OrganicGorilla
Well-Known Member
I've been airating my EWC Tea for 24 hours now and not seeing any froth forming on the top. What's going on? I put 4 cups EWC and 1/4 cup molasses to 4 Gallons of water. Have 2 large airstones airating it.
AACT not frothing up
- Thread starter OrganicGorilla
- Start date
natureboygrower
Well-Known Member
whats the temp? teas dont always foam up,btw
OrganicGorilla
Well-Known Member
Not sure what the temp is. It's brewing outside in my garage.
OrganicGorilla
Well-Known Member
@Rasta Roy. What's your thoughts on this? This is my first time actually brewing tea.
natureboygrower
Well-Known Member
that may have something to do with it.also,i used to two different kinds of fish ferts,one would cause way more foaming than the other
calliandra
Well-Known Member
ACT doesn't need to froth up.
Main thing, you don't start getting icky smells.
Main thing, you don't start getting icky smells.
Richard Drysift
Well-Known Member
It doesn't have to be foamy to work & some ingredients get frothier than others. Guanos seem to make a lot of foam if that's what you want but foam is not always indicative of microbial activity. Kelp will add a ton of good probiotics. Liquid fish does not always foam up for some reason but that doesnt mean it's not working; my plants love neptunes harvest.
If temps are cool in your garage try adding a fish tank heater to the brew bucket. 24 hrs is not a super long brew either; try going to 36 or 48 hrs.
If temps are cool in your garage try adding a fish tank heater to the brew bucket. 24 hrs is not a super long brew either; try going to 36 or 48 hrs.
OrganicGorilla
Well-Known Member
I've brewed tea with just EWC alone, and also brewed it with Kelp Meal and Bat Guano added. No foam at all on either brew. I thought I was doing something wrong. I use a tablespoon of molasses per Gallon of water.
I'll try brewing for 36-48 hours next time.
That's a clever idea about the fish tank heater! What is the optimal temperature to brew an AACT?
Richard Drysift
Well-Known Member
I dunno I never actually checked it with a thermometer but if you stick a finger in it it should be slightly higher than room temp; tepid even if you will. Fish tank heater set low to mid should give you water say about 72-75 deg which will boost microbial activity fo shore
OrganicGorilla
Well-Known Member
I think I'll be purchasing a fish tank heater this weekend now. Thanks for that tip!
vostok
Well-Known Member
OrganicGorilla
Well-Known Member
Shouldn't be Air. I have a duel outlet pump, pumping 2 large air stones. Could be the temp as I'm airating in my garage.
DonTesla
Well-Known Member
might have a contaminated pail I've had a pail go bad on me..
pretty sure its protein that makes it froth up, though, like egg whites, except its worm bodies/worm biomass, lol that usually do it for me. might have aged castings, past 4 months of being sealed which is when they peak for nitrates and nutrients, or no worms in it, I like to leave a couple in there they usually survive the pool time and live to be the happiest worms of all lol
pretty sure its protein that makes it froth up, though, like egg whites, except its worm bodies/worm biomass, lol that usually do it for me. might have aged castings, past 4 months of being sealed which is when they peak for nitrates and nutrients, or no worms in it, I like to leave a couple in there they usually survive the pool time and live to be the happiest worms of all lol
calliandra
Well-Known Member
haha possibly because They Survived
The optimal temperature is the one you're going to use it at.
Here's why:
Microbes become active in very specific conditions (temps, humidity, aeration), and dormant as soon as they don't like it so much - but then the next group, who do like those conditions, will take over.
So when you're brewing a compost tea, you are trying to multiply those microbes that will improve the conditions of the area of application (soil or plant if foliar).
If you brew your tea at a different temperature, you will have a set of extremely active microbes for that different temperature. And when they land on that leaf, or in that soil you're treating, they'll be going "Nah, don't like it here so much, I'm taking a nap". So the masses you have just promoted so lovingly will just go to sleep lol
And the ones that would be happy there are just waking up
Don't get me wrong, they will get into action and multiply too sooner or later, no damage done!
But it makes it take longer.
Cheers!
Bugeye
Well-Known Member
Are your ingredients suspended? You don't always get foam, but you won't get the best results if ingredients are clumped up on bottom. Cheers!
OrganicGorilla
Well-Known Member
I may have to try the tea bag method. Thanks for the reply
old shol4evr
Well-Known Member
doesnt matter how many stones you got,what is the air volume,,i can hook 4 stones up to a wal mart pump,,also are you using any cal mag in there,it will slow the foam your looking for too,,fish the oil will keep it from frothing,,but the volume of air is real important,,i built and use a air lift system,my pump is 957 gph,still isnt enough for a 33 gal can,but does the trick,,i went from 36 hours to 24 with the air lift,,like onre the others said,and my point also,frothing doesnt matter,it the juice that counts,,tip for you 2 handfuls of compost ,then add what you like,,i use all my weekly coffe grinds ,tea grinds ,egg shells,food scraps,,no meats or citrus,,mix all that shit toigether and crush them shells good,,shove it all in panty hose ,send that sock down to make some love,,after your brew ,top dress all that left,,i also use straight from the ass deer shit,you use these things ,i garuntee by morning you be claening a 20 yrd long stream of that shit off that garage floor,,experince here just cleaned my driveway this morning,,had 30 yards of the froth going down driveway,lmao
Johnei
Well-Known Member
Biological processes happen slower at lower temps and faster at higher temps. In a cool garage the tea will take longer to brew then if it was sitting in warmer grow room. Cooler brew is safer. Heating a brew if you don't understand what's going on in the bucket, you may grow bad shit. I wouldn't do it. (I'm not saying warmth in the brew will grow bad shit, I mean biological processes will speed up and the microbes in the brew will grow so fast using all available o2 and then the tea will go bad if continue brewing unknowingly, so you gotta understand what's goin on.)
I would not dismiss the couple posters who mentioned your air pump and the amount of air pumping into the system.
Example, a Elite Hagen Maxima dual output air pump pumps 2500cc x 2, I cannot brew more than 2gals in a 5gal bucket with this pump.
I would not dismiss the couple posters who mentioned your air pump and the amount of air pumping into the system.
Example, a Elite Hagen Maxima dual output air pump pumps 2500cc x 2, I cannot brew more than 2gals in a 5gal bucket with this pump.
Joomby
Well-Known Member
I have found using a sock or bag for the compost really hinders aact and to much molasses just multiplies bacterial growth not fungal and guaranteed you will have billions of bacteria but not much fungal. I have also found using much more compost than usually recommended helps speed everything up for obvious reasons. I use about 3-4 cups of compost for 10litres and only one tbsp of molasses and I just strain the brew through a fish tank net right before use .i have ditched the stone on my aerator and it works much better because you get much more movement in the brew and it will still give you plenty of oxygen exchange in the water(i will probably get shot down for that comment) edit. I don't chase froth but go by smell. Even with one spoon of molasses it gets a sweet yeasty smell . give it a good stir every couple of hours to help break everything apart and keep it all moving so the fungi and bacteria get knocked of their seats. This is all my personal preference and opinion not what is right take from it what you will and good luck
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