For those with experience with fish emulsion and tea's..

[Neo 420]

I have been making tea's for a while now and I always get that "earthy" smell when complete. I decided to use fish emulsion on this run. Its still brewing as I type but the earthy smell is not there. It does not smell rank. How does your tea with fish emulsion smell like when complete?

Ingredients

Bat guano
fish emulsion
molasses
ewc

 

[silver hawaiian]

Lots of fish emulsion products (Maxi Crop Liquid Fish, for one) is treated so it's not all stanky. My Liquid Fish almost smells like candy -- DEFINITELY isn't earthy. Which product are you using?

 

[Neo 420]

I use the Alaska brand....Really thick and it stinks something awful out the bottle!!!

 

[silver hawaiian]

I just picked up some Neptune's Harvest hydrolyzed fish.. It doesn't STINK, but it's definitely missing that "why do I want to eat this?" smell.

FWIW, I wasn't totally impressed with the MaxiCrop Liquid Fish - always seemed to be a little too hot for me, even at half strength..

I did notice yesterday that my tomatoes are looking like they need some N. They got a drink this afternoon - let's see how they react..

 

[Neo 420]

Just did some research. The hydrolyzed fish material seems to be better. Its all in the process. Heat vs cold. Emulsion uses a heat process that depletes some of the amino acids, bacteria and enzymes. Hydrolyzed using a cold process that keeps those valuable resources. I'm wondering if I should dump this mix and go get some Neptunes for a new batch. I was really counting on using this tea tonight. (All the stores are closed.) I checked my brew and it has a stink to it.......

 

[trichrider]

hmnnnn...mine smells of effluent, and has chunks. i have to strain it to mist with.

this don't seem like microherd munchies, more like warring factions.

 

[OrganicOzarks]

I use Nitron's Sea Grow plus, and it smells like dead fish that has been left out in the sun to rot. I use to not use it in my tea's, but now I do. I have noticed a difference in my plants. It does stink to high hell though.

 

[schwagg]

i usually use a capfull of fish hydro in my AACT. by the time the tea is ready, no more fish smell. i figure the beasties ate it all up.

 

[Neo 420]

this don't seem like microherd munchies, more like warring factions.

WORD!!





So Trichrider and OrganicOzarks...... I am assuming this tea is good enough to use tonight? (It has been brewing for 24 hours with a heat wrap) It started to froth up already.) Also, according to my research, Alaska fish emulsion has heavy metals. Any one with info on that?

 

[walt cunningham]

alaska is very stinky. i love the stuff, but it was just too stinky to use indoors. i wouldnt call it an earthy smell at all though. also, whenever i used it outdoors, my dog will eat the soil where i watered. i was talking to my father yesterday about that, and his dogs do the same thing.
i started buying the maxicrop liquid fish instead, not nearly as stinky

 

[Neo 420]

My carbon scrubber is way oversized. Smelliness will not be an issue. You can only smell it when you put your nose near the brewer. I'm going to top feed the brew to the ladies and note the results.

 

[silver hawaiian]

Just did some research. The hydrolyzed fish material seems to be better. Its all in the process. Heat vs cold. Emulsion uses a heat process that depletes some of the amino acids, bacteria and enzymes. Hydrolyzed using a cold process that keeps those valuable resources. I'm wondering if I should dump this mix and go get some Neptunes for a new batch. I was really counting on using this tea tonight. (All the stores are closed.) I checked my brew and it has a stink to it.......

Bingo! That's exactly (almost verbatim) what the guy at the store told me. I understood enough of it at the time to realize that Neptune's was probably the superior product, .. Though I didn't exactly retain the science behind it.

Let us know if you decide to pick up the Neptune's! I just fed my flowering gals with it yesterday, and this morning, they appear to me markedly better looking.

(I also like it for flower power because it's got some Nitrogen, but more importantly, high Phosphorus, .. Not as much as an Indonesian guano, but between top dressing with the guano and feeding with Neptune's, I feel like I'll be covered in that respect.. Add some MaxiCrop kelp for some K, DONE.)

 

[heady blunts]

hydrolyzed fish is the better product. i use down to earth hydrolysate, and like hawaiian just said, it's got a nice dose of phosphoric acid in it to preserve the fish goop (aka "p")

to answer the OP- if it smells bad, better to throw it out and start over. i've made earthy-mushroomy smelling brews with emulsion before, but i eventually switched to the hydrolysate for the enzymes, and because i don't have a microscope to ensure i'm getting good brews ( so I stick with good ingredients)

 

[Microbeman]

As others have mentioned it is important to make the distinction between emulsion and hydrolysate.

http://www.microbeorganics.com/#Resources__Links

 

[Neo 420]

Let us know if you decide to pick up the Neptune's!

Called several stores and all they had was emulsion but I found 1 store that has GH BioMarine cold processed fish. I'm going to pick it here in the next hour or so.

to answer the OP- if it smells bad, better to throw it out and start over. i've made earthy-mushroomy smelling brews with emulsion before, but i eventually switched to the hydrolysate for the enzymes, and because i don't have a microscope to ensure i'm getting good brews ( so I stick with good ingredients)

Already used it. It did have a stink to it but it was "fishy" stinky. Hopefully I didn't brew any bad guys....

As others have mentioned it is important to make the distinction between emulsion and hydrolysate.

Noted.
Just one of the many lessons learned on the road to good growing....