Asked by donaldsanford6914 ·September 19, 2018 ·23.3k readers

Jms help

This is day three for my jms. Is it normal for most of the bubbles to turn into foamy sludge looking stuff? Or have I let it go to long?

Top answer

Drake Weinert L4 Instructor · provisional Foundation · Sep 19, 2018

Sharing a picture will really help to diagnose this. Also, describing the smell is crucial. If it smells like dead bodies, it is probably too long. If it smells kinds sweet or sour like sour dough, you are most likely good. Here is a tank we did in a 55 gallon drum that doesn't have nice bubble rings, but it is good to go based on smell. The reason for no bubble rings perhaps is caused by all the crap that floated up and this metal 55 gallon drum seems to slag off material/rust every time I use them, so not a bad thing. Just not picture perfect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anzRW4CX4Zw

From the KNF library

From the KNF library Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books · Sep 2026 · 2 sources

Drake's JMS recipe uses mashed potatoes, salt and microbe-rich soil from under old growth, in a 5-gallon bucket. (Office Hours Ep. 33, 26:30) It bubbles in 3-4 days, so day three fits that timing. (Office Hours Ep. 33, 26:30)

Once it bubbles, Drake dilutes it into 3-4 more buckets. (Office Hours Ep. 33, 26:30) Before you apply it, he recommends diluting at least 1 to 10 with water. (Office Hours Ep. 109, 1:03:25) One 5-gallon batch then becomes 50 gallons of usable solution. (Office Hours Ep. 109, 1:03:25)

The library does not describe foamy sludge. It does not say when a JMS batch has gone too long. Smell is the best check, as Drake's reply above says. A photo will help him judge it.

Sources