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Author:  beelady [ Sun Jul 11, 2010 12:11 pm ]
Post subject:  compost tea

How long is the compost tea base good for? I made some about a month ago and have not been able to use it all. It smells a little strong but not bad.

Author:  user_48634 [ Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: compost tea

The beneficial microbes in compost tea begin to die off the minute there is no food or oxygen for them. When you turn off the pump, they continue to consume the oxygen in the tea. Once that is gone, or they consume all the food, then they are dying. How long they can last is anyone's guess but all the professional tea folks seem to recommend using it immediately. I know a lady north of Austin who makes 200 gallons per day and uses it all, every day.

Author:  Yeoman [ Fri Sep 17, 2010 7:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: compost tea

I cannot argue for compost tea, which gains much of its value from microorganisms, but I do know that comfrey tea will keep almost forever if frozen in plastic milk bottles. No doubt, its main value is in its high phosphate and nitrogen content not its microorganisms. I suspect that compost or manure tea would lose some of its value after being frozen, although its nitrogen content should not be affected.

BTW: it's very important to label comfrey tea, if you put it in the freezer. My wife once poured a jar of it into a casserole, thinking it was stock. :lol:

Author:  yoshhash [ Sat May 14, 2011 6:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: compost tea

need to revive this conversation. Is it possible to revive the dead microbes if you let the batch go anaerobic?
I don't understand why it is that the timing and freshness is so important- is it because you've boosted the population so high? by this logic, if you know you don't need it right away, is it better to let a bucket of worm tea sit (to keep the population stable) then oxygenate it just before using it?
I should mention that my worm tea comes out already smelling a little bad- maybe because I don't stir/tumble it enough? (I follow all the usual rules, good ratio, no meat/dairy, etc.)

edit-More background info- i have been composting for about 10 years, vermicomposting for about 4, just learning about/trying aerated compost tea now. I'VE JUST REALIZED OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS that i've been doing it wrong all these years- have not been draining well enough, and letting the bottom of my bin get anaerobic.
So back to my original question, my juice is mildly smelly, obviously a little anaerobic. I keep reading that this can be harmful to plants- does this mean it's garbage? Can I mix it in with the good stuff, can I aerate the runoff enough to turn bad into good?

Author:  user_48634 [ Thu Jun 14, 2012 6:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: compost tea

I realize this is an old thread but to answer yoshash's question, it is not possible to make dead species come alive. Once they are gone, then the anaerobic species consume the carcases of the aerobic species.

One huge issue with compost tea is that if your water is above 80 degrees F, you may as well just not make it. The amount of oxygen that will dissolve in water that warm is insignificant even by microbial standards. If you can make the tea indoors in the summer, you should be good to go. 60 degrees F is ideal for making compost tea.

Author:  bobgilbert56 [ Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: compost tea

Not sure where your information comes from but the oxygen level in water at 80F is not much lower than 60F, see below chart showing less than a 20% difference.
Solubility of Oxygen in Fresh Water - Salinity ~ 0
Pressure mm Hg 760
Temperature
oC oF mg/l
0 32 14.6
5 41 12.8
10 50 11.3
15 59 10.1
20 68 9.1
25 77 8.3
30 86 7.6
35 95 7
40 104 6.5
45 113 6
50 122 5.6

Author:  user_48634 [ Thu Jul 12, 2012 9:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: compost tea

And that amount of 8ppm in distilled water at 80 degrees F is insufficient for the 'breeding' of aerobic microbes in tea. Besides starting at a very low amount of dissolved oxygen, as soon as you add impurities to distilled water, the amount of dissolved gas drops lower. Compost and the food used to feed the microbes would all be considered contaminants. That's about all there is to it. When the O2 level becomes insufficient for aerobic microbes, then the anaerobic microbes take over and it is all downhill for the aerobes after that.

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