Extra long brew compost tea

[ChefDGreen]

Has anyone played around with running their brewer for 2 weeks+? I listened to a podcast with a microbiology expert. He talked about a project where theyre running their brewers for 14 days. He said the results were astounding and that they’re seeing a density of 1 trillion microbes per ml of tea.

Im wondering if anyone has played around with anything like this and what amendments they might’ve put into their tea.

apart from that, if anyone has a lot of experience with brewing compost tea, I’d be interested in hearing what might be some good things to add for a longer brew.

 

[Pennywise]

Maybe @bobrown14 or @Van Stank will have some thoughts on that.

 

[ChefDGreen]

I would love to hear what they’ve got to say. I know they’re a couple of busy fellas though.

I wonder what @MagicJim and @Emilya would say

 

[Pennywise]

They may have something for ya

 

[Emilya Green]

I don't have lab clean conditions in my brew area nor a microscope to check on my results, so I have never taken that risk of running a long brew, since a quicker 24 or 48 hour run is sufficient to grow all the microbes you need. I don't need trillions of microbes in one tea, nor do you. The 10's of millions that you do produce under controlled conditions with just the right amount of inputs in a short run, hit your soil just as alive and just as active as the larger batch does, and in about 20 minutes most of them have multiplied... doubling the population... and they keep multiplying in a healthy soil/environment, until after a day or so, you also have a trillion microbes working in your soil. Sure, you can take the extra time to brew them up, hoping you keep feeding the right ones in the right proportions and that your colonies don't get out of whack because one species got too strong on day 3 and wiped out another one... or you can just make short brews that you can maintain tight control over and then let mother nature take over after you have done your part.

 

[ChefDGreen]

I don't have lab clean conditions in my brew area nor a microscope to check on my results, so I have never taken that risk of running a long brew, since a quicker 24 or 48 hour run is sufficient to grow all the microbes you need. I don't need trillions of microbes in one tea, nor do you. The 10's of millions that you do produce under controlled conditions with just the right amount of inputs in a short run, hit your soil just as alive and just as active as the larger batch does, and in about 20 minutes most of them have multiplied... doubling the population... and they keep multiplying in a healthy soil/environment, until after a day or so, you also have a trillion microbes working in your soil. Sure, you can take the extra time to brew them up, hoping you keep feeding the right ones in the right proportions and that your colonies don't get out of whack because one species got too strong on day 3 and wiped out another one... or you can just make short brews that you can maintain tight control over and then let mother nature take over after you have done your part.

I guess my thinking is that I will leave the pressure on specific colonies up to the plant and the exudates that it releases. My goal is only to refresh and improve upon the diversity of microbes.

 

[Emilya Green]

I guess my thinking is that I will leave the pressure on specific colonies up to the plant and the exudates that it releases. My goal is only to refresh and improve upon the diversity of microbes.

in a long brew you can easily get the opposite of that... did you know that amoebas are very aggressive and can kill protozoans? It's a battle royal in that brew bucket on a good day... and the slightest change of conditions could completely wipe out a species you were counting on. More most certainly does not always mean better. If you could guarantee diversity the situation would be different, but without very controlled conditions, you can't... and certainly not from dirty inputs like EWC or compost where the bad guys are just as numerous as the good ones.

 

[ChefDGreen]

That’s why I’m looking for anyone who’s tried it and what inputs they might suggest to try and keep things growing in diversity. When you’re brewing you’re always going to have bad guys because they can change their metabolisms to function in an aerobic environment.. but wide diversity will keep the detrimental microbes in check.

I’m thinking that there’s probably a regiment, where you feed your brewer certain inputs at certain timings to keep the diversity expanding. Im wondering if there’s anyone out there who’s experimented with that

 

[Emilya Green]

That’s why I’m looking for anyone who’s tried it and what inputs they might suggest to try and keep things growing in diversity. When you’re brewing you’re always going to have bad guys because they can change their metabolisms to function in an aerobic environment.. but wide diversity will keep the detrimental microbes in check.

I’m thinking that there’s probably a regiment, where you feed your brewer certain inputs at certain timings to keep the diversity expanding. Im wondering if there’s anyone out there who’s experimented with that

not me... I am sure there is a way, and you will need a good microscope and the ability to tell one microbe from another to make it happen. I also know from when I have brewed too long or let it sit too long and the mixture starts to smell different than that forest floor smell you get from a good tea, that it is best to throw it out and start over at that point. I almost killed some plants with a bad tea one time.

Good luck with your experiment though... I am curious how it goes for you and in the end if you think all the extra work was worth it.

 

[ChefDGreen]

I’m gonna dig around a bit more before actually try anything, but thank you. Hopefully I can get in contact with someone who has done the microscope work and can tell me what inputs are necessary at what moments.

 

[Van Stank]

I would love to hear what they’ve got to say. I know they’re a couple of busy fellas though.

I wonder what @MagicJim and @Emilya would say

I always advocate for experimenting....though I admit I haven't done any experimenting on this particular matter. I kind of follow the general guidelines for ACTs....24 hour brew for veg plants and 12-18 hour brew for flowering plants. I run a very active soil anyways so I am not sure I would have any need for that high of a concentrate of a bio activity in my teas, unless it for my compost pile....

Now you have me thinking for speeding up my composting outdoor. That just might be a good thing for that beast!! I try my best to produce 5 cubic yards of compost annually for my outdoor garden and it takes a lot of work turning it and whatnot. I bet a real concentrated tea would really benefit that greatly.

If I do it for my compost pile.....I will maybe add some into a cannabis plant that I can afford to screw up or burn, just to see what happens.

 

[ChefDGreen]

I always advocate for experimenting....though I admit I haven't done any experimenting on this particular matter. I kind of follow the general guidelines for ACTs....24 hour brew for veg plants and 12-18 hour brew for flowering plants. I run a very active soil anyways so I am not sure I would have any need for that high of a concentrate of a bio activity in my teas, unless it for my compost pile....

Now you have me thinking for speeding up my composting outdoor. That just might be a good thing for that beast!! I try my best to produce 5 cubic yards of compost annually for my outdoor garden and it takes a lot of work turning it and whatnot. I bet a real concentrated tea would really benefit that greatly.

If I do it for my compost pile.....I will maybe add some into a cannabis plant that I can afford to screw up or burn, just to see what happens.

Thanks for taking the time to weigh in Mr Stank. I really like the compost idea, and I like where your heads at.