption is that soil
temperature is important when applying biology that has to work in the
soil. I started doing some research into soil microbiology and
temperature and found that different bacteria were found at different
times and the amounts and types seemed to be dependent on soil temp.
>
> I have tried brewing at temps from 80 D.F. down to 55 D.F. and I
have been looking at the tea with a Spencer 1000x microscope. I then
take soil samples at different times and examine them the same way
after dilution in distilled water. I try to make sure the amounts of
soil and soil depth are as similar as I can get them and I use the
same microscope technique every time. I look to see if what I am
transferring from the tea is "taking" in the places I apply it.
Because of the limits of my microscope, I can't tell types fo bacteria
but can see bacterial fields and I can see if the same organisms
transfer to the soil. This, of course, means before and after soil
examination.
>
> From these results, I came to conclude that brewing closer to soil
temp gave me a greater assurance that I would be promoting biology
that was more in line with the temperature rather than brewing for one
temperature and hoping I was getting the correct microbes for the
soil.
>
> By the way, I have been experimenting with the aerobe/anaerobe
balance and the growth of protoza. I am getting results and will
forward those when I have some repeatable trends. Your comment about
Bacillus Licheniformis during the mad cow discussions got me looking
into ways to grow protoza and bacterial/fungal eating nematodes within
a brewing cycle of 48 to 72 hours. That meant that I had to rethink
how I was brewing while still keeping the basic concept of ACT in
place.
>
> That is one of the experiments I am involved with. I have four
others that test my own understanding of the process and time lines
for microbial growth. I'm basically trying to get to the Trophic Zone
that contains Flagellates, Ameoba, Paramecium and BacterialFungal
eating nematodes, etc. So I have brewers constantly going with
different inputs. In one, I have an experiment to produce
actinomycetes I gathered up from the local decomposing tree detrius.
(I take a lot of precautions here because research has shown me that
certain strains of these things can be quite toxic to humans.) I have
trained my son, a ten-year-old home schooled intelectual monster in
the same microscope technique and logging method I use and he is
starting to do the sampling now.
>
> I have been looking at bacterial growth, bacterial enzymes and the
cultivation of higher order bacteria/fungi through enzymes produced by
the critters. I have already grown protoza and nematodes in brewers
by using hay mixed with compost and molasses and blood meal with some
other organic inputs.
>
> I'm not a scientist by education but I'm not ignorant of the
scientific method and the need to document before writing or speaking.
 I learned this early on when I misstated that ACT can help control
snails and slugs. It was a good lesson in humility. If I write
something on this list, it is the result of over two years of
experimentation and brewing and applying tea in "real world"
situations. I am constantly experimenting and testing my own
hypotheses and those I implement from other people. It is simply a
fact of this type of business. Where I live, my business associate
and myself are considered knowledgable in this stuff because
everything we have stated, we have proven. Every assumption we have
made has been backed by prior knowledge and shown to work. I do all
the brewing and experimentation and brewer/aerator design. Very soon,
I will have my designs posted so anyone can build the systems from
off-the-shelf materials and be sure that they are assembling a brewer
that will work as stated.
>
> However, if I misstate something or find that I had an incorrect
conceptual model, I will freely admit it and correct my misstatement.
>
> Ted Peterson
> Earth-Wise/Spirit of the Earth


 

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Received on Sat Jan 17 2004 - 02:06:29 EST

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