Anaerobic Compost Tea
Anaerobic means "without oxygen" or "not requiring oxygen".
Please READ Section 1 
before you proceed.
Important Note ↟↟
It is important to note that compost tea is more about bacteria-filled water than it is about soil-filled bacteria.
In other words, we have changed focus from dirt to water.
2+ Main Types Of Bacteria ↟↟
Most people do not know this but plants actually consume bacteria (how else do you explain compost being such a rich source of plant nutrition?
There are 2 types of bacteria I will deal with here, and they are Anaerobic (here) and Aerobic (next section).
Anaerobic Compost is basically where you put carbon material (leaves, grass and other specific "stuff") into a large container (Drum) and add water and basically let nature slowly break down the compounds in the Drum.
While this is a slow and tedious process, adding certain ingredients can expedite this process (although not by much).
You Will Need ↟↟
- 1 or 2 x 220 liters == 60 gallons Drums.
- Several buckets full of organic cow manure. (3 )
- 3 Kg (7 pounds) of finely sifted wood ash. (you only need the silvery powder)
- 3 Kg (7 pounds) of potatoes.
- 3 Kg (7 pounds) of white rice
- 3 - 5 Tablespoons of Common Yeast (Optional but also recommended)
"Blackstrap Molasses" 1 liter (2 pints) "Unsulfured Molasses" or 1 Kg (2 lbs) Brown sugar
"Humic Acid" "Mycorrhizal Fungi" - OPTIONAL but valuable: "Dehydrated" Seaweed or Kelp (1 or 2 buckets full - or more per drum)
- OPTIONAL but very valuable: as many "Dehydrated" Comfrey Leaves as you can possibly get.
#3) Do not use horse manure.
Do not use commercial chicken or duck manure (unless you own these chickens and you DO NOT feed them ANY commercial chicken feeds).
Important Bacteria TIP:
Do not overfeed these little critters with sugar or molasses or they may revert back into their "cyst" (hibernation) stage.
How To Test When Ready? ↟↟
This is easy, simply add (only) one of the following and if the water literally boils with gas bubbles, then you have reached the time you can decant UP TO 80% of the liquid and then start the process again.
TIP: Decant and use 50% of the liquid, then add more water and "bacteria food" and in Summer when the container (drum) gets over 25C (77F), the bacteria will double every 30 minutes or so, effectively doubling your bacteria content and allowing you to use this liquid daily (if you want).
When you add any of the following, you must stir this into your "brew" and then watch for a reaction.
- 3 - 5 Tablespoons of Common Yeast powder (Optional but also recommended)
- 1 coffee cup of finely sifted wood ash (the silvery powder and not the charcoal).
- 2 tablespoons of powdered whey (or)
- 1 tablespoon of dissolved (desulfured) BlackStrap Molasses (or)
- 2 tablespoons of dissolved Brown Sugar (or)
- 4 tablespoons of "Pureed" potatoes (or)
- 4 tablespoons of boiled (then cooled) and "Pureed" white rice (with starch)
You can buy or 
When To Feed? ↟↟
Based on a 220 liter (60 gallon) open top drum, and for the first week only.
DO NOT Over feed or many bacteria will revert back into the closed "Cyst" stage and you lose. (make sure this drum is in direct sunlight and can heat up during the day.
Week 1:
Half fill the tank with Unchlorinated water, then add 2 tablespoons of Molasses, 1 tablespoon of humic acid and stir in.
Blend (using a blender) the RAW potatoes, the Cooked rice (which you have let cool) and the Comfrey leaves so that you have at least 1 bucket of "slop".
Once your water is prepared, add the bucket of "slop" to your water and stir in for a minute or 2.
Next, add the cow manure and stir as you add.
Then add any grass and leaves you have so that the container is 1/2 (50%) full of solids.
Then fill up with water so that the water is several inches (15-29cms) from the top and place the lid onto the container (drum).
There may be some swelling so expect that.
Leave this for at least 7 days in sunlight so that the bacteria can feed on what you have already put in the tank (drum).
- Day 1: Nothing
- Day 2: Nothing
- Day 3: Nothing
- Day 4: Nothing
- Day 5: Nothing
- Day 6: Nothing
- Day 7: Nothing
You must "stir this in" every time you add food (usually takes around 30 seconds).
Week 2:
- Day 1: (PM = afternoon) 1 x cup or pureed potatoes or rice mixed with 1 "Tablespoon" of molasses or 2 x "Tablespoons" of brown sugar.
- Day 2: (PM) 1 x cup or pureed potatoes or rice mixed with 1 "Tablespoon" of molasses or 2 x "Tablespoons" of brown sugar.
- Day 3: (PM) 2 x cups or pureed potatoes or rice mixed with 2 x "Tablespoons" of molasses or 4 x "Tablespoons" of brown sugar.
- Day 4: (PM) 2 x cups or pureed potatoes or rice mixed with 2 x "Tablespoons" of molasses or 4 x "Tablespoons" of brown sugar.
- Day 5: (PM) 2 x cups or pureed potatoes or rice mixed with 2 x "Tablespoons" of molasses or 4 x "Tablespoons" of brown sugar.
- Day 6: (PM) 3 x cups or pureed potatoes or rice mixed with 3 x "Tablespoons" of molasses or 8 x "Tablespoons" of brown sugar.
- Day 7: TEST
Add 2 - 3 tablespoons of Whey powder and stir and see if you get a reaction?
Do not add any food and they should consume most of what is breaking down (like the rice and potatoes)
Repeat WEEK 2 for the next 2 weeks and then test again.
IF you have done this right and used UNchlorinated water and the drums are in direct sunlight where they generate heat over 25C (77F), then you should be able to decant (take out) at least 50% of the liquid and water your plants with this.
IF you have a lot of plants, then dilute at 10:1 (10 water to 1 compost tea) and water onto your plants.
You can also water onto your plants at full strength without any side-effects every few days.
TIP:
You can blend up the potatoes and the rice and put into cup sized containers and stor in the freezer which means that you spend 30-40 minutes doing all of the work and then defrost 1 container of potatoes and rice as needed.
Freezing is better because it comes out of the container much more cleanly.
No Heat Method ↟↟
The heat is critical and if you do not have access to this 25C+ heat, then you need to only add 1 cup of Potato or Rice (as described above) plus 1 teaspoon of Molasses (or 2 teaspoons of brown sugar) daily.
Then follow the following formula.
- Week 1 == Same as week 1 and 2 above.
- Week 12 == Add 2 tablespoons of powdered whey and see if you get some kind of gas (farting) reaction.
Remember to stir.
This will now take at least 4 - 6 months to convert.
If you live in the "Snow Zone" (like me), then I would strongly suggest that you use the Aerobic method or else you may be waiting for over 12 months for your Anaerobic Tea to become active especially given the colder weather we are experiencing as of 2026.
Remember ↟↟
Remember that this is a long term "static" process in a drum that you will have down the back of your yard.
Usage ↟↟
Once a month before you feed the little critters, take out 2 or 3 buckets worth of liquid from the top and then fill this up again with filtered NON-Chlorinated water and Only Then feed them.
You can dilute this down to 10 parts water to 1 part compost tea and I have seen some people also say 20:1 but I found that 10:1 was a great method.
Simple Version
A simpler version of this is 1 pint per gallon of water or 500mls per 4 liters.
Some people use this as a foliar spray (spray the leaves) but you need to "really" filter this through one or 2 paper coffee filters first or you will clog up your sprayer (unless you have an industrial back-pack sprayer model).
However, even with a 
Solids ↟↟
If you are taking "solids" out of the tank to add to your soil, this is the stage that you add the "mycorrhizal fungi" before you put the solids into the ground.
If you are including the "mycorrhizal fungi", please also include at least the same volume of raw blended potatoes or rice.
Do Not
Do Not stir this at all.
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