Effect
Hop extract brewer
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From here
I must add, kitchen waste doesn't mean just vegetables. It means EVERYTHING (barring plastic etc). That means, bones, prawns, bacon off cuts, onions, potatoes and citrus.
Has anyone had any experience with this composting system? The $85 Bokashi Bucket appears to be a fermenter with a false bottom. Something some of us could put together with old equipment lying around the place. However, the key to Bokashi is the 'Effective Micro-organisms' - most of which, as brewers, we are familiar with.
From here.
There are DIY guides on how to make your own Bokashi EM. is a Youtube video, which basically show mixing molasses, rice hulls (or bran) with a small amount of store bought EM. This forum has a guide on how to make Bokashi EM as well, but more in depth than the video, with methods on how to culture up Lactic acid bacteria.
My thoughts were that there would be sufficient lactic acid producing bacteria in my spent grain and depending on the OG of the batch I am brewing, sufficient left over sugar as well. Yeast could be harvested from a yeast cake, which would be more than sufficient. With a good kilo or two of spent grain dried out and yeast always ready in the fridge, would this be sufficient as a DIY EM?
If so, it would be great to get one of these going to process all the kitchen waste that I produce. I am thinking of getting a barrel of this size.
A false bottom could be a simple 2nd hand colander or something similar.
Any thoughts or experience would be great.
Cheers
Phil
Bokashi is a Japanese term that means fermented organic matter. EM Bokashi is a pleasant smelling product made using a combination of sawdust and bran that has been infused with Effective Micro-organisms (EM). EM Bokashi has traditionally been used to increase the microbial diversity and activity in soils and to supply nutrients to plants.
Place your kitchen waste into the bucket, then sprinkle a hand full of EM Bokashi over the waste.
Repeat this layering process until the Bokashi Bucket is full.
Drain off liquid (Bokashi juice) as necessary.
Once the bucket is full to capacity, the waste can be buried. If you have two Bokashi Buckets, begin the process again in your second bucket. Let the waste from the first Bokashi Bucket continue to ferment for 10-14 days or for any additional length of time. Then, bury the waste and wash out Bokashi Bucket ready to use when your second Bokashi Bucket is full. If you have only one Bokashi Bucket the waste can be buried as soon as it is full, obviously the waste on the top has not had much or any chance to ferment, even so, the waste will still break down quickly because of the micro-organisms mixed in.
With two Bokashi Buckets the waste gets extra time to ferment, you will get more of the valuable Bokashi Juice and it is more convenient, however, this wonderful composting system will still work with just one Bokashi Bucket.
Bokashi Compost will look different to other compost that has decayed. As the food waste does not breakdown or decompose while it is in the bucket, much of its original physical property will remain and it will have a pickled appearance. Breakdown of waste will occur after it has been transferred to the soil.
I must add, kitchen waste doesn't mean just vegetables. It means EVERYTHING (barring plastic etc). That means, bones, prawns, bacon off cuts, onions, potatoes and citrus.
Has anyone had any experience with this composting system? The $85 Bokashi Bucket appears to be a fermenter with a false bottom. Something some of us could put together with old equipment lying around the place. However, the key to Bokashi is the 'Effective Micro-organisms' - most of which, as brewers, we are familiar with.
From here.
A. Photosynthetic Bacteria
The photosynthetic or phototropic bacteria are a group of independent, self supporting microbes. These bacteria synthesise useful substances from secretions of roots, organic matter and/or harmful gases (eg. hydrogen sulphide), by using sunlight and the heat of soil as sources of energy. Useful substances developed by these microbes include amino acids, nucleic acids, bioactive substances and sugars, all of which promote plant growth and development. The metabolites developed by these microorganisms are absorbed directly into plants and act as substrates for increasing beneficial populations.
B. Lactic acid bacteria
Lactic acid bacteria produce lactic acid from sugars and other carbohydrates, developed by photosynthetic bacteria and yeast. Therefore, some foods and drinks such as yogurt and pickles have been made with lactic acid bacteria for decades. However, lactic acid is a strong sterilizing compound, and suppresses harmful microorganisms and enhances decomposition of organic matter. Moreover, lactic acid bacteria promote the decomposition of material such as lignin and cellulose and ferments these materials, thereby removing undesirable effects of undecomposed organic matter. Lactic acid bacteria have the ability to suppress disease-inducing microorganisms such as Fusarium, which occur in continuous cropping programs. Under normal circumstances, species such as Fusarium weaken crop plants, thereby exposing plants to diseases and increased pest populations such as root-feeding nematodes. The use of lactic acid bacteria reduces root-feeding nematode populations and controls propagation and spread of Fusarium, thereby inducing a better environment for crop growth.
C. Yeast
Yeasts synthesise antimicrobial and other useful substances required for plant growth from amino acids and sugars secreted by photosynthetic bacteria, organic matter and plant roots. The bioactive substances such as hormones and enzymes produced by yeasts promote active cell and root division. These secretions are also useful substrates for effective microbes such as lactic acid bacteria and actinomycetes.
There are DIY guides on how to make your own Bokashi EM. is a Youtube video, which basically show mixing molasses, rice hulls (or bran) with a small amount of store bought EM. This forum has a guide on how to make Bokashi EM as well, but more in depth than the video, with methods on how to culture up Lactic acid bacteria.
My thoughts were that there would be sufficient lactic acid producing bacteria in my spent grain and depending on the OG of the batch I am brewing, sufficient left over sugar as well. Yeast could be harvested from a yeast cake, which would be more than sufficient. With a good kilo or two of spent grain dried out and yeast always ready in the fridge, would this be sufficient as a DIY EM?
If so, it would be great to get one of these going to process all the kitchen waste that I produce. I am thinking of getting a barrel of this size.
A false bottom could be a simple 2nd hand colander or something similar.
Any thoughts or experience would be great.
Cheers
Phil
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