Re: Molasses, was ->RE: [compost_tea] Small Home Brewers versus Commercial Ones

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 12:05:44 -0700

MessageI use molasses and haven't seen any rise in pathogens. If you are g=
etting pathogen spikes, you may want to check a few things:

1. Are you getting enough air in your brewer?
2. Are you using a bag or chamber where the compost in the center is not ge=
tting any air thus promoting pathogens?
3. Do you have areas in your brewer that collect the biofilm that you haven=
't cleaned?
4. Do you use pipes to move the fluid as part of the brewing cycle and thos=
e are getting film build up?
5. Are your brewing cycles such that your tea is getting anaerobic because =
the aerobes eat all the food, fall asleep and then create a buildup where a=
naerobes can start working?

I have a Waste Water Treatment Plant using tea to control pathogens in comp=
osted biosolids. I have used tea to control pathogens in biosolids and the=
 compost I am using is made primarily from biosolids and greenwaste mixed. =
 All the recipes the plant and I use contain either molasses or processed s=
ugar and the tests we have taken show NO pathogen growth in the tea.

I am sure you have a handle on brewing so you may want to check how efficie=
nt your aeration is for the container you are using. Even if the compost c=
onains pathogens, enough air allows the aerobes to outcompete the pathogens=
 for food. If you are having the opposite effect, Air flow or amount may b=
e the culprit.

I looked in "Weeds of California": W.W. Robins. The soil types where weeds=
 seem to do the best appear to be highly bacterial in nature. So one would=
 suspect that if weeds are a problem that the bacteria in the tea are findi=
ng a better home than the fungi or that there are little fungi in the tea. =
 I don't know if fungi can control weeds but do know that in turf experimen=
ts that healthy turf outcompetes weeds and controls the weed population. =
 

In bare soil though, I have seen weeds in almost every application of bacte=
rial tea I have made. I have come to regard it as a necessary evil because=
 if I get too much fungi into the soil, the balance isn't right so to first=
 get the bacteria working I use bacterial tea (here come the weeds) then us=
e fungal tea once the bacteria work on the organic matter in the soil. It =
seems to be working and I have a lot of people using the tea in the sandy s=
oil we have here with great results. I do warn them at the beginning that =
they are in for some weeding because I absolutely do not want them to spray=
 a pesticide to control the weeds.

Ted Peterson
EW/SOE
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Ryan, Matthew
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 11:27 AM
  Subject: Molasses, was ->RE: [compost_tea] Small Home Brewers versus Comm=
ercial Ones


  Hi Jeff,

  I am not referring to the human pathogen issue, but rather the selection =
issue related to reducing diversity. It is my understanding that molasses =
may select for very fast growing weed-type microorganisms. With an increas=
e in these weed-type microorganisms, there may be less diversity in the tea=
.

  We have yet to come to any conclusions about molasses in tea regarding E.=
 coli. All I can say is that we have seen very large populations of E. col=
i in tea made with molasses. Molasses is no longer part of our compost tea=
 recipe (provided by Paul Wagner). Maybe you should ask Paul what his reas=
oning was to drop it.

  Anyway hope everyone is enjoying Spring.

  Matthew Ryan
  Research Technician
  The Rodale Institute
  611 Siegfriedale Road
  Kutztown, PA 19530
  Phone: (610) 683-1405
  www.thenewfarm.org
    
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Jeff Lowenfels [mailto:jeff_at_gardener.com]
    Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 1:34 PM
    To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
    Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Small Home Brewers versus Commercial Ones


    <<has come out
    suggesting that molasses should not be added to compost tea>>>.
     
    But this is information many of us have rejected because of parameters =
of the so called "study" that resulted in this concept. Molasses are fine t=
o use in Compost teas IMHO.

    Cheers,

    Jeff



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Received on Wed May 19 2004 - 22:34:00 EDT

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