my tea stinks! - Organic Hydro - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums

river rat01 · 10-01-2009, 12:34 AM

for the first 24-30 hours it smells sweet.
but after that, it starts going rank. its in a 5 gal bucket and aerated with a large air pump. i adjust ph to 6.5 - 7.
whats the deal?

BillFarthing · 10-01-2009, 03:23 AM

Are you adding anything like Subculture B or M? Is it homemade compost that could have gone anaerobic before it was fermented?

Granted, I have had some tea turn funky. I kept bubbling it until it wasn't "hot" anymore and it was suitable to use regardless of smell.

jwm · 10-01-2009, 04:14 AM

I'm going to start using guanos exclusively next season but will apply directly to the soil. Done my research, asked the peps that know and have had much success...No messing w/ the tea thing...sounds like work?

river rat01 · 10-01-2009, 02:16 PM

i add several different kinds of bagged compost, cow manure, biozome,EWC, bat guano.
what am i doing wrong?

OrganicMeds · 10-01-2009, 02:40 PM

I've kept a tea bubbling for over 8 months now & it's still sweet smelling, I just keep adding to it when it get's low. I use a 30lt bucket and when it get's down to about 10lts I just add more castings & molasses. Never had a problem...........yet

I do have 2 x 30cm bubble wands in the bucket though going through a pretty big air pump, sometimes I have bubbles a meter over the bucket!

I got the idea from reading about 500+ year old Chinese master stocks

"In theory a given master stock could be sustained indefinitely if due care is taken to ensure it does not spoil (See Master stocks and food safety). Legend claims there are master stocks in China that are hundreds of years old, passed down through generations of cooks in this way."

LadyLargely · 10-01-2009, 03:24 PM

Sounds like some anaerobic activity to me!!

You rattle off a pretty good list of additives. But this is organics, and a lot of that stuff contains much water insoluable material. If that shit piles up at the bottom of your bucket then anaerobic nastiest can move in and crash the party.

I mean, EWC, compost, cow manuer and bat guano? Thats a lot of sediment. Are you bubbling it in a proper mesh sock? Even still, you might wanna consider hot extraction or something to cut down on the quantity of grit in your tea. Any trapped water in a tea container is bad.

river rat01 · 10-01-2009, 09:34 PM

what is hot extraction?

LadyLargely · 10-02-2009, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by river rat01

what is hot extraction?

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyLargely

So if thats the case you are limited to teas. And the problem with aerated teas is that its hard to extract low-potency water-insoluble powders like blood meal or alfalfa meal. There are two ways to help this:

1: Hot Extraction.

Boil a couple quarts of water. Add enough powdered organics in the desired ratio to work with 4-5 gallons of water. Immediately reduce heat and let stew in the 160 F+ water for a quarter hour. If you want to be really thorough pour this slurry into a mason jar or something sealable that will withstand some heat and shake the shit out of it for a while.

Strain off the now relatively useless solid and add the hopefully very murky liquid to a large bucket. Fill it up with cool de-chlorinated tap water, add a couple tablespoons of molasses and dope with any dormant beneficial microbes you may have. Toss in a working air stone and wait a couple days. Scrape off any foam that forms as usual.

2: Sock Method

Pinch a knackered pair of your lady's panty hose. Cut off the bottom foot of one leg, give yourself 12 inches or so of it. Fill the end of the sock with your organic powders. Cram your air-stone in the middle of it. Cinch up the sock around the air-line and tie it off really tight. Turn on the air pump and flop the sucker in. Add molasses and bennies. Remove foam as usual.

Both methods have their merits. Sock method takes a lot longer but is a bit more thorough. Hot extraction is very quick and effective, but it can be a hot smelly mess.

Citizen024 · 10-02-2009, 04:01 AM

One more:

Use a coffer percolator to cook the shit out of your nutrients (guano, etc) till it becomes a nice dark liquid. Add this to your tea per the hot extraction method from that point on.

I have actually seen 1000ppm liquid come out of percolator (but I didn't make it myself) from a tea a friend made this way. He used it in small amounts since it was so concentrated.

10-02-2009, 05:05 AM

I feel like there's some misconceptions in this thread. Can we back up a second? Why are you making the tea in the 1st place? Are you trying to add soluble nutrients or beneficial biology?

If you're trying to add soluble nutrients, then you can just mix and apply, no brewing necessary.

If you're trying to add beneficial biology, then you will need to add compost (biology source), a food substrate (unsulfured molasses, kelp, humic acid, alfalfa meal, etc...), and aerate (.08 cfm/gal). It's important not too add too much foods so as to avoid bacterial blooms which will dramatically lower dissolved oxygen levels.

My guess is that you didn't have enough air, weren't getting good extraction (you have to rip the organisms off the soil particulates through the aeration process), or added too many foods.

I'm sure people are going to jump on me a bit for this post, I'm not trying to be contentious. I'd rather have a discussion on the topic. Don't want to step on anyone's toes.

Cheers,
CT

PS: Foam is NOT a good indicator on the quality of a compost tea. I've looked at many under the microscope and some had foam and some didn't but it didn't tell me anything in regards to biological activity.

PPS: There's been some good discussion on compost teas in the organic soil forum, including some stickies that may be helpful.

10-01-2009, 12:34 AM	#1
river rat01 can money pay for all the day's i lived awake but half asleep? Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 351	my tea stinks! for the first 24-30 hours it smells sweet. but after that, it starts going rank. its in a 5 gal bucket and aerated with a large air pump. i adjust ph to 6.5 - 7. whats the deal? __________________ And I came home with a brand new plan I take the seed from Colombia and Mexico I plant it up the holler down Copperhead Road microherd rancher
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10-01-2009, 02:16 PM	#4
river rat01 can money pay for all the day's i lived awake but half asleep? Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 351	i add several different kinds of bagged compost, cow manure, biozome,EWC, bat guano. what am i doing wrong? __________________ And I came home with a brand new plan I take the seed from Colombia and Mexico I plant it up the holler down Copperhead Road microherd rancher
	Quote

10-01-2009, 02:40 PM	#5
OrganicMeds Friend to all plants Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Downunder Posts: 402	I've kept a tea bubbling for over 8 months now & it's still sweet smelling, I just keep adding to it when it get's low. I use a 30lt bucket and when it get's down to about 10lts I just add more castings & molasses. Never had a problem...........yet I do have 2 x 30cm bubble wands in the bucket though going through a pretty big air pump, sometimes I have bubbles a meter over the bucket! I got the idea from reading about 500+ year old Chinese master stocks "In theory a given master stock could be sustained indefinitely if due care is taken to ensure it does not spoil (See Master stocks and food safety). Legend claims there are master stocks in China that are hundreds of years old, passed down through generations of cooks in this way." __________________ let us burn one from end to end, and pass it over to me my friend, burn it long, we'll burn it slow to light me up before i go. If you don't like my fire then don't come around cause i'm gonna burn one down, yes i'm gonna burn one down. My choice is what i choose to do and if i'm causing no harm it shouldn't bother you your choice is who you choose to be and if your causin' no harm then you're alright with me. Herb the gift from the earth and whats from the earth is of the greatest worth, so before you knock it try it first, you'll see its a blessing and not a curse. Ben Harper
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10-01-2009, 03:24 PM	#6
LadyLargely Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Bumfuck, MI Posts: 320	Sounds like some anaerobic activity to me!! You rattle off a pretty good list of additives. But this is organics, and a lot of that stuff contains much water insoluable material. If that shit piles up at the bottom of your bucket then anaerobic nastiest can move in and crash the party. I mean, EWC, compost, cow manuer and bat guano? Thats a lot of sediment. Are you bubbling it in a proper mesh sock? Even still, you might wanna consider hot extraction or something to cut down on the quantity of grit in your tea. Any trapped water in a tea container is bad. __________________ The OBBT Grow Show! https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=130800 Club Bio Box: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=137656 "It's not a drug. It's a leaf." -The Governator
	Quote

10-01-2009, 09:34 PM	#7
river rat01 can money pay for all the day's i lived awake but half asleep? Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 351	what is hot extraction? __________________ And I came home with a brand new plan I take the seed from Colombia and Mexico I plant it up the holler down Copperhead Road microherd rancher
	Quote

10-01-2009, 03:23 AM	#2
BillFarthing Vote Libertarian. Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 333	Are you adding anything like Subculture B or M? Is it homemade compost that could have gone anaerobic before it was fermented? Granted, I have had some tea turn funky. I kept bubbling it until it wasn't "hot" anymore and it was suitable to use regardless of smell.
	Quote

10-01-2009, 04:14 AM	#3
jwm Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 336	I'm going to start using guanos exclusively next season but will apply directly to the soil. Done my research, asked the peps that know and have had much success...No messing w/ the tea thing...sounds like work?
	Quote

10-02-2009, 04:01 AM	#9
Citizen024 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 304	One more: Use a coffer percolator to cook the shit out of your nutrients (guano, etc) till it becomes a nice dark liquid. Add this to your tea per the hot extraction method from that point on. I have actually seen 1000ppm liquid come out of percolator (but I didn't make it myself) from a tea a friend made this way. He used it in small amounts since it was so concentrated. __________________ Deep Chunk x NorCal Afgoo- Coco w/Pura Vida
	Quote

10-02-2009, 05:05 AM	#10
CT Guy Guest Posts: n/a	I feel like there's some misconceptions in this thread. Can we back up a second? Why are you making the tea in the 1st place? Are you trying to add soluble nutrients or beneficial biology? If you're trying to add soluble nutrients, then you can just mix and apply, no brewing necessary. If you're trying to add beneficial biology, then you will need to add compost (biology source), a food substrate (unsulfured molasses, kelp, humic acid, alfalfa meal, etc...), and aerate (.08 cfm/gal). It's important not too add too much foods so as to avoid bacterial blooms which will dramatically lower dissolved oxygen levels. My guess is that you didn't have enough air, weren't getting good extraction (you have to rip the organisms off the soil particulates through the aeration process), or added too many foods. I'm sure people are going to jump on me a bit for this post, I'm not trying to be contentious. I'd rather have a discussion on the topic. Don't want to step on anyone's toes. Cheers, CT PS: Foam is NOT a good indicator on the quality of a compost tea. I've looked at many under the microscope and some had foam and some didn't but it didn't tell me anything in regards to biological activity. PPS: There's been some good discussion on compost teas in the organic soil forum, including some stickies that may be helpful.
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