Re: [compost_tea] Re: What do the nasties breathe?

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 02:37:30 EST

Hi David -

Not a dumb question at all. Pretty perceptive, in fact to put those concepts
together.

There are anaerobic and facultative anaerobic organisms in compost. They are
not active in aerobic conditions, so no problems in the water.

But when some of the organisms attach to the surface of the tank, other
organisms attach on top of them and more on top of them, and.... so on, until
oxygen does not diffuse into the lower layers of the biofilm. If there
happened to be dormant stages of anaerobes or facultative anaerobes in those
lower layers, they now start functioning anaerobically. And then we have
problems when their numbers get to be really high.

Another reason we brew for only 24 hours, and control the amount of food
resource that goes into the tea brew so you don't out-strip the ability of
the aerators to keep the tea aerated.

So, cleaning is necessary. Wash the biofilms off at the end of each run.

It's another reason that flat bottom tanks area pain in the rear. It's hard
to clean out those 90 degree angles, hard to get aerated water to more
properly into those angles during the brew. It's why tanks with
not-removable lids are a pain too. Foam and splash happen, and you have to
get rid of the bio-film on the bottom side of the lids.

Think about a ship - it's always moving through well-aerated water and yet
think of the biofilm that develops. Surfaces have to be cleaned.

OK? Was my explanation clear enough?

Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
www.soilfoodweb.com



.

Received on Sat Jan 18 2003 - 02:53:36 EST

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Tue Feb 07 2012 - 14:26:39 EST