Re: Compost Tea Maker

has55 3/14/2016, 1:11 pm

Jimmy Cee,
on page 137 in the book TWM, they pictured " the Bobolator" compost tea maker that can make compost tea from 5-25 gallons. This was the old version. see here at the bottom of this page-old bobolator' it been updated and sold by a another company at this site- P4 Brewer Kit. costs about 300.00 with a 2 year warranty. I was looking at the old version and trying to see deeeeep in my mind if I could make one out of PVC , minus the cost of the pump for about 20.00. Do you have any thought on this in your inventive mind. Enquirer (me) want to know. Very Happy

This a late entry. I never have inserted a image. Actually didn't understand the function. I been hosting images. This was much easier. the picture below is the old bobolator

Compost Tea Maker 14010_l

new bobolator for approx 300.00
Compost Tea Maker BMP4_150-3

**jimmy cee** 3/14/2016, 10:07 pm

has
Thats some pretty expensive stuff there, To rich for my pocket book, although may be very well worth it..
I've decided on a five gallon unit, I sure have enough buckets all over the place. I was going to make some tubing out of SS, however I did see this unit advertised and sent for it..Tubing on bottom looks like that soaker hose material..
It fits in the 5 gal bucket and does it's thing.
I probably have enough aerators left over from my fishing days, as soon as it warms a little I will be starting a batch.

has55 3/14/2016, 10:17 pm

JC, it too rich for me too. But it look simple. the aireator you purchase, does it work. It looks like something I would to play with for experimentation. Can you put out a link to it? Five gallon bucket gives you 1 or was it 10 acres coverage? I was going to flood the bed on the first batch with bacteria, fungi and nematodes, etc... to spend up the process of taking out the bad guys. So I was going to do 20 gallon=7ibs of compost

**jimmy cee** 3/18/2016, 9:53 pm

1st attempt at this, appears to be doing nicely, a few hours after adding a cup of compost for each gallon and 2 tablespoons of molassis the temperature started climbing about 15 degrees.

yolos 3/19/2016, 12:05 pm

Jimmy Cee - looks like that contraption is putting out a lot of bubbles. Can you tell us the name, manufacturer or the website that you ordered it from. I assume the tube just attaches to a small pump or did the contraption come with a pump. I have a small pump and air stones I used when I was de-chlorinating my city water but this looks much heftier.

No_Such_Reality 3/19/2016, 12:45 pm

I'm clueless on this, what book is TWM?

What's the purpose of the compost tea that's being fermented with molasses? Is it like fermented veggies and probiotics in yogurt/kefir where you're hoping to saturate your garden bed with a super dose of beneficial micro-organisms?

I think a $5 of el-cheapo supplies will do the same job. A few air stones and cheap-o aquarium pump in a five gallon will set up the circulation. Am I missing something? Is super agitation required for some reason or does the water just need to circulate and not have 'dead' spots?

**sanderson** 3/19/2016, 4:01 pm

NSR, Anything that keeps introducing air into the water should work, even frequent stirring during the day. You can think of it as kefir. Very Happy

I added some to a new bed just to make sure there were some active microorganisms in the new Mix. There are other uses outside the boxes, such as lawns. Not every does this, so don't worry that you are missing something critical.

"Teaming with Microbes" Jimmy started this thread in the winter. I have bumped it to the Latest Topics list to the left. https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t20218-microbes-you-gotta-see-this-one

CapeCoddess 3/19/2016, 6:12 pm

Sanderson, I don't stir my kefir, do you? Shocked

But I DO sometimes stir the trowel full of compost I occasionally dump into a 5 gal bucket of sun warmed water. I use it about 24 hours later. Easy peasy.

CC

**sanderson** 3/19/2016, 7:01 pm

CC, I don't even drink kefir! I was using her analogy. Wink

I have a bucket of compost tea brewing in the sun today.

**AtlantaMarie** 3/19/2016, 7:05 pm

DH actually has wood put aside to make me a sieve for my compost & beds! Progress....

**sanderson** 3/19/2016, 7:10 pm

Bless his heart! bounce

No_Such_Reality 3/19/2016, 7:14 pm

Thanks for the info and link, I'll just stick with mastering the basics. I tend to get ahead of myself, trying all the cool super things (like potato towers, biochar, miracle in a youtube.) Although I'm a giant fan of Back to Eden method of mulching with thick layer of woods chips, within just a few months I could see such a difference in my yard beds garden soil.

What I really need to focus on is consistent and appropriate watering and planting.

Down in Orange County, with the drought still in effect and looking to be another year of blistering temps, keeping my garden watered right without wasting lots of water regularly flooding my beds and not allowing the mix to wick out dry spots that then like to expand is my trial and error learning curve.

**jimmy cee** 3/19/2016, 7:35 pm

No_Such_Reality wrote:I'm clueless on this, what book is TWM?

What's the purpose of the compost tea that's being fermented with molasses? Is it like fermented veggies and probiotics in yogurt/kefir where you're hoping to saturate your garden bed with a super dose of beneficial micro-organisms?

I think a $5 of el-cheapo supplies will do the same job. A few air stones and cheap-o aquarium pump in a five gallon will set up the circulation. Am I missing something? Is super agitation required for some reason or does the water just need to circulate and not have 'dead' spots?

2 tablespoons of molasses tends to help draw more bacteria out of the compost in the teas make....Yes there are other items that can be used, molasses was the easiest for me...

Yes an elcheapo will do the same, however, any fungi that may possibly be along in the tea may be harmed with to violent bubbles. This circular roll on the bottom did a nice first job for me, understand, I am new at this and going on to master it.

The microbe book explains everything.

CapeCoddess 3/19/2016, 7:42 pm

Keep us updated on how you do, Jimmy.

I wonder ...if I just threw some live Pond weed plants into my sun warmed water would create enough oxygen so I wouldn't have to stir and wreck the fungi?

**jimmy cee** 3/19/2016, 7:48 pm

CapeCoddess wrote:Keep us updated on how you do, Jimmy.

I wonder ...if I just threw some live Pond weed plants into my sun warmed water would create enough oxygen so I wouldn't have to stir and wreck the fungi?

I don't think that would work from my understanding of this procedure, probably go anaerobic.

**jimmy cee** 3/19/2016, 7:56 pm

jimmy cee wrote:
No_Such_Reality wrote:I'm clueless on this, what book is TWM?

What's the purpose of the compost tea that's being fermented with molasses? Is it like fermented veggies and probiotics in yogurt/kefir where you're hoping to saturate your garden bed with a super dose of beneficial micro-organisms?

I think a $5 of el-cheapo supplies will do the same job. A few air stones and cheap-o aquarium pump in a five gallon will set up the circulation. Am I missing something? Is super agitation required for some reason or does the water just need to circulate and not have 'dead' spots?
2 tablespoons of molasses tends to help draw more bacteria out of the compost in the teas make....Yes there are other items that can be used, molasses was the easiest for me...
Then there is the fungi dominated tea recipe, made a little differently and more gentle.

Yes an elcheapo will do the same, however, any fungi that may possibly be along in the tea may be harmed with to violent bubbles. This circular roll on the bottom did a nice first job for me, understand, I am new at this and going on to master it.

The microbe book explains everything.

**jimmy cee** 3/19/2016, 8:00 pm

I made a bunch of pots for seeds today and watered them with the finished tea, then the balance of the tea I used on my garlic and outside roses...Gonna wait till this cold snap is gone, then will do a container a day...
That sausage you see is the compost in a stocking, just tossed that in the beds.

CapeCoddess 3/20/2016, 7:21 am

Wow! You could make a YouTube video about this. Do you have video on your camera?

**jimmy cee** 3/20/2016, 8:03 am

CapeCoddess wrote:Wow! You could make a YouTube video about this. Do you have video on your camera?

I do have a web cam that could do the trick, however, there are many already making compost tea..

MrBooker 3/20/2016, 1:05 pm

Years ago I used to buy a cheap bag of composted cow manure at wal mart and put it in a pillow case and lay it in my wheelbarrow and fill the wheelbarrow with water and let it set for about a week. Makes good compost tea and also goes well with a fried bologna sandwich..... Compost Tea Maker 3170584802

CapeCoddess 3/20/2016, 1:23 pm

Did you grow taller and stronger after lunch?

MrBooker 3/20/2016, 1:44 pm

CapeCoddess wrote:

Did you grow taller and stronger after lunch?

I think it was composted "BULL" manure, don't you?? OBTW: Do you live in MA on purpose or are you being held captive there??? <---< TEASING Very Happy

CapeCoddess 3/20/2016, 1:48 pm

MrBooker wrote:
CapeCoddess wrote:

Did you grow taller and stronger after lunch?
I think it was composted "BULL" manure, don't you?? OBTW: Do you live in MA on purpose or are you being held captive there??? <---< TEASING

Yeah, OK Mr. Illinois... Razz

Btw, welcome to the SFG forum! Can we keep you? If so, it would be great if you'd start a new thread and blog about yourself. That way we won't get too far off topic in this one and get da boot to who knows where. Rolling Eyes

**jimmy cee** 3/20/2016, 2:00 pm

MrBooker wrote:Years ago I used to buy a cheap bag of composted cow manure at wal mart and put it in a pillow case and lay it in my wheelbarrow and fill the wheelbarrow with water and let it set for about a week. Makes good compost tea and also goes well with a fried bologna sandwich.....

What you made was a manure leachate, Compost tea is very different. Manure leachate can be very risky to work with and use around food stuffs.

**sanderson** 3/20/2016, 2:31 pm

Hi Mr. Booker. $glad you\'re here$ Please "Introduce Yourself".

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