Harvesting worm tea

I have been vermicomposting since last August and my worms produce about a cup of worm tea a day at this point. I have been saving the tea in an empty milk jug, and plan on diluting it and putting it out into the garden once the weather warms up. My question is - how long will this tea "keep"? Can I realistically save the tea for several weeks before using it or does it go bad?

From what I understand,the liquid coming from draining the bin is not tea, but leachate. Worm tea comes from brewing the vermicompost. Here's a better discussion.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3273576

Jomoncon is correct. The liquid you are referring to is actually leachate. I don't try to save it...I just dilute it and throw it outside on the lawn or flower bed (actually I throw in on top of the snow on top of the lawn or flower bed).

To make worm tea, you take some of your worm compost and seep it in fresh water and a sweetener and use that "tea" to water your plants. There are several recipes on line for how to make worm tea...and they all say use it up fairly quickly--within a day or so at the most.

Ahhh, okay. I've been thinking all this time that the leachate was what I need to put on my flowers! I will just toss it and follow your directions for 'brewing' the tea from the compost. Thanks!

Oh...one more thing...

If your bin is producing a cup of leachate a day, it is way too wet. The moisture content of the bin should be similar to that of a wrung-out sponge.

The two biggest problems in most worm bins are too wet, and too much food.

Moderation is the key.

How do I dry it out? Should I add more shredded paper to the top?

Are you using a flow through system or a bin-type system? When i started, I was using a bin, and afer a few weeks, realized I was feeding & watering it too much, so I switched to a flow-though bin (Gustano). That was much,much better for me.I never have to add any moisture, and I maybe get only a 2-3 tablespoons a week .

With either a bin or a flow through system. leave the top off, stop feeding, & add more shredded paper. In the future, don't add food that's dripping wet, and never spray with water unless it's really, really dry. The lid of either system should keep the moisture at a fairly constant level.
Jo-Ann

It's the Can-O-Worms system. I never add any water, just food. I leave the bottom spigot open all the time and I suppose a cup of leachate accumulates after about two days (so I was wrong with my first estimate). I'll make sure that nothing is wet, and that may help. But my little wormies seem healthy and happy, so perhaps there is no real problem! :) I'm still only on my first tier (have had it since September) but I think I will need to add another tier in about a month or so. The very bottom of the bin is not dry (where the leachate flows from) and it's not very full of compost. Should it be? I think the first tier (under my scraps) is almost all compost. I sort of assumed that the very bottom section one would somehow fill up first, but maybe it's just for the leachate. Thanks for all your guidance! You guys know a lot more about this than me.

If the can of worms bin is like my stackable bin with a spigot then i would think that the very bottom is just for leachate. What i did with mine to avoid castings from falling down there as well as the worms falling down and drowning is i cut a piece of landscape fabric and put it under the last tray. Another plus to this is that my spigot won't clog..

A friend of mine at work had a recommendation for me to get the most from my castings: take a bag (like burlap) and fill it with castings. Soak the bag for a full day in something like a full Home Depot 5 gallon bucket. The water is now worm tea, pour that on your plants. He said you can get a couple soakings from one bag. Then take the castings and spread those around the base of your plants to use them up. Max usage achieved. Also, you can introduce the tea into your drip system and hit all your plants that way too! Good luck!

If you're getting leachate like that, the bin is too wet. The idea that the liquid that comes from a worm bin is "worm tea" is a myth furthered by companies with worm bins that have spigot to collect the "tea". Chances are it's fairly highly acidic fermented fruit and vegetable juice. It's nothing like the nutrient-rich liquid you get by soaking compost or worm castings in water.

I recommend wooden worm bins because they absorb/disperse the excess moisture. I've got some photos/descriptions up on my blog of the cheap/simple bins I use:
http://vermontworms.com/red-wiggler-compost-worm-bin/