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Re: [compost_tea] Friday Thoughts



To Kirk Leonard and all      Some of the below is admittedly SWAG.  
 
Good questions and comments.  I am being quoted as stating 1.cfm for 30g, 1.5for 50g  and 3 for 250g.   Well I might have said that. but I'd be wrong. That is a start condition on the brewers I make. Reality is more complex.  The air required is more related to the microbe numbers and rate of prolification than to the gallons of water.  contained. 
 
With a water pumped machine the pumping action slows propagation with each pass thru the pump.  An all air machine is less violent. It allows faster propagation so the nutrient load and the initial microbe (compost) load need better control.in the air machine. The air cycle seems to offer best performance with - And I have to thank Paul Sachs for this experimention and his extensive testing with SFI NY                                                                 
Lots of water   5, 30, 50, 250g is not the critical part of the formula
Modest amounts of compost  for the size of the brew.  Exact amounts  are still open.
Nutrients are proportional to the water volume  but we are finding that nutrients are best added in limited quantities at a time. I beileve in decreasing quantities as microbe concentraation increases.
 
Water Temperture is important.  80 F very rapid development of the brew and perhaps a diferent set of microbes than at
70F workd very well but is some slower. 
60F may be discoragingly slow may develop fewer different spedies than attained at 80F..
One advantge of the air machines is that the cooling air = the warming micro activity so T remains nearly constant.
 
How long a cycle?  One of the best reports - not THE best - came with a 12 hour brew.
Get up early, brew all day while working in the garden - or the office-  Apply the ACT that evening.!  
 
How can that progressive feeding occur if I am away at the office all day?  How about a leaky bag of nutrients.  The macro version of a slow release pill?  OK Paul ?
 
At least during development of the recipe and procedure an O2 meter helps tell what is going on..   Adherance to details of excellent compost, temperature and feeding will be helpful to get optimum results.  Good results will be easy.  Plants like iteither way !   
 
 While this research was wrapped around one brewer system I think others will find it useful in whatever system they are using.  Exact data is available at Paul Sacks www.norganics.com     Bob
 
 
Kirk Leonard <kirk@oregonatural.com> wrote:
Re: Airflow

Air flow per gallon of tea, with an air pump or compressor, ignoring
water pumps, is a subject we've batted around some.  It seems important for
stabilizing aerobic notions and making good aerated compost teas.  Bob N is
the only tea machine maker who has spoken clearly on that, using 1cfm for
thirty gallons, 1.5cfm for fifty gallons, and now 3.0 for 250.  I have
tested several machines and found air flows from .2cfm air/cf water to 4
plus cfm per cf water.  Tea is ok even in extremes.  Where is air flow best
for a steady aerated tea?

Where is that real time home tea test?

-- Kirk L














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