Bags vs free suspension (was Re: [compost_tea] Re: pre-activation results

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 15:47:37 -0700

Yes. I dump the compost right in the brewer. I have designed aeration hea=
ds that keep the sompost swirled up in the brewer and provide a finer bubbl=
e for better O2 absorption. I did a lot of research into the waste treatme=
nt industry and the food processing industry to see how they handle food. =
The Waster Treatment industry has a lot of different solutions for aerating=
 liquid and moving liquids with low solids content. The food industry has =
been working woth food grade materials for a long time. I figured that the=
se two industries would be best at aerating liquid and moving liquid and wo=
uld have solved many of the problems facing people trying to brew.

As I stated before, the first system bought was from Soil Soup. It is a ba=
g and mechanical aeration. Lots of things can break down and hard to clean=
. However, tea can be brewed with the brewer. Next I tried a couple of ot=
hers and I found someone who had a brewer. I looked at them then designed =
one of my own to experiment.

I broke the problem down to these basic things:

1. What was I trying to do? Create an environment where bacteria and fungi=
 could grow in a brewer. (I didn't know very much when I started . I had =
the compost tea brewing manual but there were still some things I wasn't su=
re of like fungal extraction instead of fungal growth.)

Oops. I just got called to umpire a baseball game. I will continue this em=
ail when I get back. Sorry.

Ted Peterson
EW/SOE
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Margaret Lauterbach
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 12:59 PM
  Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Re: pre-activation results


  Do you mean you just dump the compost into the brewer? I've been using
  bags from Simplici-Tea, and cutting open the bags and tossing the
  fabric. Contents go on compost pile.

>
>Free Suspension:
>
>Clean
>Maintenance free
>Can contribute to anaerobic conditions if your aeration isn't adequate.
>Are easy to clean.
>
>The only drawback with free suspension is that you have to filter the te=
a
>after you brew. Depending on how you do this, you could restrict the
>amount of fungi, protozoa and nematodes that get applied. I have tried=
 
>gravity extraction and I use an extraction pump (Wayne models) and teste=
d
>my fungal and protozoa counts before and after extraction. After the
>counts were slightly less but I don't think the amount was significant
>enough to make the system unusable. I would extimate a 10 to 15%
>reduction in higher level critters. Biomass seemed about the same densi=
ty
>but in smaller clumps. I tests with a 1000 x Spencer Microscope.
>
>Ted Peterson
>EW/SOE
>Are messy.

  Margaret L
  Gardening in Intermountain West and Handicapped gardening
  http://www.margaretlauterbach.com



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Received on Sat May 15 2004 - 21:41:00 EDT

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