EWC questions

[vonforne]

lol been there, microbes are hungry for burlap haha.

There was some one at another site that stated the mycorrhizal fungi ate the tarp it was on. LOL

V

 

[grapeman]

wtf is ACT? thank you. I use EWC tea in my hydro but all these abbreviations drive me nuts. ACT = ???

 

[barletta]

AACT = Actively Aerated Compost Tea

 

[beejium]

what about using water from say a fresh water aquarium? i also have well water here so no need for dechlorination. there has to bo goodies too aid in the process right?

 

[vonforne]

what about using water from say a fresh water aquarium? i also have well water here so no need for dechlorination. there has to bo goodies too aid in the process right?

Water from dish tanks is ok but the well water will be even better. From well water you have some degree of micro organisms.

And another to consider is rain water. All my water comes from an under ground storage of rain water.

V

 

[beejium]

Water from dish tanks is ok but the well water will be even better. From well water you have some degree of micro organisms.

And another to consider is rain water. All my water comes from an under ground storage of rain water.

V

my fear with the well water is that the filters may remove most of the beneficial bacteria before it makes it's way to the tap. i think i might start working twords "rain catcher" soon.

 

[jaykush]

if your going to be making compost tea, you dont need to be worried about microbes in the water. i use our well water all the time along with stream and pond water. all work good.

 

[Microbeman]

my fear with the well water is that the filters may remove most of the beneficial bacteria before it makes it's way to the tap. i think i might start working twords "rain catcher" soon.

It would take damn small filters to remove bacteria; <5 microns.

 

[beejium]

so your saying the bacteria is good all the way to the tap? sweet! that will work!
i originally was thinking about the fish tank because it uses beneficial bacteria for most of it's filtering. there is no carbon, just bio filtration and mild mechanical filtration. i actually use the rocks/live plants to aid in the cleanliness of my tanks. i call them fish tanks but really there salamander habitats that get fed strictly worms. now i have 2 uses for the little green box in the basement.
sorry to skew this topic a little and thanks for the time and info.

 

[grapeman]

I have been making my own EWC tea and I see positive results. I have a question. I have read (I think it was microbeman) that a 400 micron mesh is more or less an ideal size mesh sock for the compost material in the tea mix. 400 micro = xxx mesh? In other words, a 400 micron mesh is equal to what size mesh filter? 100 mesh? 200 mesh?

Also, I suppose I am making ACT EWC tea. I obtain fresh EWC from a local earthworm farm, hang 3 or so heaping handfuls in a mesh sock and hang that in a 5 gal bucket with 4.5 gallons of RO water and about 70ml of molasses. I have 4 two foot air diffusers coiled around the bottom of the bucket and I maintain at least .08cfm of air (I think I also got the air ratio from Microbeman). I add other additives to the EWC from time to time. So is this ACT?

 

[CT Guy]

I have been making my own EWC tea and I see positive results. I have a question. I have read (I think it was microbeman) that a 400 micron mesh is more or less an ideal size mesh sock for the compost material in the tea mix. 400 micro = xxx mesh? In other words, a 400 micron mesh is equal to what size mesh filter? 100 mesh? 200 mesh?

Also, I suppose I am making ACT EWC tea. I obtain fresh EWC from a local earthworm farm, hang 3 or so heaping handfuls in a mesh sock and hang that in a 5 gal bucket with 4.5 gallons of RO water and about 70ml of molasses. I have 4 two foot air diffusers coiled around the bottom of the bucket and I maintain at least .08cfm of air (I think I also got the air ratio from Microbeman). I add other additives to the EWC from time to time. So is this ACT?

From what you describe, I'm envisioning your compost just sitting in clumps inside these socks. You need to actively strip the microbes off the soil particulate. That means running a diffuser into the sock itself.

 

[jaykush]

if you have coils at the bottom of the bucket like i am thinking and your pushing enough air just toss everything in the bucket and go for it. forget the sock.

 

[grapeman]

Thanks CT and Jaykush. The amount of air bubbling under the sock has got the sock dancing all around the bucket. But at your suggestion CT, I will tee off one air tube (I have four (4) 2' air diffusers bubbling coiled in the bucket) and coil a 5th diffuser in the sock itself.

I will make my next batch without the sock and compare it to the sock with a 5th air diffuser in the sock itself.

Great thread and ty for the knowledge

 

[CT Guy]

As long as the compost is not settling onto the bottom then you could go with Jay's suggestion and ditch the sock. I'd be inclined to not use it if:

a) you don't need to strain the tea

or

b) you don't know the micron size of your sock, but are confident that you're getting sufficient aeration.

 

[Microbeman]

http://www.fluideng.com/FE/meshmicron.html
400 microns = 40 mesh.

 

[arne564]

stupid question