Nah, that would be the obvious. This guy is feeding wolves with fresh meat. He is expecting a certain response. We may know who it really is.....MIW
Just to be clear to anyone who stumbles across this thread, perpetual brewing is not a recommended methodology when it comes to making ACT. You want to typically only brew between 24-36 hours. I know MM knows this and got the inside joke, but others might miss it.
Hi Microbeman. Good to see you here. Seriously. jerry. Just had to say that I have benefitted tremendously from your knowledge, and would really like to see you stick around here. I'm just being selfish cuz I don't go to that other place much. *lol* Jerry.
Eco and others have analyzed the samples of compost teas and found that while all variables are constant - in a nutshell- the highest numbers of microbes are found at 24-36 hours. of course which microbes you get and how many within the time frame all depend on your ingredients and environment. If you're using the vortex I don't really know what the best thing would be for you- i'd research it further. Eco uses the 'bubble bucket' version, which might require slightly different variables to get the best results than your vortex
If one has a microscope they can brew either more or less than this because they can check for the optimal diverse levels/ratios of microbes. Those being bacteria/archaea, flagellates, naked amoebae, testate amoebae, ciliates and fungal hyphae. Nutrient cycling occurs as a factor of protozoa (flagellates, naked amoebae, testate amoebae, ciliates) consuming bacteria/archaea and excreting ionic form nutrients [they utilize 35% energy and excrete 65% energy on average] It is better all round if the bacteria/archaea being consumed are aerobic and generally it is flagellates and naked amoebae which are the most prevalent predators in an aerobic environment and it is mostly flagellates which multiply in the 30 to 40 hour period of a brew. Speaking non-specifically and simply, an average flagellate will consume between 5000 and 10,000 bacteria/archaea in a 24 hour period. Because of this, if nutrient cycling is your goal for brewing a tea you will wish to stop brewing and use the tea when you see tons of bacteria/archaea and a few flagellates [if you have a microscope]. If one continues brewing to 48 hours and beyond, the flagellates consume most of the aerobic bacteria and then ciliates begin to multiply like crazy. [it is generally accepted in the science world that this is an indication that you have anaerobic bacteria, because that's what ciliates eat] As you continue the brew becomes pretty much straight ciliates as the ciliates devour bacteria which has already devoured your fungi. You can keep brewing for days and can bring the brew back again by adding more foodstock and [vermi]compost and it will cycle over again but really what is the point? You just waste your time and waste electricity. Some believe that the nutrients are released and floating around in the ACT but there is no supportive evidence of this. If you wish to average a fungal and bacterial/archaeal brew then your time point should be 24 hours without a microscope. If you want bacteria/archaea, flagellates (& amoebae) and fungi then your time point should be 36 hours without a microscope. If you want a flagellate tea then brew to 48 hours. If you want a ciliate soup and adventure with a scope, keep brewing.
Good point. I generally like to keep my brew temperatures around 18C to 22C (65 to 72 F) but this is not always possible. If you are brewing at higher temperatures you can expect a little bit faster cell division (usually) so if you would have aimed at 36 hours, perhaps aim to 32 hours. It is still a pretty safe bet that a 24 hour brew should extract and multiply most of the types of organisms in your [vermi]compost and once flagellates begin coming out of their cysts (excysting) and dividing, they should continue doing so in the soil. So if you are a home brewer and brewing at higher temps, stick with 24 hrs. If you are commercial, then shame on you if every batch is not checked with a microscope. In colder temperatures a longer brew is usually in order. Also, I've found that a brewer over 1000 gallons takes an average 48 hours to be 'ready' I've also found that the fresher the vermicompost, the faster the microbes divide (multiply). I've had some fresh batches ready in 15 hours. This is probly because they are already active. Vermicompost I've had in storage for several months takes a little longer to wake up. (eg. the usual 24 - 36 hrs).
Thanks Microbeman, my ambient temps run a little warm. I think that 20 hours will put me in the wheel house based on our recent temps. No commercial production here, but I'm getting a microscope when the coffers get a little full.
Yeah, the problem is that there's a company selling vortex brewers that lists that you can put the tea in the fridge or brew perpetually (just keep the brew running). The issue with a perpetual brew is that it only works if you keep adding feed stock and fresh EWC/compost. AND YOU NEED A MICROSCOPE. I can guarantee that without one you would have no chance of keeping the tea looking good without one. It's rather irresponsible on their part, as it's more of a marketing ploy than good scientific practice.