Re: [compost_tea] non-aerated teas?

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 14:00:25 -0800

----- Original Message -----
From: David Anderson
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 6:29 PM
Subject: Re: [compost_tea] non-aerated teas?


What size air compressor are you talking about?


Dave:

I have been using air pumps from High Blow. They have an OEM model that ha=
s dual ports and you can make an enclosure for it quite easily. I found a =
surplus source of Elite pumps. They were very small and designed for 2 to =
5 gallon aquariums. However, I got 104 of them for $.75 each so I bought t=
he whole batch. If you are into using small pumps and connecting them with=
 Ts and air hose, look around on the surplus market for deals.

Oil and Compressors

Only certain pumps use lubricating oil to create enough of a sealant to kee=
p air pressure constant. For compost tea, I have found that diaphram pumps=
 are far better than rotary or piston. For one they are quieter. Also the=
y are easier to repair. You can get a repair kit for a diaphram pump for a=
 few bucks. If you try to repair a rotary or piston pump, it's expensive. =
 

I like the quiet part of diaphram pumps. If you are on a large farm or vin=
yard, they probably have an existing air source and you can tap into that. =
 Some people like to brew tea close to their houses so noise is a factor. =
 

I have a couple of piston compressors. One from Sears and another really b=
ig pump. Both use tanks. However, it is really hard to control the output=
 at low levels. As the tank empties the flow gets less entil the pump kick=
s in and refills the tank. This means you are having varying amounts of ai=
r flow. Strangely, this turned out to be a good thing but I won't go into =
that here. But the biggest drawback is that they are noisy. If you are wo=
rking with a large container upwards of 100 gallons, the motor kicks in abo=
ut every ten to fifteen minutes to refil the air tank. Too noisy.

So I took a look at Koi production and mericulture to see how they did it a=
nd I almost invariably found diaphram pumps used for applications under 100=
0 gallons. There are a few exceptions but the trend seems to be away from =
rotary/piston type pumps. Oil is never a problem.

Now, what about extraction? How do I get the tea out of my brewer into a d=
istribution system?

I have used different sump pumps. I got a couple from the WWTP that are al=
l stainless steel and tried them. They worked great but sucked so fast tha=
t anything under 225 gallons went in about 1 second. I have used others ma=
de by a company called Wayne. I have done tea tests, with my microscope, b=
efore and after extraction and noticed minimal to no destruction of biology=
. Things looked pretty much the same in the brewer as in the holding bucke=
t before and after extraction. I also made a gravity feed valve that I sti=
ck just above the bottom of the brewing container. Because I used free sus=
pension compost, I can't drain from the bottom because everything will get =
clogged. So I sacrifice about 6" at the bottom and use a valve in the side=
 of the container. You can buy plastic self-sealing valves for about $4 to=
 $10 depending on size and where you get it. I made a screen cover (simple =
plastic window screening) for this that I can screw on and off inside the b=
rewer to keep out the bigger chunks. When I brew, I put this on a slight p=
latform that's 2.5' high. I made the platform from a 4x4 and a 3/4" piece =
of plywood. Then I can open the tap and decant the tea into 5 gallon bucket=
s for transport. I sampled the tea before and after decanting and compared=
 it with that removed with the extraction pump and found it to be virtually=
 the same. Biomass was consistent and cocci and rods remained pretty much =
the same. Protozoa were swimming around proportionally and the fungal mass=
es seemd consistent.

Now, I haven't experimented with non-aerated tea for over two years. I tri=
ed some at the beginning but even simpl aeration gives much better results =
in my estimation.

Ted Peterson
SOE






Received on Wed Jan 05 2005 - 10:45:09 EST

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