Activate
Activating SCD Probiotics Mother Cultures™
Welcome to the wonderful world of DIY microbial and probiotic mother cultures, also known as starter cultures. Our Activation Guide can be used to activate any one of SCD Probiotics’s Mother Cultures.
SCD Probiotics Mother Cultures are simple to activate to create 20x more product: 1 gallon of SCD Probiotics Mother Culture creates 20 gallons of probiotic product for you to use and apply. Save money, save resources, DIY.
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Step 1: How Much Will You Make?
First, decide how much volume you want to create. The most common volumes are 5 Gallons for Home & Garden Use and 275 Gallons for Farm Use.
Use a clean plastic bottle, container, or large tank with a screw-on lid. For smaller quantities, you can even use a cleaned out plastic soda bottle with a screw on lid. You can also find airlocks and other containers at any local or online home brewing supply store.
- For 5 Gallons: Use 0.25 Gallons Mother Culture + 0.25 Gallons Molasses* + 4.5 Gallons Dechlorinated Water
- For 275 Gallons: Use 14 Gallons Mother Culture + 14 Gallons Molasses* + 252 Gallons Dechlorinated Water
5-Gallon Size for Home & Garden
275-Gallon Tote Size for Farm Use
Step 2: Mix Materials
Make sure the dechlorinated water temperature is between 97-104° F (36-40° C).
1 Part SCD Probiotics Mother Culture
1 Part Molasses*
18 Parts Dechlorinated Water
Step 3: Close Lid to Seal
Step 4: Let Actively Ferment
Let your mixture actively ferment in a warm environment for 3-10 days, checking it every 3 days. The length of time will vary based on how warm your environment is (for example, fermentation will take longer in early spring and late fall than it will in warmer months—the warmer it is, the faster the fermentation process will go).
Step 5: How Will I Know It’s Ready?
Your end product should smell slightly sweet and pickled (fermented).You can also check for readiness with a pH meter. SCD Probiotics is activated and ready-to-use once its pH drops to 3.7 or below. Note: if your pH continues to drop to 3.0 or even 2.0, this is normal and indicates high microbial activity.
Step 6: Store
Store your activated SCD Probiotics Mother Culture at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. When stored in these conditions, it will be shelf stable and “ready-to-use” for 12+ months
Step 7: Dilute and Use
For general use, Dilute 1:1000 (ex. ¾ tsp to 1 gallon) with dechlorinated water.
*If you are under strict requirements to get all inputs used on your farm certified, please check with your certifier on the source of your molasses. We’re also happy to supply an organic blackstrap molasses for sale on our website, which can be used to activate any SCD Probiotics Mother Culture.
Mother Culture Products
Choose ProBio Balance Original for large-scale composting, crop waste treatment, conventional agricultural applications, and other industries where odor is an issue.
Meant for large-scale operations, ProBio Balance Original will produce an affordable mega supply of microbes. You’ll have 20X more volume by activating the starter cultures yourself. After activation use 1:1000 dilution ratio and apply to lawns, vegetables, orchards, gardens, and container plants. For large-scale crop application, apply 1-5 gallons of activated product per acre. Can be mixed with other amendments such as molasses, seaweed and fish emulsion.
ProBio Balance Original contains 1 strain of PNSB which makes it excellent as a natural compost starter, all natural water conditioner, or natural odor neutralizer. This is a money-wise compost accelerator and soil amendment for big farms, compost piles, hydroponics, aquaculture, orchards and urban gardens.
Choose ProBio Balance Plus for high-value crops, large-scale farming, home lawn and garden, and as a powerful microbial inoculant to deodorize and detoxify soil and water.
Meant for large-scale operations, ProBio Balance Plus will produce an affordable mega supply of microbes. You’ll have 20X more volume by activating the starter cultures yourself. After activation use 1:1000 dilution ratio and apply to lawns, vegetables, orchards, gardens, and container plants. For large-scale crop application, apply 1-5 gallons of activated product per acre. Can be mixed with other amendments such as molasses, seaweed and fish emulsion.
ProBio Balance Plus contains 2 strains of PNSB (phototrophic bacteria) which makes it excellent as an ag inoculant for high-value crops like berries, cannabis, and beans. It can also be used as an all natural water conditioner, or natural odor neutralizer. This is a money-wise deodorizer and soil amendment for regenerative farms, golf courses, community gardens, waste treatment facilities, orchards and urban gardens.