Re: [compost_tea] Feeding compost vs feeding ACT

From: Robert Norsen <bnbrew_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2005 16:35:15 -0800 (PST)

Sorry, that last message was about feeding compost vs feeding ACT

Robert Norsen <bnbrew_at_yahoo.com> wrote: Stephen - Can I add my answer to your question - "Why not add the nutrients to the compost rather than in the brewer?" There is good reason to add such nutrients to the compost. Generally similar but less expensive nutrients are added to the compost. Most of the components of compost are waste materials that are being eliminated from the waste stream, so they are added often with some dump fees. And even so the cost of compost is often more than the retail attainable price. If expensive kelp and humic acids were added the cost would climb out of reach for most purposes..
 
A special quality compost for ACT puposes might be worth that cost.
 
The second reason is that in the compost pile these nutrients would be devoured and no longer available for the incubation phase of ACT manufacture. Microbes extracted from the compost, released into pure water will do what? Die or go dormant? In no case can they multiply. The object of ACT brewing is to multiply the microbes of the compost many fold to apply to soil or leaf. Depending on specie and conditions the microbe content of the compost can be mutiplied by hundreds to thousands during the brew. This is one of the advantages of ACT over compost. Much more microbe quantity available. at less cost. more easily applied.

Stephen Steyn <ssteyn_at_wcaccess.co.za> wrote:
Greetings Tom;
I found your technical posting most interesting. I couldn't access the http://www.fisheries.org/html/publications/epubs/fhm2e/appendices.shtm site as it appears to be reserved for subscribers, but found the chapter 6 site. I would appear that if you have an air density problem (hot and high), you better not load too much food into the extractor - although I've never worked with a DO meter and don't know the dynamics of the extraction process in terms of oxygen demand. Also if you have fairly high backpressure due to restrictive apertures in the bubbler and a deep extractor, your pump better have good characteristics or you're going to produce something other than great ACT. Keeping in mind too that some pumps put out air at a fair temperature too.
 
Why do ACT producers put molasses, kelp and fish into the extractor and not into the compost where fungi and protozoa will have more time to increase? Is it because most extractors don't produce their own compost? Wouldn't it be "better" to add the foods to the compost pile?
Cheers
Steve Steyn
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Jaszewski
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 8:24 PM
Subject: [compost_tea] Re: Flow rate for air pumps



---Using the spread sheet available from American Fisheries Society,
http://www.fisheries.org/html/publications/epubs/fhm2e/appendices.shtm
l
Maximum DO mg/liter in Carson Valley Nevada at 75F would be 7.09, at
80F 6.73 mg/liter
How then is DO maintained at a level no lower than 6? Since it
obviously cannot be, does this lower the quality of the ACT?

Using http://water.usgs.gov/owq/FieldManual/Chapter6/table6.2_6.html
tables,
With an atmospheric pressure of 643 mm Hg and 24C 7.2 mg/liter is
saturation.

It would seem any activity would take the DO levels to a level below
the aerobic threshold.



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Received on Sun Feb 20 2005 - 23:43:13 EST

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