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Chitosan From Crab Shells, GCM Brewing, IMO Bath Smell Test

September 21, 2025 · by Drake Weinert

Drake works through a video from Dr. Kil Young Kim on gelatinase and chitinase, enzymes that dissolve chitin (crab shells, shrimp shells, fungal cell walls) and gelatin. He compares it to Master Cho's older chitosan recipe: roast crab or shrimp shells the same way you roast eggshells, then dilute 1:1000 in water. He also breaks down how Kil Young's GCM product is brewed: culture concentrated microbes three days at 30°C with air, add sugar and fertilizer, culture three more days, dilute two to three times before spraying. He calls this biocontrol, versus Korean natural farming's biostimulation.

Gelatinase and chitinase also come up as a way to break down nematode egg masses and soft-shelled insects in the field.

Drake talks himself into building an IMO bath at home. He covers temperature (around 120°F, get in, then turn the pile), and the smell test: a healthy IMO bath smells like baked bread or a fungal forest floor, never like asphalt or something sour. He raises hygiene concerns about sharing a bath with others and says he wants his own personal setup.

He closes with a video from a Korean chicken farm run by Mr. Cho: 800 birds, a 75% lay rate (about 600 eggs, or 50 dozen, a day), rats and chickens bathing in a jadam trough, and a farm that stays free of avian influenza because of Korean natural farming practices.

Questions answered

  • 12:22 What did Dr. Kil Young Kim's GCM lecture cover? — Brewing GCM and how the chitinase enzyme dissolves chitin, found in fungal cell walls, crab and shrimp shells, and fingernails.
  • 14:29 Can you train your own IMO instead of buying chitinase products? — Yes, Drake says you can grow your own gelatinase and chitinase microbe groups and avoid buying commercial products.
  • 15:55 What is Master Cho's chitosan recipe from crab or shrimp shells? — Roast the shells like eggshells until the smell and color change, then dilute 1:1000 with water and use.
  • 20:04 Is GCM biocontrol or biostimulation? — Drake says GCM is biocontrol, killing pathogens, while Korean natural farming is biostimulation and biofertilization.
  • 21:26 Does gelatinase or chitinase help with nematodes or soft-shelled pests? — Yes, the enzymes break down chitin and gelatin in nematode egg masses and soft-shelled insects.
  • 22:09 How is Kil Young Kim's GCM brewed, and what does it cost? — Culture concentrated microbes three days at 30°C with air, add sugar and fertilizer, culture three more days, dilute before spraying, about $200 a batch.
  • 27:25 Should Master Cho's methods be updated to match newer KNF practices? — Drake says it's really about sticking to the basics, not chasing an updated version.
  • 49:13 Did an IMO bath help with a respiratory condition? — A commenter said it did, and Drake says that's the kind of result he's looking for.
  • 50:00 What should a healthy IMO bath smell like? — Baked bread or a fungal forest floor, never asphalt or a sour, nitrogenous smell.
  • 50:46 Is it hygienic to share an IMO bath with other people? — Drake says it grosses him out and he'd rather have his own personal IMO bath.
  • 54:51 Why don't KNF chicken farms get avian influenza? — Korean natural farming microbes mean the birds aren't breathing ammonia-heavy air, so the farm stays free of avian influenza.
  • 56:26 How many eggs does an 800-bird KNF chicken farm produce? — At a 75% lay rate that's about 600 eggs, or 50 dozen, a day.

Topics: chitinase, chitosan, gcm, imo, imo bath, nematodes, avian influenza, chickens, jadam, egg production

KNF Office Hours is a free live Q&A every Sunday at 9 AM HST. Bring your question to pureknf.org/learn/questions or join live.

In this episode

  1. 0:00 Welcome & I Ching: Dissolution
  2. 6:40 Chat Roll Call & Community Greetings
  3. 11:44 Monthly Meeting Recap & KNF Reproduction
  4. 12:22 Kil Young Kim's Gelatinase/Chitinase Lecture
  5. 15:55 Master Cho's Chitosan Recipe From Shells
  6. 18:10 Korea Field Trip: Touring the GCM Brewery
  7. 20:04 Biocontrol vs. Biostimulation
  8. 21:26 Gelatinase Against Nematodes and Soft Pests
  9. 22:09 How GCM Brew Is Made: Six-Day Process
  10. 27:25 Are Master Cho's Methods Outdated?
  11. 29:25 Off-Topic: Blockchain Reality Video
  12. 36:42 IMO Bath: Getting the Temperature Right
  13. 44:13 Master Cho's Claim: IMO Sauna Cures Anything
  14. 49:13 Smell Test for a Healthy IMO Bath
  15. 50:46 Personal Hygiene and Shared Baths
  16. 53:46 Video: Korea Chicken Farm Visit
  17. 56:26 800 Chickens, 75% Lay Rate: The Egg Math

Transcript

Auto-transcribed with Whisper. Click any timestamp to play from there.

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