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Lakewood, CO

Something I've been very curious about for awhile and maybe somebody can give me an answer to this. After making compost tea I occasionally end out with a somewhat slimy residue left on the air stone and at the bottom of the barrel that I use to make the tea. What is this slimy stuff and what if anything does it indicate? Also, I sometimes end out with slimy stuff and a very fine gritty material, similar to a fine sand - what's that all about? The other day I was curious and mixed up a batch of tea using clean water and Liquid Blue Azos, and a shot of molasses - with the intent to grow some Azos...curiosity you know. Without a microscope I can't really say whether I was successful or not, but does this residue suggest that something is going on? I appreciate help.
Betsy

7/24/2013 5:31:14 PM

Central NY

What were the ingredients to the tea?

7/24/2013 5:36:19 PM

Lakewood, CO

The Azos tea was clean water (straight from Clear Creek, but down stream from Coors brewing) a shot of molasses and Azos - nothing more. The other tea was 1 c. molasses, 4 c. alfalfa meal, 4 c. worm castings, 1 c. humus, 1 c. soluable kelp, an 1 c. humic acid in a 35 gallon drum, brewed for 24 hours. I have kids, so...sometimes that brewing turns into 36 hours brew time. What's your thinking?

7/24/2013 6:45:05 PM

Lakewood, CO

The Azos tea was made using Clear Creek water, which is water used coming from straight out of the mountains. The regular tea was using city water which uses chloramine.

7/24/2013 6:53:01 PM

Central NY

I notice that with my teas that I add humid acid , my stone will get slimy too..have no idea why, just curious what kind of tea people use...36 hour brew is fine so long as it still smells sweet...I just clean my stone w the hose afterwords....hope that helps

7/24/2013 7:07:17 PM

Seattle, WA

buster,

It sounds like biofilm buildup on your air stones, which is essentially the bacteria producing glues that allow it to stick to the air stone or inside of your bucket.
Think of how you have to scrub plaque off of your teeth in the morning). Similar concept.

The sand is probably just small partiulate from the worm castings. But I'm just guessing on all this without seeing it.

Be sure to clean your air stones thoroughly because the biofilm will lower the quality of successive brews as anaerobic bacterial biomass is able to form and survive for long periods in between brews.

Chloramine should be removed prior to adding the worm castings and brewing.

I would recommend using the humic acid as a separate application and not part of your tea recipe. I've found (along with Tim Wilson of Microbe Organics) that it can actually suppress microbial growth in greater concentrations. Just the molasses is enough of a food source, though I use some organic alfalfa meal as well.

Tim Wilson of Microbe Organics (www.microbeorganics.com) recommends these ratios based on his testing:

2.38% by volume compost or vermicompost (EWC) per gallon = .38 cups or around half a cup max or about 2 cups in 5 gallons max.

0.5 to 0.75% molasses by volume per gallon = 1.28 to 1.92 tablespoons per gallon. 0.75% is the maximum I use. It is a good bacterial and fungal food.

0.063% fish hydrolysate by volume per gallon = 0.16 tablespoon = 0.479 teaspoons or half a teaspoon

0.25% (max) kelpmeal by volume per gallon = 0.64 tablespoon or half a tablespoon

7/24/2013 9:02:06 PM