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Princeton, Minnesota

Here's my recipe:
approx 30 gallons of water
1 cup molasses
1 teaspoon of super thrive
1 cup of terra-cycle worm casting water
9 cups well-wrotted compost w/ manure in an old nylon

I put all of this in an old cooler with an aquarium pump bought at walmart. It was already quite foamy this morning, it might be ready by tonight.

8/7/2007 1:21:21 PM

Somers, CT

Madscout, I am researching homemade brewer and am looking for information. Can you tell me where to get super thrive, worm casting water (eventually want to farm my own worms, wife will love that. Also, dumb question, what are you keeping the compost in, a drum or bucket, on a tarp? thanks!!

8/23/2007 12:05:00 PM

President - GPC

MadScout, before you dump that tea on your plants check out the FAQ and info on this site>

http://www.simplici-tea.com/product_page.htm

Perhaps Im missing the boat but Im thinking no fish tank pump in a 30 gallon tub with all that bio load and molasses.....is going to produce quality tea in less than 48 hours.....Im thinking E-coli here...Big time. Too much food not enough O2 just because it foams doesnt mean its done. My pump I paid from KIS- 200$ could run an entire pet shop of tanks, they told me 24 hours for good lab tested brew for 5 gallons, with no molasses 1 cup of great compost, 1 cup of their food. Others correct me but I think theres no way with a fish tank pump that folks can get quality tea. I would hate for something bad to occur here.......Please read their info.

8/23/2007 3:18:26 PM

Wi

Yup, I'd agree a fish tank pump in 30 gallons would be questionable. I think a BIG aquarium pump would do the job. Really big.

I also don't like the idea of those loud conventional air pumps. This may be necessary in a 30 gallon batch though. If it stinks you don't have enough air.

8/23/2007 4:07:14 PM

President - GPC

The first KIS pump I burned out after 5 brews, it was nothing more than a Big Hair Dryer with no heating element, it was rated for a 11-12 hour brew (baterial and fungal) using the mentioned ingredients and quanities above. Quite noisy ( I brewed only when not home and never at night) but it really boiled the water, I could smell the change at 10 hours, the new pump I purchased (-warranty) I was told to increase the brew to 24 hours for the same quality of tea. Im trying to get specs so we know how much air really is required as I want to make my own 30 gallon brewer and I will lab test once when I really sure whats up. Im thinking of using a wet dry vac but here again, I got neighbors and a wife..(too noisy)...The great point KIS makes is if you dont use a known tea brewer with known tea components & ingrediants that has been lab tested then you are really guessing your doing good, smell does work once you go thru several known brews. Oddly enough they have tested teas from other brewers including soil soup.....check out the their lab test results....you will be surprised........ One OEM tea brewer had good lab tests and when they dispersed the tea with a pump they killed a majority of the biology......Being an old submariner I was trained to not guess........My last brew I decided to add just a teaspoon of molasses, it really increased my foam at the end....Using pond water or fish tank water really increased my brew, another neat design that KIS has is the holes at the top to crack the foam and redigest it so it doesnt climb out the tank....Its really a well designed proven system....hope this helps

8/23/2007 4:34:09 PM

Somers, CT

Thanks WIZ. I appreciate the information. This type of information is what I was looking for. I would hate to buy a $10 pump and some ingredients and find out I wasted lots of time for nothing. I have the winter to compile and digest all the info I can find.

8/27/2007 5:30:44 PM

Princeton, Minnesota

Thanks wiz for the info. I am new to this and learning as I go. The last thing I want is to be breeding E. Coli! I'm going to check out that website and see what I can order for next spring. The season is almost over, so I think I will just continue with the Neptune's only for now. My plants are very healthy and the fruits are growing fast.

8/29/2007 5:07:10 PM

President - GPC

The KIS folks are great folks and you can call them and ask them all kinds of questions...And they have some with Phd's to reference. The How to make compost tea book to is great reading although sometimes it makes my head hurt.....

8/30/2007 8:54:03 AM

Somers, CT

Pain is good.

8/30/2007 1:52:48 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Hey folks...
I got the Minnow Life Support Agitator Aerator from cabelas, I brew 55 gallons at a time, and I did have my tea tested, the DO (dissolved oxygen) was far more then needed to brew decent tea.
If you dont have a device that can really deliver oxygen to the tea, don't bother brewing, it will be a waste of time.
As far as one cup of molasses per 30 gallons of tea.....that might be a bit light, but if it works for you....
You dont really need anything fancy, my whole setup cost me under 100 dollars.

8/30/2007 6:17:30 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Tom, and all....I brew in smaller quantities...10 gallon bucket...will a 90 gallon aquarium pump provide enough dissolved oxygen??? Peace, Wayne

8/30/2007 6:44:20 PM

President - GPC

There lies the debate Tom and the definition of quality tea, and Im not saying yours is inferior either, in no way. I do think active aerobic compost tea brewing and the methodology is the next great frontier for growing bigger and better. And us growers will be determining what is "best practice" for best results. It would be pretty neat to be counting and typing all the creatures growing....sort of like a MAD Scientist....and their are so many factors to consider it should keep us busy for a while.....

8/31/2007 9:07:44 AM

Somers, CT

I am still taking notes. BTW. I found Superthrive at a garden center for 8.99. I dusted it off and bought it.

8/31/2007 9:57:31 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Wiz,
no mad scientist needed, my plants still look young and shiney, more so everytime I give them tea, once again just like everything else, it's ust a small piece in the big puzzle, there is no magic additive that you can put on your patch and grow monsters.
Rob, do yourself a favor and return the superthrive and concentrate on buildin your soil.
Tom

8/31/2007 11:09:43 AM

President - GPC

How often do they get to drink from the golden brewer?

8/31/2007 11:58:39 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Golden Brewer?....... My input is done...

8/31/2007 12:45:44 PM

southwest MO

lol

8/31/2007 1:08:18 PM

President - GPC

OH Tom meant nothing contrary...How often do your plants reap the rewards of compost tea?

8/31/2007 3:08:30 PM

President - GPC

After re-reading my post I apologize to Tom and those who may of thought my "Golden Brewer" comment was mocking Bohica (Tom), Not so.
Grow'em BIG

Yo

8/31/2007 8:41:52 PM

Princeton, Minnesota

Hey Rob-

You can also find the SuperThrive at walmart. I also found my worm-casting water there.

9/10/2007 4:49:26 PM

President - GPC

What is worm casting water....?lol

9/11/2007 8:21:16 AM

Somers, CT

Thanks! I did find some in a garden center. I have never heard if worm casting water. I was planning on starting a mini worm farm and using the castings for tea. We also fish so there could be other uses as well.

9/11/2007 9:36:26 AM

Minnesota

Find SuperThrive on Ebay,,I did'nt see any difference using Superthrive this year,,,but,,I think it made the rose bush's taller.

9/11/2007 9:53:52 AM

southwest MO

Our wal-mart has small bottles of worm water. I imagine your hand would fall of trying to spray a 500 sq. ft pumpkin plant with it! lol I think its intended more for house plants. From what I could gather looks like diluted castings tea.

9/11/2007 11:39:11 AM

some vermi composters have a drain at the bottom of the "stack" supposidly tha liquid that drains is called "worm tea" ,,,

9/11/2007 11:42:41 AM

Seattle, WA

Worm tea is very different from AACT or actively aerated compost tea.

Be careful making homemade tea, you can actually be brewing pathogens and not even know it. The smell test is the simplest way to determine if your tea is good or not. I actually break out the microscope to make sure the critters are present.

Here's a good starting point for information:
http://www.soilfoodweb.com/03_about_us/approach.html

Tad

1/15/2008 8:18:49 PM