Dear Dr. Elain Ingham, As you know the last few years have witnessed improvements in compost tea brewer technology at warp speed, yet minimum knowledge has been transferred to the end users.
The Compost Tea Brewing Manual is meant to get that knowledge out. Plus the E-zine I do each month, where I answer questions about soil, compost, compost tea. But, you are right, we need more education happening. The issues that I am raising are for >those of us that 1) do not have the extra financial resources to >experiment with what commercial compost tea brewers are offering in the >marketplace and 2) are typical farmer personalities that prefer to make >their own at volkswagon prices. > There is a new machine coming out, less than $100, 5 gallons, uses about a half pound of compost per batch, easy to clean, cool little machine. Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ask for Leon Hussy! What I would like to know more about and create more awareness about >is related to tea brewer operations and designs, for example: >- What is the appropriate basket screen sizing and what are good sources >of this material? > The thing to think about here is that the largest critter you want extracted from the compost is about 150 micrometers wide, 1 mm long. The opening sizes must be big enough to let them through. So, a material with openings between 250 micrometers and 500 micrometers. Spray nozzles also factor in here too. Drip tape has small opening -- about 25 micrometers, so when you use drip tape, you will not get the bigger critters through. >- Regarding vortex nozzles, which is correct, placing the vortex >nozzle in the compost basket or in the leachate? > If you are using a vortex nozzle, you aren't doing a leachate. This is a tea. You can put a nozzle to spray into the compost, which helps with extraction, but you need other nozzles to spray so a vortex is produced. The Microbrewer is the only machine that sets up a real vortex. All of the machines get a mixing movement of some kind, but not a true vortex, even if they claim to be doing that. What are good sources >of vortex nozzles and what material should they be made of? > You need to speak to Karl Rubenberger, ARDEO Inc, and the web site is ARDEO.com Alternatively, try the Microb-brewer web site, but even I don't have much luck getting a response from that site. The Soil Soup people claim to set up a vortex in their larger machines, but they have never tested their larger machines that I am aware. At least, I have never seen any data from them on this. We have had people send in samples and SFI has done their teas. I have never seen a tea with organism numbers that I would be happy with from a Soil Soup machine. THE EPM machines use a nozzle too, and set up a vortex of sorts. Nothing like the Microb-Brewer vortex though. And none of the machines do the chaos thing. I think the Microb-Brewer folks are working on this, however. So stay tuned to new developments! What is >the function of the vortex nozzle, to separate the microbes from the >compost material or to aerate the tea? > BOTH. The movement of the water through the compost pulls the organisms from the surfaces of the organic matter into the tea, AND aerates. Two jobs for the price of one! In the other machines that use air pumps to extract, the "vortex" is just produced by air bubbles churning the water. Not real vortex action. Just churning actions. >- Is true that petroleum based plastic is better than stainless >steel for the conical containers? > They are about the same. Price is the factor -- the plastic is less expensive. >- What is the best type of motor, pump or diaphragm? > Doesn't make a lot of difference from the critter's point of view. Smashing into 90 degree corners, now that's a problem from a tea organism point of view. Roters, now those crush organisms. So diaphragm is probably better, except than the energy field set up is going to fry some bacteria. So, six of one, half dozen another. We need to get down to the species selected by different pumps, and right now we don't have a good way to do that! >- How full should the container tank be to achieve the vortex made by >the conical shape of the tank and the recircling leachate? > Full enough that the water being sprayed back into the tank sets up the vortex. Half full or more should work. But again, only the Microb-Brewer. That's the only one that would do this. >If commercial and homemade compost tea brewers can live up to their >expectations to produce high populations of beneficial microorganisms >that colonize plant leaf surfaces, then the information flow between the >farmers/gardeners experimenting with compost tea brewers and the >agricultural researchers should be continuous and updated. I assume >that this is a goal of yours. > That's what the e-zine is for. Please go to my website and sign up if you want the monthly updates of what is going on at SFI. I'm always amazed that I have something to write about every month, but it's not a problem, not yet..... Hope this helps! Elaine
