How to preserve \ concentrate AACT?

[fonzee]

Ok, I got my brewer up and running.
It works pretty nifty.

Problem is - I have to use it indoor. It doesn't give off foul smells or anything but it does create an annoying peng-shuei noise for a day and a half.

Is there any way to get the tea to last longer and still stay as effective? (or close to)

I've seen compost tea concentrate - how can I make that? What is it really?

 

[pseudopod]

By definition AACT is aerobic, so you wouldn't be able to store it long term. The liquid ferts you have seen are anaerobic, most likely FPEs or other extraction cocktails in a slurry of EWC or compost. They're easy to make, but they're a much different animal. Check out this link for a good discussion on FPEs.

 

[jaykush]

you just don't store act, if you did store it in a sealed bottle, you'll end up with an ACT bomb. not fun....trust me.

 

[fonzee]

By definition AACT is aerobic, so you wouldn't be able to store it long term. The liquid ferts you have seen are anaerobic, most likely FPEs or other extraction cocktails in a slurry of EWC or compost. They're easy to make, but they're a much different animal. Check out this link for a good discussion on FPEs.

I see.
I got a garlic FPE and going to make a chili FPE for insect repelling but this things reeks...
I'll look into it deeper but it seems way less user-friendly than AACT.

you just don't store act, if you did store it in a sealed bottle, you'll end up with an ACT bomb. not fun....trust me.

I trust you

 

[pseudopod]

It all depends on what your base vegetation is. I have a basil, alfalfa and kelp FPE just about finished brewing that smells fantastic!

 

[fonzee]

I need to learn more about the subject, no doubt about it.
I just try to dial in my AACT before going further.

 

[fonzee]

Dug up a bit of FPEs.
I don't know if I can even get EM-1.
I don't want to ferment milk in my house. The girls would crucify me. So Lactobaci-something is out of the equation.

However the watermelon \ water spinach \ cucumber \ squash FPE that should enhance growth seems like my kind of project

So I just need to get cucumber \ watermelon (thats what in the supermarket lately), wash it very well to remove pesticides, chop it up finely and put it in a 0.5 plastic bottle filling 1\4 the bottle.
Then I should add around 2 tablespoons of raw sugar that still contains the molasses and let it sit for a week without a lid somewhere shaded.
Then I should strain out the solids and dilute the liquid with 20 parts water to make the concentrate.
To use it I should put 2 tablespoons per gallon.
Should be used for the vegetative and pre-flowering period.

Did I get it correctly?

 

[pseudopod]

Don't forget the water. I like to keep mine loosely capped to keep the critters out, too.

Lactobaccilli culturing is more akin to making cheese or yogurt than spoiled milk.. I wouldn't dismiss it immediately, but I understand the concern.

 

[jaykush]

the lacto B culture smells FAR less than FPE's, FAR less. it actually makes the FPE's smell less too. imo if your making FPE you need lacto b culture.

pseudopod they smell good now, give em a few more days lol. specially the alfalfa.

 

[pseudopod]

Hah. Thanks for the alfalfa warning, I just added a little to the basil flower FPE with a little kelp to round it out, but I plan on making a good sized batch of alfalfa soon.

 

[fonzee]

How much of that lactobaccilli I actually need for an FPE in a 0.5L bottle?
Milk prices aren't cheap and it seems to need quite a bit.

Don't forget the water. I like to keep mine loosely capped to keep the critters out, too.

Lactobaccilli is more akin to making cheese or yogurt than spoiled milk.. I wouldn't dismiss it immediately, but I understand the concern.

I'll just place a mosquito net with a rubberband on the top.

the lacto B culture smells FAR less than FPE's, FAR less. it actually makes the FPE's smell less too. imo if your making FPE you need lacto b culture.

pseudopod they smell good now, give em a few more days lol. specially the alfalfa.

I'll take that into consideration, thanks a lot for your input

 

[jaykush]

How much of that lactobaccilli I actually need for an FPE in a 0.5L bottle?
Milk prices aren't cheap and it seems to need quite a bit.

no way it takes a lot of milk, you can easily make more than a few gallons of the final lacto b culture with a 1/4 cup at most of milk. its by far one of the cheapest things you can make for your garden.

 

[fonzee]

From what I recall to make that lactobaccili you need to put the fermented rice wash 1 part into 10 parts milk.
ain't it so?

 

[jaykush]

yes but 1 part could be 1 teaspoon or 50 gallons. its up to you and how much final culture you need. keep in mind your going to take that 1:10 dilution and dilute that 1:20 and then use only a few tablespoons of that per gallon of water for your final liquid. so a little goes a LONG way.

 

[fonzee]

Oh, I see.
So I'll go with teaspoons as my measures.
I'll mix one tsp rice wash to 10 teaspoons milk and diluted that 20fold.
Should be enough for a 0.5L FPE, right?

 

[jaykush]

yea thats fine, and just to let you know. you dont NEED lacto b for plant extracts. it just helps with smell some.

 

[fonzee]

I'll make it then.

Thanks a lot for your help

 

[fonzee]

Got a question.
I dilute the rice wash with 10 parts milk. Then I dilute the milk goo with 20 parts water. Then I use a few tablespoons to a gallon of water.

How much of that should I use in my FPE?
Could I simply add a few drops before the final diluting part? If so, how many drops?


I'm off to wash some rice

 

[jaykush]

you dont use the milk goo, you use the yellow serum thats left. say your making a gallon of plant extract. add a few teaspoons of lacto b serum( really theres no set rules on how much). for more of an effect mix the serum with molasses, let sit for 24 hours for the bacteria to multiply like crazy and use that.

but like i said, you dont NEED to use the lacto b with plant extracts. it just helps. the lacto b can be used as a soil drench, as a foliar spray, in composting, and more.

 

[fonzee]

I rather do the long way once than the short way twice.

I'll make about a 1/4 cup of serum, use 1 teaspoon of the milk that went yellow (without the cheese) in my 0.5 bottle of FPE and dump the rest into my compost piles.
Something like that.


Thanks for your help