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Re: [compost_tea] Alfalfa tea and Kelp tea



Further to my post below, yesterday I used 250 of the 400 gallons.  Some 
I put on the floor of the chicken coop - by the end of the day this 
reduced the ammonia odour by about half.  Some I put in the chickens 
water - none have keeled over yet!  And the balance I put as a soil 
drench on holly trees, about 25 gallons per tree (I don't have a sprayer 
organized yet so I used the bucket of my tractor)

At 4pm yesterday I added 250 gallons of well water to the 150 gallons of 
brew remaining.  Air temperature was 17C    After adding the water the 
temp of the new mix was 15C.  I added about 12 lbs of alfalfa pellets 
and 1 cup of mollasses.  This morning at 9am, 17 hours later, the air 
temperature was 8C and the brew was at 18C with 10" of foam.  I have had 
two small (250 watt) aquarium heaters running.  From a test with cold 
water I know they only raise the water by about 2C so I can only assume 
the balance of the water heat is coming from bacterial activity.

With getting this much activity from just alfalfa pellets and mollasses 
I can't wait to see what happens when I start using compost and more 
electric heat!

Is this normal to get bacterial activity from just alfalfa and mollasses?  

Jason

Jason Austin wrote:

> I have just made my own brewer
>
> - 500 gallons - round tank with flat bottom.  Approx 5' diameter.
> - 1/2 hp Gast air pump
> - for aeration I ran a 1 1/2" sched 40 pipe into the tank, formed a 
> cross at the bottom, and drilled a series of 1/16th holes along one 
> edge of each leg of the cross.  It boils magnificently!
>
> I am waiting for a heater element to arrive so have been experimenting.
>
> First I tried water for 24 hours to test the air blower and some small 
> aquarium heaters that I had been assured would heat the water.  The 
> aquarium heaters only got the water temperature up 2 degrees C in 24 
> hours.
>
> Then I tried 10lbs of alfalfa pellets in 400 gallons of water.
> After 18 hours there was a 5 degree C rise in the water temperature 
> (still with the aquarium heaters) and 4" foam.  
> After 24 hours (midday) both air temp and water temp had risen to 18 
> degrees C - I added 1/2 cup of mollasses.  
> After 36 hours (10pm) air temp had fallen to 11 degrees C but water 
> temp was still at 18.  6" foam
> After 44 hours (6am) air temp down to 8 degrees C but water still at 
> 18!    Now a pleasant healthy earthy smell around the brewer.
>
> The tank is under cover in my open tractor shed.  It is not insulated 
> and is completely open at the top, so I must be losing heat, but 
> despite that it has kept up at 18 degrees C.
>
> It seems to me there must be some considerable  bacterial action 
> taking place even though I have no compost or activators.  So far only 
> alfalfa pelets and mollasses.  
>
> Jason





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