Tea Recipe

[click80]

What size pump is everyone using? My last two batches of tea I had zero foam.
I haven't added alfalfa yet...but will be on my next tea.

I use either two stones on the smaller active aqua 50 liters/minute or three on a 110 liter/min pump. I always have foam, even if I just do Caps Bennies alone. I am by no way an expert but I would think that you need to evaluate your method if you are not getting any foam at all. From my understanding foam indicates many things but in general that you have an active tea. I used a smaller aquarium pump one time, it came with the Bountea kit I had bought, and I did not get foam and it smelled like vomit/sour-ish yukky odor.

Maybe you can use a water pump? I know that I read on Microbeorganics web page that smaller aquarium impellers do not damage the biology in teas.

Maybe someone else can be more helpful.

 

[click80]

One thing I am having a hard time figuring out is how much fertilizer to give. Here are some photos. I swear I have used Age Old Bloom only three times now. Flip date was 6/12.

View attachment 236494View attachment 236496View attachment 236498

 

[click80]

One the preceding post I didn't finish it.

What I am kind of curious about is this. I have only used Age Old Bloom three times and it is not a complete fertilizer. I did not get the Myco in there soon enough I don't think, so I am wondering where are the plants getting their Micronutrients from? I do add in Epsom and a small amount of CalMag. Very small. I use teas almost every watering, which is almost daily now. I use the Alaskan Humisoil, molasses and Alfalfa tea. I know I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, I am just wondering if I am not pushing them as much as I could or if I am maybe going to have them peak out on me. The Deathstar is a strong finisher and usually puts a lot of its bulk on in the last two weeks which are coming up soon. I was tempted to add in some powdered Kool Bloom but I would like to have my first real soilless grow be totally organic. Or as close as I can. I don't think that technically Age Old Bloom is organic.

 

[CelticEBE]

I use either two stones on the smaller active aqua 50 liters/minute or three on a 110 liter/min pump. I always have foam, even if I just do Caps Bennies alone. I am by no way an expert but I would think that you need to evaluate your method if you are not getting any foam at all. From my understanding foam indicates many things but in general that you have an active tea. I used a smaller aquarium pump one time, it came with the Bountea kit I had bought, and I did not get foam and it smelled like vomit/sour-ish yukky odor.

Maybe you can use a water pump? I know that I read on Microbeorganics web page that smaller aquarium impellers do not damage the biology in teas.

Maybe someone else can be more helpful.

Yeah I have been going through the thread and it looks like I am way undersized on my air pump. Time to chuck the 15L and pick up a 50L or bigger.

 

[Capulator]

http://www.thatpetplace.com/super-l..._term=super_luft_air_pump&creative=8109523844

this is the one I use

 

[click80]

http://www.thatpetplace.com/super-l..._term=super_luft_air_pump&creative=8109523844

this is the one I use

I wonder how to translate the psi to lt/min? The price on that one looks good.

I want to get another pump, but the damn active aquas are amazingly dependable. My small one, even got res water siphoned into it. I ran to the Hydrostore, it was a saturday, they only had the bigger one, 110 lt/min, I bought it took it home...etc. About a day later I said wtf and plugged the little one back in and lo and behold the little fucker started up and has been running since. The big one runs full time cause I got something bubbling always. I even bubble when I put additives/nutes in, gets the ph balanced quicker. I use the small one periodically.

 

[cctt]

I wonder how to translate the psi to lt/min?

Well, it depends on how much resistance there is due to flow through the tube, gravity pushing back from the water it's submerged in, pushing through the airstone itself, etc.

I think when an air pump is rated in terms of flow rate they must be making assumptions about how little resistance it must push through- too much and flow rate would drop. Likewise when it's rated in terms of pressure they must be making assumptions about how much resistance there is- too little and pressure would drop.

Really, they should be telling you both maximum flow unrestricted and maximum pressure fully restricted. Sorry that's not very helpful.

 

[click80]

Well, it depends on how much resistance there is due to flow through the tube, gravity pushing back from the water it's submerged in, pushing through the airstone itself, etc.

I think when an air pump is rated in terms of flow rate they must be making assumptions about how little resistance it must push through- too much and flow rate would drop. Likewise when it's rated in terms of pressure they must be making assumptions about how much resistance there is- too little and pressure would drop.

Really, they should be telling you both maximum flow unrestricted and maximum pressure fully restricted. Sorry that's not very helpful.

No that was helpful. I didn't think there was really a way to compare unless you do it pump to pump maybe? The one pictured looks about the size of my smaller Active Aqua. I am going to a Vortex brewer anyway. I don't know if they use air of not, haven't done all that much research yet. First I gotta get a scope.

 

[treebark1950]

Just wanted to say that I just brewed a tea with Water, Molasses at 10ml per gallon, and added Foilar and Root packs and after 36 hours I have a at least 2 feet of foam from a 30 gallon brew with 4 airstones and an Air-5 pump.

Ph has stabilized at 7.5..

I have noticed that you should clean stones every time!! When I don't have good foaming its because of a clogged airstone and the tea smells bad. I rotate them out, I bleach and then boil them!
Cheers

 

[click80]

Just wanted to say that I just brewed a tea with Water, Molasses at 10ml per gallon, and added Foilar and Root packs and after 36 hours I have a at least 2 feet of foam from a 30 gallon brew with 4 airstones and an Air-5 pump.

Ph has stabilized at 7.5..

I have noticed that you should clean stones every time!! When I don't have good foaming its because of a clogged airstone and the tea smells bad. I rotate them out, I bleach and then boil them!
Cheers

I have just started boiling mine too after reading a post on here. I dunk them in Physan 20 solution (mild) or bleach (mild) and put the air tube on and blow it out. Turn air off, dunk, let sit awhile, blow out. Repeat a few times over a few hours then boil. Mine have yet to get clogged.

 

[treebark1950]

I have just started boiling mine too after reading a post on here. I dunk them in Physan 20 solution (mild) or bleach (mild) and put the air tube on and blow it out. Turn air off, dunk, let sit awhile, blow out. Repeat a few times over a few hours then boil. Mine have yet to get clogged.

Not literally clogged, but they have a biofilm on them that I don't like after so long...and they don't produce as much air...

I soak em in bleach, 24 hours, then boil them the next day...I also bought like 30 extra ones as I got them for 2 bucks each...

 

[pRiMo303]

For actual foliar feeding I would go light. Maybe 1/2 cup per 10 gallons.

I foliared straight tea (tbs each, ewc, alf, humic, kelp, blackstrap). No ill effects. Question..should I add a drop of eco friendly dish soap or is that bad news for the micros?

 

[CelticEBE]

Still no foam.....I'm adding alfalfa meal next week and one other thing I noticed was that the water was pretty cold. I didn't bother to check the temps...but I'm pretty damn sure it was below 70 degrees...which I think would inhibit microbial life from populating.

 

[Capulator]

Still no foam.....I'm adding alfalfa meal next week and one other thing I noticed was that the water was pretty cold. I didn't bother to check the temps...but I'm pretty damn sure it was below 70 degrees...which I think would inhibit microbial life from populating.

yeah thats cold. Maybe try an aquarium heater?

I foliared straight tea (tbs each, ewc, alf, humic, kelp, blackstrap). No ill effects. Question..should I add a drop of eco friendly dish soap or is that bad news for the micros?

I am not sure about eco friendly soap. yucca extract for the win!

 

[persiankid]

Hey Cap will using SM-90 in my mix kill my tea? Thanks man
PK

 

[Capulator]

Hey Cap will using SM-90 in my mix kill my tea? Thanks man
PK

NOTE: SM-90 will inhibit beneficial bacterial colonization. If you are trying to promote bacteria growth in your garden, this may not be a desirable additive.

^^^this was taken from a decription I found of the product.

 

[El Cerebro]

just made another batch, 18-36hrs in and nice foam. 72F / starting h2o 7.5ph - currently 6.7 (still alive)

has ewc, humic, alfalfa, kelp, birdguano, foliar/root packs, molasses (with yeastcrust), no wetters

brewed loose in a bucket with tiny aquarium pump and crappy airstone, strained afterward through nylon stocking material.

 

[sicinsane]

hey cap i brewed tea for the first time the other day and watered my plants with it and made a batch of foliar with pure water to spray. One question i forgot to ask you. I'm not suppose to ph the tea or foliar spray right? i'm using tap with 4 airstones bubbling for 24 hrs before foliar and making tea.

 

[Capulator]

no pH. it should balance out on its own. If you want to pH to 7.0 prior to adding that is fine, but I don't pH. The earth juice hibrix brings the pH down to like 6.3-6.6 and I leave it at that.

 

[whatupdoc]

What's up cap?! Hey man I'm new to the whole idea of brewing teas, but it seems awesome! It's definitely something that I want to try. I'm 4 weeks into veg, getting ready to flip in a week or so, and I'd love to use the tea during flower. The ebay link is what I use to grab the nute/root packs right? Probably a silly question, just making sure...