Wow thanks for all the info.

Using manure/castings/leachate – great idea! It does sound like that would give a more diverse population.

If the milk serves as a carbohydrate source to feed the bacteria, are we selectively brewing certain LAB populations by using a single carbohydrate source?

Side note – we market direct, and have a customer who’s allergic to milk. My understanding is that it’s a pretty rare allergy to have, but she’s got it. I don’t think that there’d ever be a problem, but it’s interesting to consider.