From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Danville, CA (petman2@yahoo.com)

I have been reading about this and it seems you have to keep an eye on it, make sure the temps are right, etc. Is there some way I can just have this going in the backyard? My temps are 90+ in the days and 70s at night. Seems like a great thing to do but a hassle. Need big bubbles not small and need to use with a sprayer not inline due to clogging, etc. I know there are premade kits and yes, I am devoted so I would like to do it and it seems like I only need to do it a few times during the season so maybe... Just really wondered if it is difficult or not. Only 4 plants so maybe not as problematic. Reading and reading and with Tad entering I am reading again so I thought I would ask. Some things sound hard but aren't .....

1/17/2008 1:09:15 PM

Seattle, WA

Petman,

Well made compost tea is not hard provided you have all the proper equipmend and a reasonable level of knowledge on the subject. For many people, it'sm more a question of what their budget is and how scientific they wish to be in the process. Since I work for a company that sells brewers, we have to do a lot of testing on both our brewer and our composts to make sure they are consistenly high in beneficial microbes. I check the composts and teas on a regular basis and do other experiments to determine ways to improve the tea. That's the one extreme though. Some others will just throw some compost in a bucket with an aerator and let it go and then see what kind of results they get on their plants. I'm guessing you'll fall somewhere in between. Let me know what you're interested in doing, whether it's designing a brewer or researching a brewer maker.

Making the tea itself really isn't so hard and the benefit well outweighs the time in my opinion. Good luck!

1/17/2008 4:52:55 PM

Georgia

Tad they sell affordable Compost Tea Units at Gardens Alive.Com if you get a chance go to that site and tell me what you think of the set-up. Pros and cons..thanks whenever ya get a chance.

1/17/2008 4:56:55 PM

Seattle, WA

I know about the Garden's Alive brewer.

Pros: Cheap and they have it all setup for you.

Cons: Haven't seen any biological tests to support what they're doing. I bet you could make the same setup yourself for much cheaper.

If you decide to buy a brewer, the company you buy from should be able to provide you with tests that show that their brewer and their recipes can consistently make tea that has all the beneficial organisms within or above range. Otherwise, you might as well build your own. My company has spent 10s of thousands of dollars on testing. That's the majority of the cost assoc. with the brewer. We also have a $4000 microscope that I get to play around with.

I think that should be a bare minimum in a company selling compost tea brewers. Otherwise how do they know what to recommend in terms of brewing cycles, temps., elevation, etc....?

~Tad

PS: If anyone out there is using a Garden's Alive brewer or has seen data on their product I'd love it if they posted something.

PPS: I'm not criticizing their brewer or saying it doesn't work, just that I personally haven't seen any data supporting it.

1/17/2008 5:44:55 PM

maine USA

What difference does the size of the bubbles make???

1/17/2008 7:14:09 PM

East Lyme CT.

In 06 I had disease problems in my patch, so I started researching compost tea and one of the companys I found was KIS (simplici-tea) I talked to Thad and Leon and they sold me on their product because they could show me Lab results of their process and the compost, micro-food and other ingrediants that went into their tea. Their brewer was simple to operate and fit into my pumpkin budget. This program took all of my guess work out of making good quality tea. I think one of the key things of making tea is having a proven process of making good quality tea being clean compost , good microbe food and proper agiation for areobic tea.

In 07 I weighed 2 official 1000lbers and 2 DMGs over a 1000, not bad for a diseased 500lber best in 06. Granted ,the weather in 07 was much better than 06 and I still saw some disease problems in 07 but I had a problem plant in 07 produce a beautiful 1013. I have not tried the soil soup product and I can not argue with the success of my RI. buddies but don't be intimadated with making tea what ever system you choose to use and I do suggest you choose a proven system.John B. Williams john_b_williams@sbcglobal.net

1/17/2008 7:47:05 PM

East Lyme CT.

Sorry Tad I didn't mean to misspell your name.

1/17/2008 8:03:48 PM

Seattle, WA

Kathy,

Bubble size is important because it determines how well the oxygen will be able to dissolve into the water, thereby determining how much O2 is available to the microbes. Too large and it will just bubble to the surface with very little diffusion, too small and the micro-sized bubbles will damage the fungi in your tea.

~Tad

1/17/2008 8:46:04 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Though I've never used or tested Tad's brewer, I can vouch for the integrity by association. I have clients who use the machine & other associates who follow his work.

Larger bubbles are most desirable when brewing aerobic teas.

1/18/2008 12:39:24 AM

Georgia

Thanks Tad appreciate it

1/18/2008 10:12:04 AM

President - GPC

Check this site out...... great customer service, information, products, that they have provided for me, and a tested unit. Check em out....

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

Wiz

1/18/2008 6:50:43 PM

Seattle, WA

Just so everyone knows, I work for Keep It Simple Compost Tea Brewers. I've seen links to our products on here and have talked with some of the people in this forum in the past about compost tea.

I joined this group with the intention of sharing accurate information on compost tea based on my experiences and also what I've learned through extensively researching the subject.

I know that some people on here have been very happy with the results they're getting, and I attribute that beneficial microbes, not necessarily just out products. You can see success with a homemade brewer too.

Here's the difference in my opinion:
Going with a commercial brewer and recipe:
Pros: Lab Tested so you know it will work. We've spent 10s of thousands of dollars testing our design and recipe through Soil Food Web. In addition, I look at our teas and composts under a microscope to ensure consistency in our product. This is the single largest cost that goes into our product, so if a manufacturer can't provide this I wouldn't buy their brewer. I can also tell you were are not the only ones who believe in testing their brewer and can show you results. It does pay to shop around. The three questions I would ask when buying a brewer would be:
1. Can I see some replicated lab results?
2. How easy is it to use?
3. How easy is it to clean?


Cons: More expensive. That's the biggest con right there. I guess another con is that you're reliant on the manufacture for additional kits unless you want to experiment on your own with a brewer that has shown to produce good numbers with the proper inputs.

So there you go...I'm happy to give any help I can though in regards to making your own brewer or what recipes to recommend. I'm just glad to see that more and more people are turning to organics and compost tea as a viable alternative to chemicals.

1/18/2008 9:11:27 PM

maine USA

thanks Tad

1/19/2008 11:22:31 AM