How do you PH your AACT?

Hey guys, long time follower of the RIU boards, and I seem to find myself with a question in which I don't know how to answer. Recently I started reading into the AACT (actively aerated compost tea, for those who don't know), and I decided that I would build my own brewer and start making my own teas. I use 2 air stones and. 10l/min pump so there is plenty of aeration, and the teas have looked, aesthetically, good, so far. So, my question is, how do you guys balance the pH of your teas? The first time I made my tea, it came out at a pH of 7.7, way too high for what I need (I'm using a similar recipe to subcools supersoil)' but I read somewhere the teas didn't need to be pH'd since they were aerated?! The second tea also came out at 7.7 but I used Advanced Nutrients pH down to get the ph to 6.2, just about where I want it, but I'm afraid the pH down may have killed off a good number of my microbes. Can anyone please clarify this for me?

thanks

sampras

YOU DON'T!!!! The bacteria and fungi made the pH 7.7 because that's where they want it. Happy micro life equals happy plants.

If you want to brew a tea with lower pH, add less molasses and more fish hydrolysate. That'll cater more to the soil fungi, which tend to lower pH.

Thanks for the quick response spicysativa! That makes sense! Do you think by adding the pH down that it will throw the tea off? I'll be sure not to do it I the future, but I'm curious how it will affect the plants this one time?

Stop trying to ph organics. Good soil takes care of it.

Oh btw, it shouldn't affect the plants at all the one time

One or two times isn't gonna make or break you. I wouldn't worry about it.

BlueJ is absolutely correct here. As long as the pH of the SOIL is properly adjusted (limed), the soil will slowly change the pH of whatever liquid goes into it the longer it sits in contact with the soil. Run off doesnt count as it just "ran thru" and wasnt in contact with the soil long enough to be much affected.

If it was that important to you, couldn't you PH the water before starting the batch? You could then use your meter to test Ph after brewing to see if there was significant change. Let us know what you find out.

Sampras1489 said:

second tea also came out at 7.7 but I used Advanced Nutrients pH down to get the ph to 6.2, just about where I want it, but I'm afraid the pH down may have killed off a good number of my microbes. Can anyone please clarify this for me?

Click to expand...

I've done the same exact thing and I could tell the microbial life got damaged.