Our problem from the start was that there is no consistent experimental protocol for testing the design and effectiveness of organic tea extractors. Because of this, we shifted our original experimental purpose (with the permission of the OFRF staff), and focused on:
1) the design of a simple, experimental organic tea extractor, and
2) a preliminary experimental protocol that is useful to both researchers and growers alike.
To wit: - Test the consistency of design and operation of the Cabrillo Organic Tea Apparatus in search of a prototype, inexpensive extractor that will produce expected microbial populations consistently. - Establish an experimental protocol for future projects and experiments that will further define what is being produced in aerobically made organic teas. - Sample, test for, and document any short-term differences between aerobic and anaerobic teas given the COTA design and the nature of the compost feedstock.
