My bucket is not producing any juice, should I be worried?
ANSWER:How quickly bokashi juice is produced in a Bokashi One Bucket can vary, do not be too concerned if you do not have any in the first couple of weeks. On an average it takes about 2 weeks for the fermentation process to produce bokashi juice.
If you have been fermenting your waste in a Bokashi One Bucket for longer than two weeks, and still have no juice, there are a few possibilities as to why you are not getting any:
Foods that do not have a high-water content such as bread, meat, pasta, will not produce much juice. Try adding more fruit and vegetables to increase the juice production.
Cold climates will reduce the bokashi juice production. Too much Bokashi One Mix can reduce the bokashi juice production. The mix can absorb bokashi juice, a light sprinkle is all that is required, one tablespoon for every cup of waste, as a general guide. Ensure the grate that separates the solid waste from the juice catchment is in place at the bottom of the bucket.
An average household bucket produces juice after about 2 weeks, so for households that produce less waste than other homes, the process could be a bit slower in producing juice, based on the amount of waste in the bucket. If all these scenarios have been eliminated and still you have no juice, there may be an issue with the tap. The tap could be blocked or broken. First, you could check if there is any liquid in the bucket by shaking it a bit – if it isn’t too heavy - and listening to it. Also, for those who own white buckets, you can see if there is any juice in the bottom catchment.
If you think the tap is blocked, you could try clearing it with a skewer. Then put the bucket on the ledge of a table. As you open the tap, look under it and you should be able to tell if the tap opens ok. It is much easier to check the working order of the tap when the bucket is empty, add water and drain it through.
As a general rule, do not unscrew the tap more than ¾ of a turn. Remember that all our Bokashi One Buckets are fully guaranteed for two years.
Now I am getting juice, what can I do with my juice?
ANSWER:Bokashi juice contains nutrients from the food waste and is alive with micro-organisms so it makes a terrific, free fertiliser! But…. BOKASHI JUICE MUST BE DILUTED PRIOR TO USE IN THE GARDEN. READ ON!
It is very strong so must be diluted with water at a 100:1 ratio, that's 100 parts water to 1 part bokashi juice, approximately 2 teaspoons of juice for every litre of water.
You can also pour the concentrated Bokashi juice directly into kitchen and bathroom drains, toilets, and septic systems. It will help prevent algae build-up and control odour. And as a huge bonus, it contributes to cleaning up our waterways as the good bacteria compete with the bad bacteria!
Bokashi juice is best if drained often (twice weekly) and used immediately.