Re: [compost_tea] Re pre brew innoculatied :fungal compost test results!

From: Jeff Lowenfels <jeff_at_gardener.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 18:17:33 -0600

<could please describe exactly how you do your inoculation.>



I have now been able to grow the exact same, long, long, snowy white myceli=
um using baby oatmeal, malt (specifically "Munton's Wheat Unhopped, Spray M=
alt Extract, 3 lbs for 11 dollars and do be careful not to get any of it bu=
t what you are using wet--available wherever you can buy beer making suppli=
es), and, of course, "the Meals" i.e. feather meal, bone meal, blood meal, =
cottonseed meal and alfalfa meal.

For the test listed in the files section to which you refer, I took 12 ounc=
es or so of AH and mixed it with two heaping tablespoons of a mixture of pr=
etty much equal parts of the meals. I added three or four tablespoons of w=
ater, covered the container and put it under a plastic pot on a seed germ=
ination mat that kept the Humus at 80 degrees. I left it there for about 28=
 hours. When I put it into the tea water, I could just see the first strand=
s bridging gaps between soil crumbs.

And in case you really wanted to know:

The water was at 82 degrees or so when I started. I added the 12 ounces of =
AH and aerated for a few minutes to make sure I was getting color in the wa=
ter, always a good idea before adding ingredients. Then I added three tabl=
espoons of soluble kelp and one heaping teaspoon of Humisolve. Nothing else=
 went in....NO SUGARS.

I ran the brew in my boiler room for 13 hours. It is winter here so, the bo=
iler is on most of the time and it is about 80 degrees in there. At hour 13=
 the brew temp was 80 degrees. Then off to SFI, Corvallis and a test 28 hou=
rs later.

I am guessing that the fungi get a good headstart in the Humus before it go=
es into the tea and get to keep that head start when they get into the tea =
because there is no sugar for the bacteria and hence no bacterial competiti=
on. Once those bacteria get going, the fungi take a back seat, that is if =
they don't become bacteria food!

That exact enough. What did I leave out?

The answer is in the Compost/Humus. If you can't grow fungi in it, how are =
you going to get it into your tea? You really need to grow fungi in your co=
mposts. Nice, long, white threads. Thick, long fluffy white strands. No fun=
gi? Then why are you banging your head cause it isn't in the tea? And by th=
e same token, as Doc E has warned, if you have ugly, nasty, stuff growing, =
you might want to think about your compost!



Cheers,

Jeff
www.alaskahumus.com

Plant a Row for The Hungry. Ask me how you can join other gardeners in this=
 important effort.


.

Received on Wed Jan 29 2003 - 22:31:06 EST

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