Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
• Add a layer of newspaper bokashi bran between each layer of organic waste. The layers of
organic waste should be no more than one inch thick.
• Compact each layer after you add the waste and the newspaper bran. This removes air and
ensures more surface contact.
• Allow the contents to ferment for at least two weeks, as with wheat-based bokashi bran.
Molasses, the sugar source
In order to get the microbes to multiply and proliferate, we need to give them something easy to eat
— molasses, more specifically blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses is the final concentrated
by-product from the third boiling of the sugar refining process. It is a carbohydrate-rich “waste”
product that contains a large amount of vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals that aren't found in
white refined sugar. The extra nutrients in the blackstrap minerals give the microbes a more com-
pletefoodsource,resultinginastrongerconsortiumthanyouwouldgetfromsimplersugars.Vinny
Pinto has done a lot of work experimenting with various sugar sources and has found that simpler
sugars result in problems during fermentation (such as the pH dropping too rapidly) and a short
AEM shelf life. Blackstrap molasses is also the sugar source recommended by the two main EM
manufactures in the US, TeraGanix and SCD Probiotics.
Blackstrap molasses can be purchased from a variety of sources. Small quantities can be found
ingrocerystores,andlargequantities(usuallyinfive-gallonsizes)canbepurchasedfromlocalfeed
stores. Buying bulk is usually a lot cheaper than buying small quantities at a grocery store, so if
you think you will do any sort of longer-term brewing of AEM or making of bokashi bran, I would
suggestgoingthefive-gallonroute.Thelargerquantitydoesn'tcostthatmuchmore,andtherearea
lot of garden uses for molasses (soil drench, compost teas, etc.) so the extra won't ever go to waste.
Should I use organic blackstrap molasses?
No,butyouwanttobesurethatyouarebuyingpuremolasses.Youwanttoavoidanymolassesthat
hasbeensulfuredorhashadanyotherpreservatives oradditivesaddedtoit.Anythingthatisadded
to the molasses is going to interfere with the multiplication of the microbes and with the fermenta-
tion of the bran. So always be sure that you are buying pure molasses, organic or not, regardless of
the source. If you are in doubt, ask.
It is also important to note that molasses may have a pH buffer mixed into it to help preserve it.
Thiscaninterfere withthefermentation processwhenyouareactivating EMorfermenting bokashi
bran. So if you do use an organic product, you may experience atypical results.
What type of water should I use?
Tap water is fine. I would suggest letting it sit out for 24 hours to give it a chance to dechlorinate,
butyoudon'thaveto.Unfortunatelylettingthewatersitoutintheopenwon'tallowthechloramine,
which is common in a lot of municipal water with or without chlorine, to dissipate. There really
isn'taneasywaytoremovethechloraminewithoutusingotherchemicalsorfilters,butagain,while
not favorable, the presence of chloramine doesn't render the water unusable. The concentration of
microbes in the EM mother culture is extremely high, and there aren't enough chemicals in muni-
cipal water tomake asignificant difference intheir multiplication rate. But, like with anything else,
high-quality water is ultimately more beneficial than low-quality water. If you have a cheap and
