Pasteurize Manure before Making Tea? - Page 4

Cole_Robbie · October 14, 2015

The tea that I made from the steamed material and no molasses doesn't smell that great. I'm going to toss it.

The tea that was just two socks of material thrown into a bucket of fish tank water with a spoon of molasses now looks like honey lager beer. It has a smell that could be an air freshener scent. I'd call it "hay loft." I don't get a huge amount of foam, so I don't know that it is that great on a bacterial level, but I have a suspicion it is rich in humic acid. It may also have beneficial fungi.

The only way I have gotten a lot of foam in my tea is to add Jobe's Compost Starter to it, which is mostly a mix of organic fertilizers. It only takes a tablespoon or two in a 5-gal bucket, or else you make stuff that burns your plants, and it stinks too much early in the brew.

The stuff I made last fall about this time was also good. It seemed better than doing it in the winter. I may take a few buckets of material inside soon and use that in January when I begin starting seeds.

Zenbaas · October 15, 2015

So how much molasses for a 6 gallon container..? One table spoon..? Also should two aquarium pumps be enough for the aeration?

Cole_Robbie · October 15, 2015

About a tablespoon for a 5-gallon bucket. One dual-output air pump will work. Two might be better, but not required.

Gerardo · October 15, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenbaas

So how much molasses for a 6 gallon container..? One table spoon..? Also should two aquarium pumps be enough for the aeration?

The logical gardener (#36 above has link) recommends 0.5 to 0.75 % for molasses, so for your 6 gallon container, roughly 22,700 mL, by his reqs you add over 100 mL, so that's over 6 tbsp. At most I do 2-3 tbsp per 7 gallon brew, otherwise they don't go through it in the 36 hours and the molasses smell is still somewhat strong at the end. But by the same token, I've been using some products that contain molasses and kelp and once they're diluted and ready for use, they smell about the same as the strong-molasses tea. So I guess what I'm saying is extra molasses doesn't seem to hurt the plants or the brew.

My little dual outlet pump does 128 GPH and it diffuses plenty of oxygen. I use a medium air stone on each tube. I've placed both airstones in one bucket (no difference) and an airstone each for two buckets and it brews just fine.

Just remember in the case of compost/worm teas, less is more.

A sprinkle of alfalfa meal and peat moss (for extra variety of critters) rounds things out nicely.

Zenbaas · October 15, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

About a tablespoon for a 5-gallon bucket. One dual-output air pump will work. Two might be better, but not required.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gerardo

The logical gardener (#36 above has link) recommends 0.5 to 0.75 % for molasses, so for your 6 gallon container, roughly 22,700 mL, by his reqs you add over 100 mL, so that's over 6 tbsp. At most I do 2-3 tbsp per 7 gallon brew, otherwise they don't go through it in the 36 hours and the molasses smell is still somewhat strong at the end. But by the same token, I've been using some products that contain molasses and kelp and once they're diluted and ready for use, they smell about the same as the strong-molasses tea. So I guess what I'm saying is extra molasses doesn't seem to hurt the plants or the brew.

My little dual outlet pump does 128 GPH and it diffuses plenty of oxygen. I use a medium air stone on each tube. I've placed both airstones in one bucket (no difference) and an airstone each for two buckets and it brews just fine.

Just remember in the case of compost/worm teas, less is more.

A sprinkle of alfalfa meal and peat moss (for extra variety of critters) rounds things out nicely.

Thanks...! I have some sphagnum peat moss that I've had for about 2 years so I'm not so sure if that will still have any life left in it. I only have single outlet pumps so I'll just connect two up at once. Looking forward to trying this out.

Gerardo · October 15, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenbaas

I have some sphagnum peat moss that I've had for about 2 years so I'm not so sure if that will still have any life left in it..

The little guys are real hardy.

Zenbaas · October 15, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gerardo

The little guys are real hardy.

Excellent. Think I'll "brew" for the 36 hours. Water is busy running with the air pump in the bucket to dechlorinate the water a bit first. Lastly, how long after you stop using the air pump is the brew still viable?

I want to take some of the compost tea to my folks when I drop off my little one in the morning before work so I can get some of the goodies to my tomato plants I've planted there.....

Gerardo · October 15, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zenbaas

Excellent. Think I'll "brew" for the 36 hours. Water is busy running with the air pump in the bucket to dechlorinate the water a bit first. Lastly, how long after you stop using the air pump is the brew still viable?

I want to take some of the compost tea to my folks when I drop off my little one in the morning before work so I can get some of the goodies to my tomato plants I've planted there.....

It's good for a couple of hours, about 4-6. Juice the plants in the AM and by the afternoon they'll perk up.

Zenbaas · October 16, 2015

Only need about an hour so that will be perfect.

clkeiper · June 30, 2016

Cole, are you running any compost tea through your injector? or are hand watering all of your plants with the tea if you are still using it?. thanks. I was thinking I would toss a shovel of chicken manure in a bucket of water inside of a mesh bag and run it through the injector for my hose watering... and maybe try it with a really fine filter for the drip system ... maybe. I don't want to plug my emitters,( not that I would confess that to Kevin if it happened. I would just know better than to do it next year..)

Cole_Robbie · June 30, 2016

No, I haven't been. The material I would make tea out of is the same material that I have used for my soil, so I'm not sure it would help. I am about to plant a melon patch in some ground that is much less improved. I was thinking about trying it then.

You would need a really fine filter, I'm guessing.

clkeiper · June 30, 2016

Okay. I shoveled a bladeful of composted chicken manure into a mesh bag (not fine enough) and am running it through the injector and watering hose for the potted plants in the greenhouse. I'll try a better bag though for the next bucket.

Tracydr · June 30, 2016

Tak two fast growing seedlings,maybe beans or squash. Do one with pasturized tea,one with raw tea. My bet is the raw one will do better.
I have doing aerated worm tea for my citrus trees and it has really made a difference.

redisgood · July 1, 2016

Cole, You wouldn't like my pickles. I make fermented pickles. It's a process that uses naturally occurring bacteria that is in the air all around us. They look foamy and cloudy and my nephew said "there is something wrong with those pickles". They taste SOOOO GOOD! and good for you! Pickles were made this way since ancient times.
I guess what I'm trying to say is let nature take care of itself. The tomato plant will take what it needs and you eat the tomato, not the manure. I made a chicken manure tea some years back. No pasturizing or microwaving, just straight manure and water. I used the stinky mess for my tomatoes and guess what? Tomatoes did fabulous and the tomatoes were GOOD! Stop worrying.

clkeiper · July 1, 2016

Well, I am running the "tea" through the hose from the injector and there doesn't seem to be a problem with it. I just am tired of paying for fertilizer and want to see better disease control, soooooo, we will see what this does.

June 30, 2016	#55
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	Cole, are you running any compost tea through your injector? or are hand watering all of your plants with the tea if you are still using it?. thanks. I was thinking I would toss a shovel of chicken manure in a bucket of water inside of a mesh bag and run it through the injector for my hose watering... and maybe try it with a really fine filter for the drip system ... maybe. I don't want to plug my emitters,( not that I would confess that to Kevin if it happened. I would just know better than to do it next year..) __________________ carolyn k

June 30, 2016	#57
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	Okay. I shoveled a bladeful of composted chicken manure into a mesh bag (not fine enough) and am running it through the injector and watering hose for the potted plants in the greenhouse. I'll try a better bag though for the next bucket. __________________ carolyn k

July 1, 2016	#60
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	Well, I am running the "tea" through the hose from the injector and there doesn't seem to be a problem with it. I just am tired of paying for fertilizer and want to see better disease control, soooooo, we will see what this does. __________________ carolyn k

October 14, 2015	#46
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	The tea that I made from the steamed material and no molasses doesn't smell that great. I'm going to toss it. The tea that was just two socks of material thrown into a bucket of fish tank water with a spoon of molasses now looks like honey lager beer. It has a smell that could be an air freshener scent. I'd call it "hay loft." I don't get a huge amount of foam, so I don't know that it is that great on a bacterial level, but I have a suspicion it is rich in humic acid. It may also have beneficial fungi. The only way I have gotten a lot of foam in my tea is to add Jobe's Compost Starter to it, which is mostly a mix of organic fertilizers. It only takes a tablespoon or two in a 5-gal bucket, or else you make stuff that burns your plants, and it stinks too much early in the brew. The stuff I made last fall about this time was also good. It seemed better than doing it in the winter. I may take a few buckets of material inside soon and use that in January when I begin starting seeds.

October 15, 2015	#47
Zenbaas Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: South Africa Posts: 340	So how much molasses for a 6 gallon container..? One table spoon..? Also should two aquarium pumps be enough for the aeration?

October 16, 2015	#54
Zenbaas Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: South Africa Posts: 340	Only need about an hour so that will be perfect.

June 30, 2016	#58
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	Tak two fast growing seedlings,maybe beans or squash. Do one with pasturized tea,one with raw tea. My bet is the raw one will do better. I have doing aerated worm tea for my citrus trees and it has really made a difference.

July 1, 2016	#59
redisgood Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Ky Posts: 17	Cole, You wouldn't like my pickles. I make fermented pickles. It's a process that uses naturally occurring bacteria that is in the air all around us. They look foamy and cloudy and my nephew said "there is something wrong with those pickles". They taste SOOOO GOOD! and good for you! Pickles were made this way since ancient times. I guess what I'm trying to say is let nature take care of itself. The tomato plant will take what it needs and you eat the tomato, not the manure. I made a chicken manure tea some years back. No pasturizing or microwaving, just straight manure and water. I used the stinky mess for my tomatoes and guess what? Tomatoes did fabulous and the tomatoes were GOOD! Stop worrying.