LAB Serum🦠
What is Lactobacillus??
A genus of probiotics, or beneficial bacteria,
that make up a major portion of the lactic acid bacteria group. These types of bacteria convert sugars to lactic acid and help to break down and ferment organic material
What is LAB (Lactic Acid Bacteria) Serum?
A cultured concentration of the lactobacillus collected during a few, simple step process that can be diluted at appropriate doses to be used in various ways:
🦠USES:
IN THE GARDEN…
•Used as a soil drench, can help increase the efficiency of nutrients to the plant; Helps break down organic matter and fertilizers into plant available forms
•Helps sterilize soil and remove byproducts that can build up and create a harmful environment; the presence limits the “undesirables” in the soil; contributes to decomposition and disease (bacterial and fungi) suppression
•Natural antifungal, Helps prevent powdery mildew. Populates plant surfaces with beneficial lactobacillus which outcompete other harmful microorganisms.
•Can directly promote plant growth or seed germination
•Performs as a growth regulator for fungi, yeast and aerobic bacteria.
•Add to Compost Piles - water down every time material is added to the pile. The LAB will speed up decomposition and start to cycle the nutrients within the pile.
•Using it in phosphate-accumulated soil will increase its capacity to absorb the insoluble form of phosphates and convert into a soluble form.
•Effective at improving pore space in soil also known as soil ventilation
AT THE FARM…
•Once diluted, spray animal bedding (like chickens, goats, etc.) to prevent/reduce odor and illness; the LAB outcompetes the “undesirable” bacteria.
IN HOME USE…
•Clean clogged drains by pouring the diluted mixture down a struggling drain. If possible, allow the mixture to sit in the drain overnight to work for several hours.
•Dilute to around 15 mL per liter of water to make a deodorizing spray. Use to get rid of bad odors around the house. Very useful with pet and animal smells, even pets bedding.
EFFECTIVE IN HUMANS…
•Mix 1-2 teaspoons with one cup of cool water to re-establish proper gut health.
•Lactobacillus is often consumed in foods such as yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and sourdough, or via dietary supplements. You can even use lactobacillus to make your own probiotic drink = Simply mix one or two tablespoons of the diluted lactobacillus serum into a cup of water and drink, especially after meals. The probiotics will aid in digestion
•Food Production. When Lactobacillus bacteria consume sugars, they produce lactic acid and sometimes other byproducts that give many fermented foods their tangy flavor.
•Food Preservation. The lactic acid produced during the fermentation process makes the resulting food more acidic and acts as a natural preservative.
🦠HOW TO MAKE LAB SERUM
Ingredients List:
-Rice
-Water
-Milk (non-lactose free)
-Container/Mason Jar
-Cheesecloth
-Fine Mesh Drain
STEP 1: RICE WASH
Fill half of a container with 1:1 Rice and Water
Let soak for 20min - 1hour and stir every 15 minutes. The water will become cloudy...
3. Next, strain the water into another jar and set rice to side to cook later or compost. Cover the jar with a breathable cloth (paper towel or cheesecloth) and a rubber band. Let this sit for 1-5days
4. The rice wash will separate into 3 different layers and have a bit of a sour/sweet smell. Extract the middle layer (the lactobacillus and other beneficials) with a turkey baster or syringe and discard the remaining product:
LAYERS (After Letting Mix Sit):
Top Layer: Floating carbs left from the fermentation
Middle Layer: Lactic acid + other bacteria
Bottom Layer: Starches – which are a byproduct of fermentation
5. Place the middle layer into a large jar or split the equally across multiple jars.
STEP 2: COLLECTING LAB
For every one part of rice bacteria, you will mix in 10 parts milk- 1:10 Ratio
⭐️ lactose mixed with the wash will prevent other microbes from proliferating – leaving only lactobacillus
2. Let this mix sit for 1-7days depending on the temperature. Make sure the lid on the jar, if closed, has an airlock equipped. Otherwise, make sure to burp jar every 24hours; There can be a buildup of pressure that happens…keeping outside air from getting in, but still want the container to be able to vent excess gas if it needs to
3. This mix will separate into two layers: Curd and Whey. The bottom pale-yellow layer is the layer to be collected which is full of the cultured lactobacillus
4. Using a baster or syringe, remove the bottom layer out. An alternative is scooping out the curds and strain the remaining liquid using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. ⭐️The curds can be given to pets, chickens, pigs, or thrown into compost pile for extra organic material. It’s enriched with microbes and nutrients
5. The remaining mixture is the LAB serum that can be stored in the fridge or activated.
STEP 3: STORAGE
Store serum in the fridge where it will keep for about a week OR mix it with Molasses at a 1:1 parts ratio to stabilize the culture where it will keep for 6 months or more (Up to 12)
At room temperature, it can keep for up to 6 months.
🦠DILUTION RATES
•1:500 OR 2 Tablespoons per gallon (128 oz)
-Houseplants
-Household use (Odors and Drains)
-Watering in Garden
-Farm Use
•1:1000. 1 part serum to 20 parts clean water, then 1-2 tbsp per gallon of water.
-Houseplants
-Household use (Odors and Drains)
-Watering in Garden
-Farm Use
⭐️Diluted mixtures can last up to 6months
❗️Discard if smell becomes off putting
•1-2 tsp when mixing in water for human consumption
🦠FUN FACTS…
💎 LAB can also be used to ferment plant material, for instance if you already add seaweed meal to your feeding regime, imagine if you could 'pre-digest' the nutrients held within the seaweed - making the non-soluble elements readily available at application
💎 The energy release is different with lactobacillus when compared to other bacteria. Normally decomposition causes a buildup of heat and gas. This heating can cause harm to the plants. Lactobacillus uses fermentation which means less energy and releases a gentler byproduct.