Re: [compost_tea] Parts for tea brewers

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 10:38:26 -0700

I did desting with a bunch of different filters and even using panty hose. =
 I looked at biomass because I don't have the ability to distinguish differ=
ent fungi. So I sampled before I filtered and after and made slides. I fo=
und the most reduction in biomass using panty hose yet there was still enou=
gh to work because that method was used on a vinyard and we did get disease=
 suppression. I think the recommendation is 5% fungi by volume or somethin=
g close to that for foliar application and that was about what we ended up =
with by my estimates.

I bought different grades of agricultural filters. These are bags that com=
e in different mesh. I think Steve posted a handy conversion table. I jus=
t bought sizes from 200 which is small to 1000 which is quite large. They =
guy who sold me the bags asked what i was doing with them and he said that =
three layers of window screen would allow the smaller pieces and fungi thro=
ugh and keep out the larger pieces. He said 3 layers of screen compared to=
 about 300 - 500 mesh. He recommended a bunch of different ways to filter.=
  

Here is what I did:

I built a frame out of pvc. I used 1/2 inch pvc pipe and flexible hose tha=
t fit into the 1/2 inch fittings. The frame had two legs with T-connectors=
 at the bottom and quad-connectors 18 inches above that. The flex hose was=
 connected to the frame had two legs and round plastic circles at the botto=
m and at 18 inches that were perpendicular to the legs. The circles were a=
 little smaller than the diameter of the bags (_at_ 10 inches diameter). I go=
t a soaker head which is a metal cylinder with holes in it and cleaned out =
the insides that are filled with a foam filter. I wrapped three layers of =
window screen around it and tie-wrapped them in place.

Before I filter, I insert the frame into the bag then positon the soaker he=
ad which is connected through a standard 5/8 inch hose to my Wayne extracti=
on pump inside the bag about to the bottom of the bag. I can pump about 15=
0 gallons before the organic and other matter build up on the filter surfac=
e. Shaking it up and down knocks most of it off. If any get through to th=
e soaker head, I simply shake it in the brew and it comes right off. The r=
eason I use the frame is to give the suction head the largest possible area=
 to extract the tea through.

When I work this way, I get about a 10 to 20% reduction in biomass after fi=
ltering. To me, that is an acceptable loss considering that the free suspe=
nsion method extracts far more fungi, in my experiments, that any bag or ch=
amber system. I determined this by using the exact same compost in the exa=
ct same amounts and the exact same volume of water with the exact same nutr=
ients and brewing for the exact same amount of time using the different sys=
tems. In my experiments:

1. Bag systems were the least successful. Silt buildup on the bottom of th=
e brewer was noticible but not extreme depending on the compost. Aeration w=
as very difficult because air had to get into the center of the bag to stop=
 anaerobic conditions
2. Chamber systems were more successful than bags but as the filter became =
clogged effeciency and extraction dropped. Silt buildup here was significa=
nt enough to promote anaerobic conditions on the bottom rather quickly. Ae=
ration was more difficult because like bags, air had to get into the compos=
t in the center of the chamber.
3. Free suspension and direct aeration that keeps the compost suspended pro=
duced the greatest biomass and ran the longest before anaerobic conditions =
took over.

Anaerobic conditions occurred in bag and chamber systems before free suspen=
sion systems however, eventually all became anaerobic over time.

Ted Peterson
EW/SOE


----- Original Message -----
  From: Mike Harvey
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 7:40 PM
  Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Parts for tea brewers


  How do you filter out all the compost particles without filtering out the=
 fungi??
  Mike Harvey
    From: Ted Peterson


    If you are using linear air pumps and doing no mechanical aeration (imp=
ellers and such) why don't you do away with the bag and dump the compost di=
rectly into the water? I have been doing this for two years with my brewer=
s and have great results. Plant assays and soil tests confirm my tea is wo=
rking as it should or better.

    Ted Peterson
    EW/SOE
      ----- Original Message -----
      From: savenmoney
      To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
      Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 8:44 AM
      Subject: [compost_tea] Parts for tea brewers


      Hi I am a potato grower in Colorado and we are going to use compost
      tea this year to try to cut back on the chemicals we use. I have
      bought most of my pumps, tanks and things but am having a hard time
      finding tea bags. Do I have to buy the mesh and then sew it into a
      bag or is there a place I can buy them. Also what size mesh is the
      best 20, 30, 35. I have also bought some air stones for diffusers
      they are a silica diffuser made with alumina, has anybody used them,=
 
      and will they produce to small of a bubble.

      Thanks
      Justin Rogers





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Received on Thu May 20 2004 - 22:31:21 EDT

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