hi,

i know nothing about making fish emulsion. but if it stinks beyond what you'd expect decomposing fish to smell like, my guess is that you're having anaerobic activity going on (ie, not enough oxygen.) maybe opening up the bag as often as you are isn't enough?

where did you find out about this method?

Why don't you aerate it like you do aerated compost tea?
If you add a little sugar or molasses source to it and aerate it for a few days, it won't stink anymore.

Egganddart,

Thanks for the reply. I first read about this in a book from the local library, but it said about the same thing as what's posted here: http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/organic/2002080041031662.html
I guess it does smell about like rotting dead animal, but I forgot to mention that I added about a cup of brown sugar about a week in. I guess that I was under the assumption that with the sugar and the composting process the smell would be gone fairly quickly. It's defiantly NOT!

Thanks again for the reply,
Anti

Thanks to you too Captaincompostal. I was hoping that you would reply on this one, after all you are the captain of composting! Like I mentioned in the reply above, I do have some sugar in it. I do intend to make an aerated tea out of it but I thouhgt that the 1-3 week precomposting was going to be important in destroying any bad guys in the fish ie. pathogens-n-stuff. The saw dust is actually looking quite nice and I think it has soaked up a lot of goodness from the fish. Do you think it would be safe to go ahead and start making some 1-3 day aerated tea with it right now? (for use on vegies)

Thanks again,
Anti

captain Compost, Can this Fish Emulsion be stored until needed next spring? I use it to miosten my potting mix when I transplant my tomatoes.

Just an update for anyone that might be interested. I am convinced that the excessive smell was from too much water when I first started. Sence I added the extra saw dust (dry) the smell has gone down and is now not too bad. Don't get me wrong, it still has an awful oder when I open the bag, but it doesn't fill the whole yard with the smell. I just get a whif here and there.

Thanks again for the replies.
Anti

Any type of non-aerated anaerobic organic liquid tea used as a natural fertilzer or soil amendment, should always be well diluted, and used only as a soil drench. (Just to be on the safe side...)

Make no mistake. Rotting protien will smell quite bad due to a couple of foul smelling compounds that are the break down products of decaying flesh. Cadaverine is one of them. I forget the name of the other compound. Lucky to remember the name of that one from organic chemistry 30 years ago. If you are using a dead animal you will get this smell unless you cover it with earth or something that will inhibit the exchange of air and gasses. Water won't do it. If you want the nitrogen and other nutrients under your tomatoes then just dig a deep hole and bury the fish or road kill or whatever in the same hole when you are planting the tomato plant. You will not have to smell it and all the breakdown products will be available for the roots of your plant. Just make sure you plant it deep enough that the neighborhood dogs/cats/possums/ coons etc don't come and dig up your tomato plants. Don't work so hard at it. Good luck. The planting Fool

"I forget the name of the other compound."

putrescine

I made my fish emulsion last March and it is now December but the smell is still terrible and there are still the same number of maggots?