Tea Recipe

[GR33NL3AF]

Yo GR33N - Why do you use both the bioactivator and the hibrix molasses? Bioactivator is powdered molasses with some other goodies. I prefer the Bioactivator, personally.

What nutes are you using withe the cap's combo?

outwest

Honestly, I just had the Bioactivator left over from when I brewed Bountea so I threw that shit in - wasn't aware that it could replace molasses.. Thanks!

I run a strain of Sour Diesel that doesnt need heavy nutes so all I feed at the moment is tea and I have a grow and bloom top dressing my buddy makes that I throw into the tea as well as top dress the beds weeks 2 and 5....Maybe a little dolomite and banana mana here and there but thats it....

 

[outwest]

Honestly, I just had the Bioactivator left over from when I brewed Bountea so I threw that shit in - wasn't aware that it could replace molasses.. Thanks!

I run a strain of Sour Diesel that doesnt need heavy nutes so all I feed at the moment is tea and I have a grow and bloom top dressing my buddy makes that I throw into the tea as well as top dress the beds weeks 2 and 5....Maybe a little dolomite and banana mana here and there but thats it....

Sounds exactly like my grow style. . . Including the banana manna. Love that stuff!

outwest

 

[We Solidarity]

Funny because I just bought some of this last week since my shop was out of EJ hibrix but did have this exact one. I am really liking it. It does not alter the pH of the tea at all, and it looks great after a 24 hour brew.

hey cap you still rockin this molasses? the cookie recipe on the side is pretty bomb if you ever have any to spare

 

[click80]

I use a bag from (keep it simple compost) ,If you us a paint strainer or nylon stocking it causes damage to the bennies. this is a fact backed up by microscope testing.

I have no knowledge of Pantyhose except that I like them when they are coming off but Paint Strainer Bags are perfectly fine for straining tea if you know what size is needed. You have to specify that you want a 400 micron mesh strainer bag and that 400 micron is the specific size you need. This has been verified through SFI and the guys that wrote the book "Teeming with microbes". I have seen this subject come up repeated times. The Compost Tea Book by Dr. Ingham at SFI is where I originally got that info from on the size and that is a very well respected source book on Composting and Compost Tea. SFI is also the place that your link gets their teas tested at.

I don't know what that site charges for their bags but I just got two bags for $2.50 apiece at my local hardware store. Fits in a five gallon bucket and has an elastic collar so you don't have to zip tie it. The one from my Bountea Kit was getting a little ragged. If you want to you can even buy disposable strainers online in bulk. Cary Company out of Chicago is one but you have to call for pricing. They have ones that will fit large brewers, like from 5 gallon pail size to 55 gallon drum size. Larger Sherwin Williams also stock them. I know that there are a few popular strainer sizes (in the paint straining biz) but the guys at any decent paint supply house will know what you are asking for.

 

[Capulator]

hey cap you still rockin this molasses? the cookie recipe on the side is pretty bomb if you ever have any to spare

yep. I like it just need to dissolve in warm water first.

 

[kushluvr]

any problems with whisking the nutes into a smaller container to break them up before adding to the 4gals...... cap?

 

[click80]

yep. I like it just need to dissolve in warm water first.

I must have missed the post on this. What kind of Molasses? I am noticing that the one I am using does the same. I have got out of the habit of checking ph since the tea is always 7.0 and it keeps my medium rock steady at 6.5, but the other day I was doing just water and molasses and noticed that it dropped like a stone. I am using one from a company called Soil Menders.

I thought I read something on here about the Botanicare "Blackstrapped"? I think thats the name, I don't like that it comes in a tub. Looks like it could get messy.

When I first started on this tea stuff, a lot of the people who had been on here a long time always talked about Brer Rabbit Molasses.

Anyway, what kind did you get?

 

[click80]

Here is one of my better links. It has lots of info and lots of links to lots of info from small scale compost tea making to Counting Microbiology in Compost teas. You can download the PDF or view in online. There on links to do that from this page.

 

[kushluvr]

earth juice hi brix maloasses

 

[click80]

earth juice hi brix maloasses

Okay i found where it started. i think anyway. I think you said that you got some of the B. Bioactivator because they were out of the EJ H. Brix?

If so here is some info. I originally started with a Bountea Kit. After I got to reading and after making a few teas I didn't get the Bioactivator anymore because its so expensive for just Powdered Molasses, Yucca and whatever else is listed. At my local store the small box is 24.99 or 29.99, something like that so I just started using EJ hi brix like you and was going to order the Yucca. Anyway just the other day when I was looking up some things (on one of the Rodale forums I think) to see what I was going to use with the Sunshine mix I came across a posting from someone that works for Bountea and the short story is that there are a bunch of proprietary ingredients in there that they don't have to list. (of course). There is no doubt it makes a robust (really foamy) tea, but I still kind of step back at that price. I mean 25.00 only is enough bioactivator to make 3, 4 gallon batches if I am not mistaken. But I think if you get the five pound box for about 80.00 then it's a much better deal. I think that makes like 200 gallons.

 

[kushluvr]

This thread is about caps bennies dude.....not some other brands box or mix!

Stay on topic!

Peace

 

[outwest]

I got a 25lb box of Bountea Bioactivator for $117 at ehydro. Yes, it's a little pricier that molasses, but it's way easier to work with, and I like my brews way more with it. Those extra things like yucca are great.

outwest

EDIT: I also don't use it at the strength directed. I use it by the tablespoon.

 

[click80]

I got a 25lb box of Bountea Bioactivator for $117 at ehydro. Yes, it's a little pricier that molasses, but it's way easier to work with, and I like my brews way more with it. Those extra things like yucca are great.

outwest

EDIT: I also don't use it at the strength directed. I use it by the tablespoon.

Yes I am reevaluating my take on it after reading that post. I should have guessed there were other ingredients in it.

I also just got rereading a real long molasses post from The Three Birds on another forum. If anyone wants the link let me know. I don't know if it's cool to post links to other forums on here. The one takeaway I keep getting about molasses in teas and applying directly to plants is that less is better. Dr. Ingham warns about excessive amounts applied in teas to plants will tie up the Nitrate something or other because of the high bacterial activity. Here is a link to another Molasses info page and what Dr. Ingham says. The website is "The Soil Guy"

Text from Dr. Elaine Ingham:
Bacteria grow well and rapidly on simple sugars to exclusion of any fungus, until sugar concentration becomes extremely high. The simple preservative effect with molasses is the high concentration of sugar. Most organisms cannot grow in the high concentration of sugar. Once a container of molasses is sealed, however, condensate can form on the under-side of the lid if the container suffers heating cooling cycles. As the water drips into the top layer of the molasses concentrate, the sugar content can be diluted enough to allow fungal or actinobacterial growth as a surface scum. Just skim off the surface scum before use in soil, compost, or tea. Do not feed to animals or humans after a surface scum has formed unless you can recognise the organism as non-harmful. Addition of foods that cause rapid bacterial growth can tie-up nitrate nitrogen so fast, and so effectively that plant growth can be harmed, and even stopped. Bacteria win in competition with plants for N in soil, and thus plants can be killed as the result of lack of N. Of course, the solution to this problem is NOT to kill the bacteria, but rather to establish normal nutrient cycling processes once again. How? Get the protozoa and bacterial-feeding nematodes back to work!

 

[We Solidarity]

heyyo, my bad on not being specific, I was referring to the Wholesome Sweeteners organic molasses, they sell it in grocery stores and hydro shops, you def have to dissolve it in warm water first but it's good stuff.

I also dissolve the bennies in water before adding them to the tea, I make sure to mix it up and break up all the clumps and stuff on the bottom until it looks like milk of magnesia, then add it in. I do molasses, then bennies, then the castings bag

also, I've noticed I get LOTS more foam when I let my water aerate with stones overnight before brewing tea, it usually has lots more culture as well.

 

[2fast4u2]

I havent been on this forum in a loooong time.. But at the request of a certain well known grower, I am here to simply say one thing. Caps bennies have blown my mind, normally I would add profanity to a phrase charged with that much reverence, but lemme tell you, Ive fixed more rookies plant problems with this stuff and the turnaround time is faster than anything Id been using before.

Just wow...

I brew em in half gallon at a time portions..

 

[click80]

This thread is about caps bennies dude.....not some other brands box or mix!

Stay on topic!

Peace

It is. Bioactivator from Bountea is what some people on here use to brew CAPS BENNIES in tea instead of molasses or whatever..... Its a box of dried molasses with yucca man, that's it. Back a page or two I think this convo started about Cap trying a different molasses that didn't bounce PH. Besides that there have been many posts about Using Bountea products with Caps bennies in teas. Fuck this getting jumped on shit.

 

[kushluvr]

good deal man!

 

[Capulator]

It is. Bioactivator from Bountea is what some people on here use to brew CAPS BENNIES in tea instead of molasses or whatever..... Its a box of dried molasses with yucca man, that's it. Back a page or two I think this convo started about Cap trying a different molasses that didn't bounce PH. Besides that there have been many posts about Using Bountea products with Caps bennies in teas. Fuck this getting jumped on shit.

This is about making the tea any way that works well. I do not care how it's made. Use bountea, or whatever else works for you. I'm more interested in getting good results and sharing than ingredients. I know that the packs provide many microbes in addition to anything else we are using, so it's all good.

I am currently using the same brand as wethepeople. its unsulfured black strap molasses. it does not alter pH so IMHO it is better. I think it may be a little cheaper too.

 

[GR33NL3AF]

This is about making the tea any way that works well. I do not care how it's made. Use bountea, or whatever else works for you. I'm more interested in getting good results and sharing than ingredients. I know that the packs provide many microbes in addition to anything else we are using, so it's all good.

I am currently using the same brand as wethepeople. its unsulfured black strap molasses. it does not alter pH so IMHO it is better. I think it may be a little cheaper too.

Is that the standard molasses you can find at places like Whole Foods?

 

[Capulator]

Is that the standard molasses you can find at places like Whole Foods?

yes. we solidarity posted the brand a couple posts up.