How Long Can Tea Brew And Still Be Good?

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caregiverken

caregiverken

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I made a big batch of tea with BioWar, molasses, and kelp powder. And, a little liquid bat guano.
I let it bubble for 2 days and then gave it to the flowering plants.
But I didn't need it all, so I continued to let it bubble.
Now, it's been 4 days.
it still smells ok
do you think it's still good? or should I toss it?
thanks in advance!
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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Ive brewed for 5 Days at one time, just added new EWC and more sugars.. Its my understanding as long as theres a food source they will continue to multiply.. ( And an oxygen source ) ..
 
waayne

waayne

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@ohthatguy8 is right on point......
@caregiverken Cap has done a lot of research on tea,and has found that after 24 hours some of the microbes are eating the others......no need to brew longer than 24 hours,and best to use the tea within hours of brewing,if you want the maximum benefits.....it is harder to keep the proper dissolved oxygen levels up for a 48 hour brew....people will tell you it keeps in the fridge which it does, but the number of beneficial microbes decreases as it's stored in the fridge......fresh is best,for maximum results,you can always dump the extra tea on your outdoor flowers,shrubs,and trees
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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@ohthatguy8 is right on point......
@caregiverken Cap has done a lot of research on tea,and has found that after 24 hours some of the microbes are eating the others......no need to brew longer than 24 hours,and best to use the tea within hours of brewing,if you want the maximum benefits.....it is harder to keep the proper dissolved oxygen levels up for a 48 hour brew....people will tell you it keeps in the fridge which it does, but the number of beneficial microbes decreases as it's stored in the fridge......fresh is best,for maximum results,you can always dump the extra tea on your outdoor flowers,shrubs,and trees

At what temp? Ive read countless brew FAQs which state the lower the temp's the longer the brew times are going to be, 65F water is not going to produce the same # of micro-organisms in the same amount of time a tea brewing at 75F will. Incubation if you will. :D
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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Brewing Temperatures:
There are a couple of schools of thought regarding brewing temperatures. One is that since the microbes in the tea will grow and reproduce most efficiently at 68-70ËšF., this is the temperature at which you should brew your tea, regardless of the current soil or air temperature where you'll be applying the tea. The theory is that since you are using the shotgun approach to growing microbes, whatever microbes are unable to adapt to the conditions will either die or go dormant, becoming food resources for the other microbes in the soil. Since soil and air temperatures will change throughout the seasons and even from day to night, these organisms are highly adaptable and you will get your best results with this approach.

Another theory, and one that Dr. Ingham subscribes to, is that you want to brew at the ambient temperature you will be applying the tea. Therefore, if you are applying your tea as a soil drench on 60 degree soil, you'll want to brew at 60 degrees. You may need to extend your brewing cycle a bit for the colder temperatures, but this method will select for the organisms that will be most successful at the current temperatures in your soil and you won't suffer as much organism loss.

I believe we need much more research to determine the most effective brewing temperatures for AACT. However, since I haven't seen conclusive data either way, I tend to lean towards brewing at ambient temperatures, though this requires a bit more knowledge about your brewer and brewing cycle, as you will need to adjust your brewing time based on the temperature.

http://www.gardeningwithmicrobes.com/teaarticle2.shtml
 
MGRox

MGRox

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just to throw in here in case it is of use.....

For every 10 C degree rise in temperature there is a doubling of biological activity. So in the range of possible brewing, from 65 F to 83 F; the latter would be double the reproduction rate of the former....more or less.
 
waayne

waayne

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@LittleDabbie everything I've brewed and scoped has been brewed at ambient temperatures> 68-72 degrees.....and you're right temps play a huge factor..... temperature consistency is key here to quality tea's....
Otherwise it really is just guessing........

Dr Ingram has great information,but personally I find microbe mans info to be more accurate for my purposes.....
Proper DO levels are essential to a quality tea,the longer you brew the higher the odds of the optimum DO levels dropping to low.....We've scoped quality teas brewed after only 12-15 hours....fwiw...the scopes don't lie.....it's pretty easy to see where the optimum brew times are regarding microbe populations,if you use a scope......
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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Amen I needa get my self a scope one of these days for now im constantly testing different times and temps and castings and sugars ect ect ect blah blah blah :D

Scopes Ftw!
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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As far as shelf life its best to use the tea as soon as you turn the air off, However ALWAYS give your tea a whiff before you use it.. If it smells bad DUMP IT! If it smells earthy and happy your good :D

48 hour seems a little long but i guess anythings possible :D
 
caregiverken

caregiverken

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I should have looked at this thread sooner.
it was only about a gallon I should have dumped it. :rolleyes:
But, instead, yesterday
I went ahead and added more water more molasses and more Bio war to the already brewed tea and I just finished giving it too em. Then, I read the replys here... doh :confused:
ah well, slow learner here. I was brewing in the cool garage. next time I'll do a 24-hour in the house where it's a little warmer
 
LittleDabbie

LittleDabbie

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yesterday You said you had brewed 5 days!

Yes as long as theres oxygen being supplied you can brew for weeks... Its when you STOP brewing and bottle the TEA that it starts to have a shelf life.. Without oxygen your bacteria dies and becomes very poisonus to plants :D Aka.. Anaerobic Tea :D

You want oxygen in your tea :D
 

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