To Foam Or Not To Foam: Why Isn't My Tea Foaming? Is That Bad?

[Seamaiden]

Um... 0.

Just started making tea and I get no foam. Looking at all the pics am wondering why. Have followed caps instructions using everything except alfalfa meal. Been brewing now for 24 hrs, lots of bubbles but no foam. Getting ready to do a drench in both flower and veg and a foliar in veg as well. Any quick advice or am I ok?

Foam indicates nothing but bubbles. ;)

I have a question about foam. Sometimes I get little bubbles, and sometimes I get big bubbles. Any one got any explanation?

I only have ideas about liquid viscosity, but really, I don't know.

 

[putembk]

Not much response. Little in fighting going on, as usual. So here is a quick log on what I have determined from using caps beanies. Third time I have brewed tea. Used for rooting stats and as a drench in both veg and flower. First, there was very little if any difference on the drench from what I was using before. Guess that means I was pretty dialed in before except the cost is about 1/5 as much. (guessing) It has made all the difference on rooting starts. So far I am hitting 100% rooted clones. They root faster and show vertical growth quicker. Just took my second round of cuts this morning and are now in the clone dome and looking good. Drenched all else except a couple that will be pulled soon. Am loving this stuff so far. My .02....no foam is no problem.

 

[GI JO]

putembk: Mine foamed like the picture for about and hr, then it just bubbled. Smelled sweet today, so in it went. No alfalfa.

 

[putembk]

putembk: Mine foamed like the picture for about and hr, then it just bubbled. Smelled sweet today, so in it went. No alfalfa.

Mine didn't. As long as it gets the job done. Wondering, could it be the worm castings that I'm using....

 

[Capulator]

What would b the most ml per gallon of a base nute would u mix with tea without it killing the bennies??

You can mix up the nutes to whatever you are gonna feed the plants, and then add the tea ingredients, then the bennies.

Just started making tea and I get no foam. Looking at all the pics am wondering why. Have followed caps instructions using everything except alfalfa meal. Been brewing now for 24 hrs, lots of bubbles but no foam. Getting ready to do a drench in both flower and veg and a foliar in veg as well. Any quick advice or am I ok?

Your fine, the whole purpose of this thread was to show that foam is NOT always an indicator of microbial life. I can promise you there is lots of life in there if you followed the instructions. aLFALFA WILL HELP IT FOAM A LITTLE.

 

[Capulator]

It also helps to have a powerful airpump and good airstone. 60L/minute is a good start for a 5 gal bucket.

 

[CelticEBE]

Two things I have noticed about foam. If I use Molasses I get crazy foam....like bubling out of my 5 gal bucket. If I use Prime I get a smaller head with smaller bubbles. Also if I cut the Alfalfa I rarely see foam.

 

[putembk]

Thinking I should add a little more molasses and start up with the alfalfa. Where I really notice the difference so far is the starts. Much better than hormex and great white that I was using.
Hmmm.... am I just trying to get foam for the sake of getting foam or should I stay the course. All seems, well...ya know.

 

[Capulator]

Thinking I should add a little more molasses and start up with the alfalfa. Where I really notice the difference so far is the starts. Much better than hormex and great white that I was using.
Hmmm.... am I just trying to get foam for the sake of getting foam or should I stay the course. All seems, well...ya know.

Alfalfa is a great addition for a little tricontanol boost. I add a handful or two to my tea. Just have to be diligent about using it in a timely manner, and not slacking and letting it hang out for a long time, or it will smell like horseshit.

 

[Seamaiden]

I've had some extra-hungry girls. So I decided, why not try using the foam? I scooped off the foam, then let it de-bubble, fed it to them. They seem to have their appetite somewhat sated, but I think another application of foam will be necessary.

Why did I do this? Because of how I understand foam fractionation, and how it's used to pull contaminants (nutrients) from a water column.

 

[spacebomb]

well explain so the dummies among us can understand:-).

I've had some extra-hungry girls. So I decided, why not try using the foam? I scooped off the foam, then let it de-bubble, fed it to them. They seem to have their appetite somewhat sated, but I think another application of foam will be necessary.

Why did I do this? Because of how I understand foam fractionation, and how it's used to pull contaminants (nutrients) from a water column.

 

[Seamaiden]

Read this post, my friend: https://www.thcfarmer.com/community...y-tea-foaming-is-that-bad.55656/#post-1045821

 

[spacebomb]

thank you fair maiden:-).

Read this post, my friend: https://www.thcfarmer.com/community...y-tea-foaming-is-that-bad.55656/#post-1045821

 

[spacebomb]

hey thats cool.thank you sea
space

 

[CelticEBE]

So....I have built a vortex brewer and now my foam is OUT OF CONTROL!!! What can I do to dial the foam back a bit? I make up a batch for Veg and a batch for Flower and it's my flower recipe that really overflows.

3 gals water
120 ml Blacksterap
1 cup of Budswell dry
1 tablespoon of Root and Foliar.

Is there something I can add that will keep things from boiling over without harming the bene population?

 

[squiggly]

So....I have built a vortex brewer and now my foam is OUT OF CONTROL!!! What can I do to dial the foam back a bit? I make up a batch for Veg and a batch for Flower and it's my flower recipe that really overflows.

3 gals water
120 ml Blacksterap
1 cup of Budswell dry
1 tablespoon of Root and Foliar.

Is there something I can add that will keep things from boiling over without harming the bene population?

Add a spoonful of vegetable oil.

I've also heard of people using fish hydrolysate, but some of them might cause more foam so be careful.

 

[Capulator]

http://www.compostjunkie.com/the-foam-is-not-the-measure-of-the-tea.html

 

[PaperStreet]

AHA! I kept looking in different forums to find your section, Capulator. I'm on it.

First a definition of foam fractionation:

Foam fractionation is a chemical process in which hydrophobic molecules are preferentially separated from a liquid solution using rising columns of foam. It is commonly used, albeit on a small scale, for the removal of organic waste from aquariums; these units are known as "protein skimmers". However it has much broader application in the chemical process industry and can be used for the removal of surface active contaminants from waste water streams in addition to the enrichment of bio-products.​

​

The rising column of foam is created in one of two ways, either using a specialized type of airstone that creates 'superfine' bubbles (a wood block, actually) or with what is called a venturi inlet. I won't get into how venturis work unless someone's looking to increase DO levels using one, because people in this context are not looking to make foam.

It is this rising column of bubbles in a bucket that allows foam fractionation to occur when people are brewing aerated compost teas. While the best foam fractionators (aka protein skimmers) are usually very narrow in relation to their volume (volume:surface area), with the goal being contact time in the reaction column, fractionation can occur in many scenarios. For example, ever seen lots of foam built up during or after a windy day near a lake or the ocean? That's fractionation by wind, and it's the same sort of thing--dissolved organic molecules being pulled into the foam because they have hydrophobic ends that 'stick' to the air bubbles.

Now, a picture of a foam fractionator:

View attachment 308442

While in this context we don't need a proper skimmer working, I think it's helpful for people to understand both what's happening and to be able to visualize how that can be put to work. I often see folks asking what they should do with the foam that's created after making an ACT, I say put it back in because it's likely got lots of molecules that we want our plants to get.

K... I hope this basic primer explains what's happening well enough. Any questions, feel free to ask. :)

Thanks, Cap!

This is the answer here great work seamaiden..
I run saltwater fish tanks i used to have a store we run protien skimmers to take the heavy "protiens" out that may be harmful to our fish the smaller the bubbles the more "foam/protiens in this case nutes" u will extract..
Ive noticed the foam simply in my dwc buckets and realized it wasnt harmful ive tried to explain this alot anyhow, i always figured it beneficial to my plants getting the nutrients to the roots in my net pots..
So in essence the foam is not needed i surmise the nutrients are already in the water and available to our plants.....


Would u say the foam is more beneficial tho due to the DO the nutrients attach themselves to makeing it easier for the plant to uptake?

 

[Seamaiden]

Honestly, I can't answer that. I have saved the foam that I've pulled out and given it to plants and their response is like they got a shot of something.

 

[caveman4.20]

Could it be the air to mass ratio?