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Re: [compost_tea] Re: SoilSoup Bioblender



Hi Kirk, and others following this thread...

I have a SoilSoup Bioblender, purchased with a partner after hearing
Elaine's presentation at the Vermillenium conference in Kalamazoo in the
fall of 2000....

We used it until late spring of 2002 when we went to a large vat system with
a big air compressor and airstones...

It runs a propellor and it does entrain a certain amount of air, no doubt
about it---whether the prop slices into the fungi or not I cannot tell...the
one test I had done on a tea from it came back bacterial.....

Live worms survived three days of teamaking on several occasions in the
sock....so probably not anaerobic, or not too anaerobic....sock supposedly a
200 micron affair....later we used it in larger batches at cooler temps in a
55 gallon drum....good foaming occurred....in these larger batches we used
big paint strainer bags, which seemed to have larger openings...

The smell of teas from the SoulSoup machine and from our bubbler vats was
similar---no unpleasant smells....

But as to exactly why people haven't gotten good fungal growth with
them....hard to say, and we don't have the window or the funding to really
find out....

I would say that I would never buy one again at the price, when a suitable
air pump and stones would cost quite a bit less...and allow you to use loose
compost.....

My two cents on the first compost tea brewer I bought,

Frank Teuton



----- Original Message -----
From: "Kirk Leonard" <kirk@oregonatural.com>
To: "Compost Tea Group" <compost_tea@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2003 1:06 PM
Subject: [compost_tea] Re: SoilSoup Bioblender


> > Message: 7
> > Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 16:35:06 +1100
> > From: "Lloyd Charles" <lcharles@webfront.net.au>
>
> > However if Ann was using tea from a soil soup machine, as she did and
> maybe still does,  she was only putting bacterial on the field, which is
why
> she may have helped it... <
>
> > How come that with every other brand of tea mchine in North America , by
> varying the nutrients (food) and type of compost used , you can make a
> fungal tea, but not with this one ? What is it about the construction of
> this machine that is so different that its impossible to grow fungi in a
> soil soup machine?  I want to build a new brewer for myself and sure as
heck
> dont want to make the mistake these guys did. <
>
> Lloyd -- Good question and I'd like to hear other's thoughts, thinking
these
> myself:  First, the SS bioblender (their name for the machine) compost
sock
> container was a thick, fuzzy fabric that likely does not allow fungi to
move
> into the tea.  Secondly, it's standard configuration, hung on the lip of
the
> tank at the same level as the bioblender (well above and away from the
pump
> stream), also does not really support any "knocking loose" of
microrganisms
> from the compost particles at any point in the brewing cycle.  I'm pretty
> sure these two things are part of the problem (and are easily fixed using
a
> paint filter containing the compost, weighted with a rock and placed on
> bottom of the tank directly underneath the pump stream).  Thirdly, their
> nutrient solution was basically bacterial food (also easy to correct, and
SS
> have said they were going to do that).  Fourth, and this is hypothesis, is
> the fact that it is basically a water pump, not an air pump, which means
the
> organisims have to travel through the impeller; and, as far as I can tell,
> the bioblender doesn't inject any appreciable air into the tea, it just
> pumps the water.
>
> Early in the life of this listserve there was a debate about systems that
> were "air-pumped" v. "water-pumped," and I got a sense from that
discussion
> that air-pumped was better.
>
> Anyway, my hypothesis is that the bioblender is an air-limited system, in
> which the naturally greater numbers of bacteria will dominate and then
there
> isn't enough air for fungi, even if they could get out of the sock.  Fungi
> are also generally larger than bacteria and thus more easily macerated by
> passage through the impeller, it seems.
>
> My two cents.  I'd like to hear other thoughts.
>
> Kirk
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <compost_tea@yahoogroups.com>
> To: <compost_tea@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Friday, February 14, 2003 7:22 AM
> Subject: [compost_tea] Digest Number 206
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> compost_tea-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> There are 7 messages in this issue.
>
> Topics in this digest:
>
>       1. Re: CT & Septic systems
>            From: "Susan Cruver" <scruver@msn.com>
>       2. DO meter
>            From: "TaChung Huang" <tachung_h@yahoo.com>
>       3. RE: DO meter
>            From: "Tom Jaszewski" <tomj@livesoil.com>
>       4. RE: DO meter
>            From: "TaChung Huang" <tachung_h@yahoo.com>
>       5. Re: CT & Septic systems
>            From: "Steve Bridges" <kimas@texasgrown.com>
>       6. Re: CT & Septic systems
>            From: "Jeff Lowenfels" <jeff@gardener.com>
>       7. Re: CT & Septic systems
>            From: "Lloyd Charles" <lcharles@webfront.net.au>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 1
>    Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 11:42:14 -0800
>    From: "Susan Cruver" <scruver@msn.com>
> Subject: Re: CT & Septic systems
>
> Nick--Ann Lovejoy kept her failing septic system going for a couple of
years
> by spraying CT on the drain field.  If you have shallow rooting plants on
> the drain field, roots should be no problem even with increased depth of
> root penetration.  I have, however, seen funky drain fields in which the
> drainage pipes are too close to the surface.  This is rare and the
homeowner
> has bigger problems than turf grass roots!  You might want to talk to Ann
> for more details.  She even plants rhodies (also quite shallow rooters)
and
> other carefully chosen shrubs between the drainage runs.
>
> Susan
>
>   I was wondering if you should spray CT over septic systems. Was
>   wondering if you'd get too much root growth or would it be better to
>   use a fungal dominated tea to promote good soil aggregate? Allowing
>   oxygen to diffuse into the soil and carbon dioxide to diffuse out of
>   the soil. And, since a septic system is manure, would it have root
>   feeding nematodes? Am going to a meeting on septic systems tonight,
>   and was curious as to your thoughts and ideas on the subject.
>
>   Thanks,
>
>   Nick
>
>
>   To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>   compost_tea-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
>   Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
>
>
> [This message contained attachments]
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 2
>    Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 13:37:25 -0800
>    From: "TaChung Huang" <tachung_h@yahoo.com>
> Subject: DO meter
>
> Where do I buy a reliable DO meter that has data logging capability?
>
>
>
>
>
> Regards
> TaChung Huang (?A?jc?)
>
> -----
>
>
>
> [This message contained attachments]
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 3
>    Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 14:33:01 -0800
>    From: "Tom Jaszewski" <tomj@livesoil.com>
> Subject: RE: DO meter
>
> http://www.extech.com/WhatsNew/PDF_datasheet/Datasheets_English/407510.pdf
>
> there are two models one has a 13 foot lead.
>
> *P         Grainger, Lake Forest, IL 1-800-473-3473 x2196
> *P         Techni-Tool Corporation, Worcester, PA 1-800-832-4866
> *P         Davis Instruments, Baltimore, MD 1-800-368-2516 /
1-800-492-6767
> *P         Cole-Parmer Instrument, Vernon Hills, IL 1-800-323-4340
> *P         Transcat, Rochester, NY 1-800-828-1470
> *P         Lab Safety Supply, Janesville, WI 1-800-356-0783
> *P         Time Motion Tools, Poway, CA 1-800-779-8170
> *P         Contact East, N. Andover, MA 1-800-225-5370
> *P         Specialized Products, Southlake, TX 1-800-866-5353
> *P         Future Electronics, Montreal, Canada 1-800-655-0006
> *P         MSC Industrial Supply, Plainview, NY 1-800-645-7270
> *P         McMaster-Carr Supply, Elmhurst, IL 1-732-329-3200
>
>
> Tom Jaszewski
> www.livesoil.com
> 702-595-7012
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TaChung Huang [mailto:tachung_h@yahoo.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2003 1:37 PM
> To: compost_tea@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [compost_tea] DO meter
>
> Where do I buy a reliable DO meter that has data logging capability?
>
>
>
> Regards
> TaChung Huang (?A?jc?)
> -----
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> compost_tea-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
> <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .
>
>
> [This message contained attachments]
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 4
>    Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 14:32:54 -0800
>    From: "TaChung Huang" <tachung_h@yahoo.com>
> Subject: RE: DO meter
>
> Tom: Thank you very much.
>
>
>
>
> Regards
> TaChung Huang (?A?jc?)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom Jaszewski [mailto:tomj@livesoil.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2003 2:33 PM
> To: compost_tea@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [compost_tea] DO meter
>
>
> http://www.extech.com/WhatsNew/PDF_datasheet/Datasheets_English/407510.p
> df
>
> there are two models one has a 13 foot lead.
>
> *P         Grainger, Lake Forest, IL 1-800-473-3473 x2196
> *P         Techni-Tool Corporation, Worcester, PA 1-800-832-4866
> *P         Davis Instruments, Baltimore, MD 1-800-368-2516 /
> 1-800-492-6767
> *P         Cole-Parmer Instrument, Vernon Hills, IL 1-800-323-4340
> *P         Transcat, Rochester, NY 1-800-828-1470
> *P         Lab Safety Supply, Janesville, WI 1-800-356-0783
> *P         Time Motion Tools, Poway, CA 1-800-779-8170
> *P         Contact East, N. Andover, MA 1-800-225-5370
> *P         Specialized Products, Southlake, TX 1-800-866-5353
> *P         Future Electronics, Montreal, Canada 1-800-655-0006
> *P         MSC Industrial Supply, Plainview, NY 1-800-645-7270
> *P         McMaster-Carr Supply, Elmhurst, IL 1-732-329-3200
>
>
> Tom Jaszewski
> www.livesoil.com
> 702-595-7012
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TaChung Huang [mailto:tachung_h@yahoo.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2003 1:37 PM
> To: compost_tea@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [compost_tea] DO meter
>
> Where do I buy a reliable DO meter that has data logging capability?
>
>
>
> Regards
> TaChung Huang (?A?jc?)
> -----
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> compost_tea-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
> <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Service.
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> compost_tea-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
> <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .
>
>
>
> [This message contained attachments]
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 5
>    Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 20:50:27 -0600
>    From: "Steve Bridges" <kimas@texasgrown.com>
> Subject: Re: CT & Septic systems
>
> There is another problem with drain fields and the plants around them. A
> septic system operates on the bacterial side of the equation. If you have
> plants that need a fungal dominated soil, such as trees and woody shrubs,
> then the bacterially dominated drain field can post problems.
>
> I built a house about five years ago. There is a large oak tree between
the
> house and the drain field. The distance from the house to the drain field
is
> about thirty feet. The oak trees sits in the middle of the thirty feet.
The
> tree (a Post Oak) showed some decline the third year after the house was
> built. I applied a Sick Tree Treatment (http://www.dirtdoctor.com/) and
some
> compost and it regained some vigor. Two years later it started it's to
show
> some stress again. Mainly tip die back, and a canker fungal degeneration
> (peeling bark) at the base of the tree, on the septic side of the tree.
>
> My query,,,Is the bacterial dominated soil of the septic system causing
the
> degeneration of the tree. Common sense would say yes. If so, with an
> aeration procedure (3" holes, drilled on 2' centers, about 18" deep, to
10'
> beyond the dripline of the tree) followed by a fungal dominated soil
drench
> (and application of a plant based compost) correct the decline in the
tree?
>
> Here in Texas, we value the trees on the western side of the house. Any
> advice would be appreciated.
> Steve
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Susan Cruver
>   To: compost_tea@yahoogroups.com
>   Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2003 1:42 PM
>   Subject: Re: [compost_tea] CT & Septic systems
>
>
>   Nick--Ann Lovejoy kept her failing septic system going for a couple of
> years by spraying CT on the drain field.  If you have shallow rooting
plants
> on the drain field, roots should be no problem even with increased depth
of
> root penetration.  I have, however, seen funky drain fields in which the
> drainage pipes are too close to the surface.  This is rare and the
homeowner
> has bigger problems than turf grass roots!  You might want to talk to Ann
> for more details.  She even plants rhodies (also quite shallow rooters)
and
> other carefully chosen shrubs between the drainage runs.
>
>   Susan
>
>     I was wondering if you should spray CT over septic systems. Was
>     wondering if you'd get too much root growth or would it be better to
>     use a fungal dominated tea to promote good soil aggregate? Allowing
>     oxygen to diffuse into the soil and carbon dioxide to diffuse out of
>     the soil. And, since a septic system is manure, would it have root
>     feeding nematodes? Am going to a meeting on septic systems tonight,
>     and was curious as to your thoughts and ideas on the subject.
>
>     Thanks,
>
>     Nick
>
>
>     To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>     compost_tea-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
>     Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
>
>
>   To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>   compost_tea-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
>   Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
>
>
> [This message contained attachments]
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 6
>    Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 19:53:25 -0600
>    From: "Jeff Lowenfels" <jeff@gardener.com>
> Subject: Re: CT & Septic systems
>
> <<<Ann Lovejoy kept her failing septic system going for a couple of years
by
> spraying CT on the drain field. >>>
>
> Obviously this falls into the category of anecdotal evidence, right?
>
> However if Ann was using tea from a soil soup machine, as she did and
maybe
> still does,  she was only putting bacterial on the field, which is why she
> may have helped it...
>
> Lawns are balanced, fungal and bacterial.  The oak is probably not that
> unhappy as it is fungal, sure, but not conifer-style fungal!.
>
> The soil has been compacted.  I would think some good fungal teas ( and we
> now know how to make them) would greatly help along with the aeration
> treatment and some organic lawn food such as soybean meal at 3 pounds per
> 100 sq ft.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jeff
> www.alaskahumus.com
>
>
>
> [This message contained attachments]
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 7
>    Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 16:35:06 +1100
>    From: "Lloyd Charles" <lcharles@webfront.net.au>
> Subject: Re: CT & Septic systems
>
>
> However if Ann was using tea from a soil soup machine, as she did and
maybe
> still does,  she was only putting bacterial on the field, which is why she
> may have helped it...
>
> How come that with every other brand of tea mchine in North America , by
> varying the nutrients (food) and type of compost used , you can make a
> fungal tea, but not with this one ? What is it about the construction of
> this machine that is so different that its impossible to grow fungi in a
> soil soup machine?  I want to build a new brewer for myself and sure as
heck
> dont want to make the mistake these guys did.
> Lloyd Charles
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> compost_tea-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>




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