Wet compost using yeast or lactic fermentation (was Sustainable Slug Beer)

Step 6 Results?

I put my beer (early on before the lid popped off) in little cups and saucers round my vegetables.
The first batch did not attract any slugs, though earwigns and wood bugs seemed to be more fond of it than they are of ordinary beer.
I put a control of ordinary beer out (slugs normally go nuts for it) but this time there were none. Weather may have been too dry and they may be underground waiting it out?
So first test was inconclusive. I suspect that they do not like it as much as real beer.
We just have to improve the process. (With your help)

Here are pics of the scum on top on about august 13th a few days after a hydrated lime addition.
It still smells quite vinegary at this stage. I thought the acid would combine with the lime.
Brian

Comments

[bashikruski]

try brownseed paspallum seeds or any Paspalum type seeds at the top the one i have had the most succes with in brewing oh and good idea too

[Dude567]

What mixture did you use to get hydrated lime

[gaiatechnician]

You buy it in a bag at the building stores or in ag supply stores. The whole thing that I did in the instructable was an experiment. The slug beer basically didn't work. (The slugs did not like it) and I was too busy to do anything much else so I just let it go to see what would happen next. I forget why I added the lime! Probably to go from a lactic acid fermentation to something else. I think the stages in a yeast fermentation is yeast and alcohol and then (if there is not enough alcohol) it goes further with lactic acid bacteria taking over. I think you get a kind of stop of the process then as it gets acid like pickle. So the lime was to neutralize the acid and possibly restart the process going in a different direction. Anyway, I took more pictures but didn't take good notes so I am clueless about the direction of events following that. Sorry.