Let’s not forget the ergot alkaloids, produced by fungus, that allow us to synthesize lysergic diethylamide!
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Hi all, how long do you brew that simple compost tea? Thanks
Usually 30 hours. According to the info on this site http://microbeorganics.com/ (yes, I’m posting it again, just because you can read that and not ask any questions haha), fungal counts are highest around 24 hours. Supposedly, you want a higher-fungal tea (or whatever) when you’re transitioning to flower. So I’ve used teas brewed for 24 hours right when I flip. I’ve also brewed for 28 hours, 29 hours, 30 hours, 31 hours, 32 hours etc etc etc haha. Never longer than 36 hours, though. Once you get up around 40 hours, the possibility of your tea going anaerobic increases, so I typically just stick to 30 hours. A few hours less or more than that doesn’t seem like a big deal to me.
Your brewer is very important, just FYI. The amount of dissolved oxygen matters. Like I said earlier, those little aquarium air stone things won’t cut it (although I do sometimes use them for nutrient teas, like a neem/kelp tea or whatever).
Read that link I posted. It’ll answer all your questions.
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Awesome thank you for reposting!
@DesertHeartGardens,
what is “Quality ewc?”
Earthworm castings.
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Kinda looks like tip of a dick. 
This usually all the tea/liquid fertilizer I use. Maybe add some molasses or oatmeal. I keep a bucket under my worm bin to catch all the juice. Good stuff
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Earthworm casting what I mean by quality is preferably homemade that uses quality imputs( amendments and food etc) or from a good source
I took a few videos detailing how my first experience making microbe tea. I followed the recipe @minitiger posted. 1.5c worm castings and 1/3c high brix molasses.
I ran into some issues that I ran into in hopes of helping others that are just learning (like myself) by sharing some of the problems I ran into and how I solved them. Someone can explain a recipe of what to throw into the bucket and give you the basic concept, but until you actually complete the process you won’t understand the little nuances that make the process smooth, easy, and effective without trial and error. I’m hoping my error’s will help you avoid the pitfalls that can waste your time and potentially a nice batch of brew.
I didn’t make a PVC manifold with an air pump as others have done. I wanted to use what I had on hand which are air stones. Everyone recommended not using stones due to sludge buildup and that’s exactly what happened. I have a solution though. Add enough weight into each bag to keep them on the bottom of the bucket. You could just as easily drill a 45 degree angle hole through the top of the bucket to insert a support stake. Make the hole big enough to pop a zip tie through it. The weights will be the long term solution though. I’ve got to find something that will add significant weight without tying up a lot of real estate in the bucket. Also the weight needs to be waterproof so anything metal is out of the question. Coffee mug? Again, I like simple.
Here are a few videos of what I’ve experienced on my first tea so far. Sorry for the multiple videos. I did everything in stages so I didn’t make a 20 minute video rambling on.
Paint strainer air stone solution
This is a fella that went to high school with my wife. He operates a large farm in Oregon and he grows organically with compost teas. Check out a couple of his videos. The guy is awesome for taking the time to share his extensive knowledge.
I really think that you’re overthinking this way too much and making it way more difficult than it needs to be. I understand you wanting to use the things you had on hand, but if that’s the case, why not just topdress with the EWC you have and call it a day? Or even make a slurry?
The amount of dissolved oxygen in a compost tea matters. I’m not sure how many air stones you’d have to use to equal the amount that a proper brewer can provide, but it’d be quite a few. And drilling holes in buckets and adding support stakes and adding weights and stuff? That sounds like just as big a hassle as buying an air pump and a little pvc and building your own.
I bought my brewer, just FYI, because I’m lazy haha. But if you’re gonna be drilling holes in buckets and adding weights and shit, why not just build a brewer?
Also, I don’t use bags, I just dump everything into the bucket and let the air pump do its job. I’m not too sure what you mean about “sludge,” but if you’re referring to the EWC and molasses that drifts to the bottom of the bucket when you’re done brewing and unplug the air pump, that isn’t an issue. It certainly doesn’t affect the brewing process. A proper air pump with the correct GPH keeps that stuff moving around the entire time. Air stones don’t, which is why yours got covered in “sludge.” Which probably (definitely) affected their ability to produce oxygen in the water. And oxygen in the water is the most important aspect of a compost tea.
It sounds to me like you’re trying to reinvent the wheel or something. But I do understand you’re wanting to use the things you have on hand. Personally, I’d just go with what’s proven to work rather than trying to figure out other, different ways. There are definitely a lot of reasons to figure out different ways to do many, many things, but a compost tea isn’t one of them haha…
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I have a 250GPH water pump at the bottom of the bucket on full power to circulate the sediment that would otherwise accumulate on the bottom of the container. However, without a paint strainer protecting the stones from all of those large particles they stick to the stones. I have 4 of them in the bucket powered by a 250GPH air pump which should be plenty of power for a 5 gallon bucket.
I’m not interested in buying another air pump now and I have no intention of heading to the plumbing store for parts, then spending half a day drilling holes and assembling the new manifold with connecting pieces to mate the air pump to the PVC. I’ll eventually craft a manifold but not today.
Holding the air stone bag down under the water’s surface with a garden stake is about as caveman a solution anyone could come up with. That means it’s easy and required about 30 seconds of work with materials most growers already have on hand.
The requirements for microbe / nutrient tea is having the right ingredients at the right ratios, having enough dissolved oxygen so the tea doesn’t go sour, and circulating the sediment at the bottom of the brew container. I’ve met all of those needs with what I already have on hand. We’re just splitting hairs from here. The goal can be met in a variety of ways.
Instead of making a manifold do yourself a favor and scoop one of these https://www.amazon.com/Compost-Tea-Aerator-BubbleSnake-Gallon/dp/1450740359/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?m=A3K5EB9L9X07TI&qid=1681674628&s=merchant-items&sr=1-1 works great
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I’m lazy, this is what I tend to do. 1👍
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That’s a nice long term solution. For $30 that’s way less hassle than monkeying with a PVC manifold. I’ll be ordering this one on the next paycheck. Thanks man. Much appreciated.
@ReikoX 3 plants are in hydro water to waste buckets in perlite. I’m primarily brewing this solely for the purpose of applying the microbes in a foliar application and watering the rest of my garden that’s in soil to start a micro herd. The purpose of brewing is to multiply healthy microbes. Top dressing is effective but it’s not going to breed that super herd of microbes that’s immediately available to the plant in liquid form loaded with healthy beneficial microbes. Top dressing will take time to break down and work into the soil which works great, but it’s not the same as brewing microbe tea. Dill, lavender, sweet basil, and peppermint are the other plants I’ll apply the brew to via foliar and soil application. All of the plants will receive a foliar application. I’m looking forward to seeing the results. I’m going for a 36 hour brew on my first batch which happens around 1:30 am tonight. I can’t wait to open the tent the following day to see how the plants respond. The brew still smells earthy with a hint of sweetness. Nothing funky. I’ll report back with pics.
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Inspiration 
You might not already have the materials on hand, but this is also easy enough for a caveman to figure out and has been working fine for me:
Just some T-sections for hydro tubing and stainless steel nuts to weight them down. Cost me about $10 and I have material to make a hundred more.
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My dude
Macgyver would be as impressed as I am. Cheap and effective - caveman style. I do need to upgrade my air pump. I was looking at the units other growers are using and most run around 350 gph air pumps so I’m close to that but not quite there. I’ll upgrade that asap. I think I’ll try the air supply tubing the way you did it. I’ve got everything on hand except the stainless steel nuts. That’s like a $5 solution all in. As more cash frees up eventually I may upgrade to the soaker hose on amazon.
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A plain old rock would do the trick. Can’t get much more caveman than that. Lol
Plus they’re free and come in all shapes sizes and weights
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Okay, sounds like you got it figured out. Never mind then.
More importantly, how did your plants look after watering with it? Haha! Who gives a shit HOW we brew our teas? We just wanna see the plants… haha.
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EWC has always been my formula for flowering, seems to pack on pistils with a good pile of EWC compost.
EWC tea is very good stuff for Cannabis. Add Bone meal, use Cucumber ashes, Wood ashes in flowering, with your EWC compost pile.
As the old EWC washes away replace it with new EWC. 
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