It certainly is frustrating if are trying to manage all parts of the tea
paradigm from the outset. Most home composts are probably not suited to brewing
high quality tea. At home I continue to compost and even produce some reasonably good soil
amendments. When I brew tea I really want some measure of consistency and use tested
vermicompost and measured nutrient recipes in a well-designed brewer. There are
homebuilt systems that work very well. A simple 5-gallon bucket with a dual
port air pump and a couple of bottom rings of porous tubing has proved to be an
inexpensive brewer with very good results. 5 gallons can cost as much as $1.00
in materials, a bargain from my perspective at recommended rates! I really don’t agree that it’s to early for agriculture to heal its
ailing soils. Hang in there and make a simple brewer use tested compost and with
good recipes you’ll have success, see results, and learn the process. Tea IS making a difference in agriculture! Personally I live in a wooden house and barbecue salmon regularly. I did
make it to 49 with a powder blue 1970 VW bus. But continue to be annoying. Tom Jaszewski www.livesoil.com 702-595-7012 -----Original
Message----- Well, I just
read through the faq at http://www.intlctc.org/faq2.htm and I found it to be an
enthusiasm buster. It reads to me
that without buying a high quality brewer, using someone else’s ‘high quality’
compost, it’s a waste of time, or harmful to my plants and potentially my
family (human pathogens / root nematodes)?? Being that it appears that most of our home-created
composts are mediocre at best, I feel it important for encouraging more
interest in tea brewing, to spend more time explaining how folks can create
higher quality composts. I didn’t
see any of that on the site. Its too early for all of this to become so
industrialized. Reading that site,
it seemed as if it were somewhat written by tea brewer manufacturers to promote
brewers. I think its great if you
have a brewer that does a great job – those that want to spend the money can do
so. But, I’m still feeling that if
we don’t buy one of these brewers, and use better compost than we make
ourselves, we might as well go back to chemical fertilizers. Ack! Well, here’s to hoping I don’t get flamed for these
comments – but I think its an important note to express, otherwise we’re
nothing but ‘tree hugging salmon savers’ to the outside world – and
unfortunately, no body listens to those types anymore. They’re considered just an annoyance, a
loophole to get over. I’d rather
see teas break into the Ag and garden world in a way that people listen to, can
see and don’t figure for marketing hype. Ok, swing away, I’ve ducked behind my yet untested
nor tried homemade brewing barrel. -Mike
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