how to:molasses

[CBD Hunt]

If you make compost tea it will replace all the store bought crap and your buds will explode with the healthiest growth. Any use of petroleum based nuits (Botanicare and all other brands) will kill the microbes.

Use a 5 gal bucket, put 4 gals of chlorine free water in bucket. Any chlorine at all will kill the microbes and ruin your brew. So if using tap water let it sit out 24 hour, and bubble it to help it offgas.
Put a air stone on the bottom, with plenty of air. Some people like putting compost in a burlap bag for this method.
You can also make a simple Vortex brewer for $25
Add about 5 to 10 Tbls of Blackstrap.
A hand full of moist living potting soil or fresh living compost or store bought compost tea dry or liquid (anything with live microbes). Azomite is a must have (over 70 trace minerals)!
Worm casting are good to add. And there are other crap you can add that help some.
Let it brew for 4 to 24 hours. It should get foamy as hell, that the microbes exploding with life, a good thing. Use it immediately because the microbes die quickly.
Im forgetting some, ah, anyways, top feed once a week and water daily as normal WITHOUT NUITS. Foliar spray, that will also eliminate the need for any pesticides and other store bought crap.
You will be amazed at the results as long as you're successful in growing healthy microbes.
And you will be saving tons of cash not buying petroleum based nuits.
Oh! Coffee grounds are great for veg with all it's nitrogen, but always remember to check and adjust your PH.
I know I'm forgetting something.
I can provide a picture of my Vortex Brewer I made out of stuff laying around.
KELP! That's what I forgot. It has some of the same stuff that Azomite has. I go to the coast at low tide and fill totes full of it. Let it dry out and grind it in a food processor or how ever you can. Or you can pay way to much for it at the store.

 

[CBD Hunt]

I recently 'discovered', when doing a nutrient comparison with MrGreenGenes, that various brands of blackstrap have varying amounts of various nutrients. E.G. Mg. My blackstrap has 2% of your daily recommended intake, whereas his brand (Brer Rabbit..? Mine's Grandma's) has something like 15% Mg.

"Daily recommended intake" is for people consumption, it's totally different then the % of what's in the bottle.
I'm looking at both Mothers and Brer Rabbit Blackstrap. Both are made by B&G Foods at the same place. Mothers has 110mg of Potassium (potash) per 15ml, and Brew Rabbit Blackstrap has 450mg per 15ml. That's 30 times more potash in the black strap, but it also has 50% salt too, so use much less of the blackstrap then Mothers and you're ahead of the game...

 

[Seamaiden]

Yes, it is. That's why I was specific in pointing it out. :) Btw, we have a few really good threads on tea brewing, including DIYs on building brewers such as the vortex style, here on the farm. Organic soil section is where most of them are, IIRC. You might want to post that in one of those threads, too. I think I stickied one of 'em.

 

[CBD Hunt]

Adding just molasses to your soil feeds what ever microbes you may have in your soil. If you're also using nuits, your microbes will die so the molasses does little to nothing then.

"Daily recommended intake" is for people consumption, it's totally different then the % of what's in the bottle.
I'm looking at both Mothers and Brer Rabbit Blackstrap. Both are made by B&G Foods at the same place. Mothers has 110mg of Potassium (potash) per 15ml, and Brew Rabbit Blackstrap has 450mg per 15ml. That's 30 times more potash in the black strap, but it also has 50% salt too, so use much less of the blackstrap then Mothers and you're ahead of the game...

I meant to say 50% MORE salt. And when doing a brew it's best at 90 degrees fahrenheit

 

[CBD Hunt]

Yes, it is. That's why I was specific in pointing it out. :) Btw, we have a few really good threads on tea brewing, including DIYs on building brewers such as the vortex style, here on the farm. Organic soil section is where most of them are, IIRC. You might want to post that in one of those threads, too. I think I stickied one of 'em.

This is a thread on Molasses, so a thread on brewing is the same thing since it should be done together or you're wasting your time.

 

[frebo]

"Daily recommended intake" is for people consumption, it's totally different then the % of what's in the bottle.
I'm looking at both Mothers and Brer Rabbit Blackstrap. Both are made by B&G Foods at the same place. Mothers has 110mg of Potassium (potash) per 15ml, and Brew Rabbit Blackstrap has 450mg per 15ml. That's 30 times more potash in the black strap, but it also has 50% salt too, so use much less of the blackstrap then Mothers and you're ahead of the game...

Our grow shop here has the good molasses in bulk. 5 gal.was less than $30 with the bucket.
I found sucanet in the organic section at Food 4 Less and mixed it with molasses for the last weeks of bud. The jury is still in the drying room.

 

[Seamaiden]

This is a thread on Molasses, so a thread on brewing is the same thing since it should be done together or you're wasting your time.

That's not true. I have used molasses, and many other sugars, as direct carbohydrate feeds to good effect (in outdoor organic soil, using SFW methods). :)

Btw, these are all different brands of the same (type of) product--blackstrap molasses. It could be called a byproduct of sugar production, but it's actually kind of its own thing.
(My grandfather used to run the family's sugar plantation in the Caribbean.) I'm also thinking that the varying amounts of different nutrients, etc, has a lot to do with the processing methods, but perhaps just as much to do with the source material they're using. Plants grown in well-balanced soils should offer a better nutrient profile, maybe?

 

[CBD Hunt]

Our grow shop here has the good molasses in bulk. 5 gal.was less than $30 with the bucket.
I found sucanat in the organic section at Food 4 Less and mixed it with molasses for the last weeks of bud. The jury is still in the drying room.

I had to look up Sucanat. Not much info to find but interesting. Makes me wonder how the microbes use it compared to just molasses. Only if we could put a microscope in the soil to watch them little bastards. lol
FYI all that crap I spued in the post is mostly what i learned in the last week after the local shop gave me two gallons of there brew to try. After 48 hours the little buds that looked finished prematurely came to life and doubled in size. So I spent every waking moment researching this stuff, brews, azomite, kepl... all week. It's all getting BIG and frosty! I'm lovin it!

 

[Seamaiden]

PM sent, CBD! :)

 

[CBD Hunt]

That's not true. I have used molasses, and many other sugars, as direct carbohydrate feeds to good effect (in outdoor organic soil, using SFW methods). :)

Btw, these are all different brands of the same (type of) product--blackstrap molasses. It could be called a byproduct of sugar production, but it's actually kind of its own thing.
(My grandfather used to run the family's sugar plantation in the Caribbean.) I'm also thinking that the varying amounts of different nutrients, etc, has a lot to do with the processing methods, but perhaps just as much to do with the source material they're using. Plants grown in well-balanced soils should offer a better nutrient profile, maybe?

What is SFW? Is that with Fish? I should had mentioned I use coco, soil, manure mix. I suck at conveying everything I should sometimes and tend to get in trouble unintentional, like with building a Jeep, some rednecks got pissy with me because I spare no expense... Good point on varying nuits.

 

[Seamaiden]

SFW=soil food web. That's everything behind Teaming with Microbes and using AACTs, etc. :) I think that you can still utilize many of the beneficial organisms inherent in a well-mineralized, balanced, healthy and alive soil in coir, but not quite as diverse.

 

[CBD Hunt]

SFW=soil food web. That's everything behind Teaming with Microbes and using AACTs, etc. :) I think that you can still utilize many of the beneficial organisms inherent in a well-mineralized, balanced, healthy and alive soil in coir, but not quite as diverse.

Ah, OK then what would you recommend I do different? I love to learn new trick and try everything. This is turning out to be a really fun hobby!

 

[Seamaiden]

Nothing really at this point. I feel it's important for everyone to find their own comfort level, and that includes incorporating new ideas and methods to their growing. If you haven't yet read Teaming with Microbes, you might want to, as that was what helped the soil food web thing click for me. If you're already using compost teas and organic methods, you're pretty much on your way. :D

 

[Bangarang]

Where do you all stand on the dried molasses?

 

[Seamaiden]

Not as tasty as liquid form, but it's easier to stand on dry. It's also what I happen to be using at the moment in my brews and feeds. :D

 

[frebo]

Sucanet comes in granular form.

 

[mmmdankbuds420]

My favorite brand!

I have a friend, buys this by the gallon. I've recently started the addition of molasses. I was at the grocery store and couldn't decide besides grandmas brand or brer rabbit. I went with brer rabbit because they were 2 for 6 and it had the easy pour spout.
From what I have learned any molasses that is UNsulfured and 100% natural will work?

 

[frebo]

Nothing really at this point. I feel it's important for everyone to find their own comfort level, and that includes incorporating new ideas and methods to their growing. If you haven't yet read Teaming with Microbes, you might want to, as that was what helped the soil food web thing click for me. If you're already using compost teas and organic methods, you're pretty much on your way. :D

Thank you Ms Maiden. I am almost done with that book(extremely slow reader). Things will be a little different in the garden next year.

 

[CelticEBE]

Not as tasty as liquid form, but it's easier to stand on dry. It's also what I happen to be using at the moment in my brews and feeds. :D

So I've been playing around with the idea of amending my coco with dry molasses...or topdressing with it. Are you seeing good results Sea?

 

[Seamaiden]

I haven't used it as part of a mix, only as a replacement for liquid molasses in my teas. I do plan on trying it as a top-dressing similar to what I did with the malted barley extract, just doing it in a safer manner, because at that time I didn't really understand (like, AT ALL) fully what I was doing.