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Compost Tea Instructions

5 Gallon Brewer (DS5)
Application

You can apply your compost tea with a watering can, hand-pump sprayer, or backpack
sprayer. Typically, compost tea is applied at a rate of 10-20 gallons per acre, depending on
biological composition. If you would like to know the biological composition of your tea,
send it in for testing! Testing forms and detailed instructions for sampling compost tea
are available here.


When running the tea through your sprayer, keep in mind that we're trying to get as much
biology onto the plants/soil as possible. If your sprayer has filters in it which are less than
400 micron or 40 mesh, they WILL block beneficial fungi; this is not good! If you can, be sure
to remove any filters in your sprayer before use. If you want to run the tea through a
powered spray rig (i.e. a pump), avoid using centrifugal pumps, as they chop up the fungi.
Diaphragm or roller pumps work best, at 60 PSI or less.


Another important point to keep in mind is what was run through the sprayer previously. If
you've recently sprayed pesticides or chemical fertilizers, it is very important to thoroughly
clean the sprayer before using compost tea as those chemicals will damage the tea. (We
recommend using Simple Green cleaner.)

Cleaning

  1. After your tea is done, unclip the brewing bag from the frame, dump out the spent compost from the bag (preferably into your garden or on a compost pile), and spray the bag out with a hose. Be sure to get the corners!

  2. Hose the brewing setup down and unclip the tubing from it.

  3. Thoroughly spray out the bucket and you're ready to make more tea!

  4. *Note: If you're having trouble getting the bag/tubing fully cleaned, both are safe to run through the dishwasher. Place them on the upper rack and be sure to turn off heated drying.

Brewing

  1. Fill the bucket with 4.5 gallons of water.

  2. Gently place pre-treated compost into the brewing bag. Take a brewing bag and clip onto the edge of the bucket.

  3. Add 2 Tbsp Soil ReVive.

  4. Connect pump tubing to bucket using quick connect. Note: You must push the button on the female side of the connector to make the connection.

  5. Make sure that the pump is placed higher than the water level of the bucket, but do NOT place the pump on top of the bucket. Then, plug the pump into a wall outlet (110 volt DC.)

  6. Turn the unit on and allow the brewer to aerate for 24 hours.

  7. After 24 hours, unplug the pump and disconnect it from the brewing frame.

Recipe

Begin with a pre-treatment of your humus or compost.


Prepare. Begin with a pre-treatment of your humus or compost. Start with 1/2 pound of
compost, and spread it out in a plastic container. The compost should be moist, but not wet.
Mix. Lightly mix 2 tablespoons of Soil ReVive into the compost. Keep compost moist, add a
small amount of water as needed.
Cover. Once it is mixed, cover with a lid poked with holes. This will allow for the air to move
through.
Store. Store for 48-72 hours in a dark, indoor place. The longer it sits, the more fungal
growth you will accumulate. After 48 hours, you should see white fuzz sitting on top of the
compost… this is the fungi!
Brew. Scoop the compost into a brewing bag, and start up the water aeration. Add another
2 tablespoons of Soil ReVive to the water. Let the water brew for 24 hours, then apply.


● Carefully lift the bag out of the bucket and place it on the ground.
● Apply the fresh compost tea to your plants. (See application section)
● Clean the brewing frame, bag and bucket. (See cleaning section)


Learn if your tea has a good balance of microorganisms: send it in for testing!

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